Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)

Education and information - dbsa is committed to creating powerful and impactful communities of shared experiences and Support. We focus our education efforts in dismantling stereotypes, ending discrimination and changing the way individuals communicate about mood disorders. Dbsa reaches over four million individuals with Support, educationalresources, and tools to help individuals living with mood disorders lead productive and fulfilling lives. Dbsa recognizes that there are many paths to wellness and promotes numerous treatment components that are beneficial for individual achievements of recovery. Personal wellness tools include a wellness toolbox and wellness tracker and mood crew. Through dbsa's website, more than 820,000 individuals accessed our programs and educational resources. The balanced mind parent network, which provides parents with children living with mood disorders, with personal connections to other parents throughout the country,identifies resources, answers questions, and provides the Support and stability they seek. The 'i'm living proof' podcast series speaks to the experiences of teens and young adults learning how to manage their mood disorders and live a more fulfilling life.

Grass roots and peer services - through advocacy efforts dbsa amplifies the voices of those living with mood disorders and works toward systemic change in the delivery and quality of mental health care. Dbsa works with more than 400 Support groups through its 110+ local chapters and nine state organizations to provide the services and Support groups to those in need. Dbsa is a founding member of the social isolation and loneliness coalition and coordinated a series of virtual peer specialist training courses for 94 students, a co-hort that included 75 veterans. Dbsa expanded online resources, including virtual Support groups and peer services. Approximately 92% of Support group members reported that they were helped with treatment adherence by services provided by dbsa. Dbsa works with the fda, medical product developers, researchers, and regulatory decision-makers to educate on treatment options for those facing mood disorders. Finally, dbsa has organized a prestigious 45-member scientific advisory board (sab) to assist in program accomplishments by making presentations at dbsaconferences, authoring peer-reviewed manuscripts on behalf of dbsa and representing dbsa to the media.