Thurstone to Colorado Public Radio: State has almost no treatment for kids who vape
I am glad for this report from Colorado Public Radio about the state’s highly disturbing rate of teen vaping and its lack of resources to help these young people beat an addiction that studies show affects their brain development and increases the likelihood...
Thurstone named Director of Behavioral Health Services at Denver Health
It is my great honor to serve as Denver Health’s new director of Behavioral Health Services. I deeply respect the hospital’s mission to provide everyone world-class healthcare — and without regard for their ability to pay for it. In coming months, I...
Denver Health provides first-of-its-kind military training
Since joining the U.S. Army Reserve seven years ago, I have had a lot of time to study the military training needs for Army Mental Health Specialists. I am grateful to my employer, Denver Health, and to my colleagues there — especially Dr. Scott Simpson,...
The marijuana, psychosis connection
Increasingly, we are contacted by parents desperate to learn more about the strong association between adolescent marijuana use and psychosis. Their typical and tragic messages go something like this: “We never knew. We thought marijuana wasn’t even...Read the book
Clearing the Haze is a guide designed to help parents determine whether their child may have a substance problem and, if so, how to begin to address it. This book includes the voices and insight of experts in substance abuse counseling, young people in recovery, and parents who have lived the nightmare of adolescent addiction.