DBSA e-Update April 2008: Events & Programs
NEW: Download the Preliminary DBSA 2008 National Conference Brochure
Time's Running Out: Save Up to 30% by May 4
Did you know you can get up to a 30% discount off rates for “The Power of Peers” this September in Norfolk? Sign up by May 4 and save through Early Bird Registration! Here are some examples of how much you can save:
 More than $100 off the Veterans Package
(Full conference plus the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning pre-conference institutes) - More than $100 off the Peer Specialist Package
(Full conference plus the Thursday and Friday morning pre-conference institutes) - Up to $48 off the Consumer Package
(Full conference plus the Friday morning pre-conference institute, “Common Ground,” with Pat Deegan, PhD) - Up to $48 off the Family Package
(Full conference plus the Friday morning pre-conference institute, “At Home with Wellness: Families & Recovery”) - Up to $40 off the Full Conference (Friday afternoon and all day Saturday)
And you can save an additional 20-30% with our special, multiple-event packages! Choose from four different special packages that let you do more and spend less by signing up for pre-conference institutes along with the conference. And if you sign up for one of our four multiple-event discount packages through Early Bird Registration (instead of signing up and paying separately for each event), you’re actually saving even more:
Act fast to get these rates; registration is easy! Simply sign up online or click here for a downloadable form that you can mail/fax to us.
Learn more about how you can save
on DBSA 2008 National Conference registration!
We Have a Winner: DBSA’s National Conference Survey!
Congratulations to Sheri from Indianapolis, Indiana, who won a FREE 2008 conference registration for taking our online survey! Many thanks to ALL who participated! We’re using your feedback to help determine the topics for this year’s conference breakout sessions.
DBSA e-Update April 2008: Advocacy
Help Debunk Rumors and Lies about Postpartum Legislation
Show Your Full Support Now!
 For some time now, DBSA has asked constituents to write their legislators in support of H.R. 20, the Melanie-Blocker Stokes Postpartum Depression and Research Act which would fund programs and services to help women afflicted by postpartum depression (PPD) and their families. It has passed in the House of Representatives, and the Senate companion bill, S. 1375 (the Melanie Blocker-Stokes MOTHERS Act) is currently awaiting action in the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Unfortunately, complaints have been circulating lately on the Internet, asking readers to block passage of this critical legislation. These outspoken opponents include a psychologist with a counseling background, an osteopathic physician, an Alaska-based lawyer who specializes in public land law and a holistic health care practitioner and master herbalist, known for his criticism of psychiatry. None of these "experts" have any expertise in mental health, obstetrics, pediatrics or any other field related to postpartum mood disorders. They claim that the legislation is a conspiracy by large pharmaceutical companies to push new mothers to take unnecessary medication.
Tell that to the more than 800,000 women who will develop a diagnosable postpartum mood disorder this year! Women like Melanie Blocker-Stokes … a successful, 41 year-old Chicago pharmaceutical sales manager, who plunged to her death six years ago from the 12th floor ledge of a Chicago hotel as firefighters pleaded with her not to jump. Despite medical assistance and the support of family and friends, she took her own life after giving birth to her first child.
Those now speaking out against the legislation named in her honor obviously know little to nothing about it. Some are even saying that Melanie wasn’t ill, that she was “just sad.”
Even if you’ve already sent a letter in support of the PPD legislation earlier this year, it’s time to send another one to debunk this conspiracy issue. It’s important to remember that for issues such as mental health, as few as five letters can make a difference in how your legislator votes.
In just six days after our most recent legislative action alert, “We Must Speak Out in Full Support of PPD Legislation NOW,” DBSA constituents had sent out nearly 7,000 letters to Congress! Please help us increase that number to ensure that
- Essential services are provided to new mothers and their families.
- There are new treatments.
- Research continues and is expanded into the causes of this illness.
- A national public awareness campaign is created to increase awareness and knowledge of PPD
Connect and be Counted!
Click here to send a letter in support of this important postpartum depression legislation.
DBSA e-Update April 2008: Peer Services & Training
Peer Inspiration
 In DBSA’s Peer Services department, we spend a lot of time reviewing examinations that people take after completing a DBSA Peer Specialist Training Course. Despite the stress of taking the exam (or at least anticipating it!), some very articulate and inspiring words surface on the test about the pain of illness and the reality of recovery. Here’s what up-and-coming peer specialists are saying about recovery and the role that peers play in it:
- [A recovery story is] putting myself in front of the illness, not the illness in front of myself.
- Setting a goal involves change; with that change comes the life that we want. Change motivates us to do more and see more.
- A negative message is like a knife in your back that you can’t pull out by yourself.
- I used to tell myself I could never get hired for a job because I am worthless. I proved myself wrong, because I now work full-time.
- If you find yourself stuck … decide to get yourself unstuck by moving forward in any direction, even if it isn’t the right one. Don’t expect perfection!
- I believe that it is people that inspire recovery and change. Motivating factors for real change are rarely found on a piece of paper in a chart.
- It’s easier to help someone out of quicksand when they’re only up to their ankles in it than mired down to their neck.
- Respect makes it possible for recovery to work.
- Recovery from mental illness is a process of living one’s life out, living out one’s hopes and dreams and achievements, in spite of one’s illness or sometimes because of it. Sometimes the illness is the trigger the person needs to move ahead and make changes….
- I find that the main support that I have been able to give a person is my trust and honesty.
- I think magic can happen by having peer specialists integrated and work in the programs as “bridges” … almost like sewing or knitting … to bring together two sides of fabric or yarn and form a beautiful outfit that didn’t exist before out of either piece, but now exists because the peer specialist is there between, helping bring together the pieces so that they can see each other.
- Listen with your heart (so that you hear what the person is wanting or needing).
- Hope is what sets a person free to try again.
Amen to all of the above! These profound words are a real gift to those of us privileged to read them, and we wanted to share.
Apply Now for September DBSA Peer Specialist Training
DBSA is offering a Peer Specialist Training Course the week of September 15-19, 2008, in Norfolk, Virginia, following the DBSA National Conference. Facilitated by nationally-recognized trainers, this comprehensive course provides a foundation in recovery principles, intervention techniques and ethical practice. Enrollment is limited, and there is a fee for participation.
To download the application form and learn more, click here. Applications are due on or before June 10, 2008.
DBSA Keynotes in Canada
This April 9-11, more than 400 people came together for the Ontario ACTT 2008 Conference, "Beyond Med Drops: Exploring and Embracing Diversity in ACTT," in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. DBSA Director of Training Matt Mattson delivered the opening keynote address, “Making Recovery Real,” to an audience that included many local, working peer specialists. Mattson shared practical ways for all providers to incorporate lessons learned from the lived experience into their work. Part of his presentation included “The Seven Dirty Words” and what providers can do to be a “consumer-celebrated clinician.”
Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACTTs) are teams of multidisciplinary health care providers who offer comprehensive, community-based psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation and support to those with serious and persistent mental illness. The purpose of the Ontario ACT Association (OAA)—a nonprofit organization of ACTTs—is to help identify, develop and advocate for the collective interests of ACT Teams in the Canadian province of Ontario.
DBSA e-Update April 2008: Chapter Update
Leading Experts to Speak at Chapter Leadership Forum
Each year, DBSA offers chapter leaders the chance to come together at the National Conference to learn new skills, share best practices and, most importantly, have fun! This year’s Chapter Leadership Forum (CLF) is thrilled to hold workshops led by experts Jerry Teplitz, JD, PhD, and Geran Capewell, in addition to a series of café-style sessions. All chapter and support group participants are welcome to attend. You don’t have to hold a leadership role in your chapter to participate!
Don’t miss these unique opportunities to enhance the quality and scope of your community's chapter:
 Dr. Jerry Teplitz will lead an energizing session that teaches you how to use simple techniques to enhance your productivity and creativity, as well as help you build a stronger chapter team. Honored by the National Speakers Association, Dr. Teplitz has spoken to more than one million people, including companies such as IBM, Century 21 and hundreds of North American universities. He’s also the author of Managing Your Stress, Switched-On Living and Brain Gym for Business. |
 Geran Capewell, renowned fundraising professional, will host an interactive workshop on how to use events as a way to raise money. With more than 30 years of nonprofit fundraising experience, Mr. Capewell has consulted for international events such as the Clinton-Yeltsin Summit and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. His clients include Buckingham Palace, the White House, the Kennedy Family, IBM and Ford Motor Company. |
Scholarships Available!
Thanks to the generosity of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), there are a LIMITED number of scholarships available to attend the Chapter Leadership Forum. To download the application form, please click here. (PDF format).
Register Now!
CLF will be held on Sunday, September 14 (following the DBSA 2008 National Conference), at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia. There’s no cost to attend for the first 100 registrants affiliated with a DBSA chapter (maximum of 5 per chapter). Additional chapter members—and others who aren’t affiliated with a DBSA chapter—can also sign up for a $50 registration fee. (The fee includes lunch for this one-day forum.)
For more information or to register,
visit www.DBSAlliance.org/CLF08.
Reminder: Conference registration is separate from CLF.
Click here for DBSA 2008 National Conference information.
New Chapters in March
DBSA Fresno (Calif.)
DBSA Huntington Beach Christian Community (Calif.)
DBSA Swainsboro (Ga.)
DBSA Westfield (Ind.)
DBSA Nassau County (N.Y.)
DBSA Guthrie (Okla.)
DBSA Greater Beaumont Area (Tex.)
DBSA Western Loudoun (Va.)
DBSA e-Update April 2008: Ignite the Light
Rekindle the Inner Spirit
“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.
We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
--Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, musician and physician
 Think of a time when your “inner fire” lost its glow. Think of the people who helped you rekindle that flame. For more than 21 million Americans who live with depression or bipolar disorder, finding that inner fire again is often a daily—sometimes hourly—battle. And recovery can be a dark, grim and lonely road to travel.
Are you one of the nearly 100,000 people who visit our website each month or one of our 47,000 registered users who are searching for a way to re-light the inner fire within yourself or a loved one? There is strength in numbers … think of how much light we could shine on that dark road to recovery, if we each gave just a little. Even a small flicker of light—the help of just one person—can be enough to brighten someone’s way back to wellness. Will you be that one small flicker? Help us Ignite the Light on that journey.
Instead of buying that cup of coffee on your way to work, put those few dollars toward DBSA’s Ignite the Light campaign in honor of those who have helped you rediscover your inner spirit. Think of how much hope could be rekindled, if just 10% of the people who visit our website gave only $1 to Ignite the Light. That would raise enough money to receive the $10,000 matching grant offered to us by "The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation" to improve the lives of those living with mood disorders. Kindness is contagious. It doesn’t take much for hope, help and support to spread like wildfire.
Be that one small light that brightens someone’s path.
Last month, you read the story of Adrienne Fitts, a Gulf War veteran who found her inner spirit again
through DBSA as a peer specialist. Click the play button below to listen to her now, in her own words,
talk about how much brighter her road to recovery is.
Planning for Your Future and Ours
It’s no secret that your goodwill helps DBSA create and maintain programs that make the future brighter for the millions of Americans living with mood disorders. And one way to share your goodwill is through planned giving. At www.DBSAlliance.org/Furture, find out about all the easy ways to give the gifts of recovery, education and support to those with depression and bipolar disorder.
This user-friendly section of our website walks you through everything you need to know about planned giving:
- A glossary, so you don’t get confused by unfamiliar planned giving terminology
- All of the tax and income benefits of the various kinds of planned gifts
- Tips on how to make gifts from life insurance policies, retirement plan assets or appreciated property
- How to set up your will so that the government does not benefit more than your heirs
- How to calculate your income tax deduction for charitable gifts
By designating DBSA as a recipient of your planned gift, you become a member of the Dr. Jan Fawcett Heritage Society, named after DBSA’s founder, a prominent psychiatrist and researcher. But more importantly, you give others the possibility of a future full of hope.
Gifts from the Heart: Beads for Bipolar
 In the hopes of helping others with mood disorders find the striking beauty in their own lives, Sharon Baum Crawford, a jewelry artist and consumer diagnosed with bipolar disorder, fashions lovely beaded bracelets from striking Swarovski crystals and aqua quartz and graciously donates a significant portion of the proceeds to DBSA. We are proud to showcase her “Beads for Bipolar” collection in our online store. An extension of Sharon’s creative whimsy, each piece is inspired by the sights, textures, moods and seasons around her. She purposefully designs each bracelet to be unique and distinct, just as is the individual who wears it. And everything in the “Beads for Bipolar” collection is competitively priced, to give everyone the opportunity to feel beautiful.
For a special gift that both expresses and inspires beauty,
visit www.DBSAlliance.org/Beads.
DBSA e-Update April 2008: Web Connections
DBSA Author Chat: What to Do When Someone You Love is Depressed,
Mitch Golant, PhD
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
RSVP here (It’s free!)
 Talk with Mitch Golant, PhD, a licensed psychologist, about his book What to Do When Someone You Love is Depressed: A Practical, Compassionate, and Helpful Guide for Caregivers. In the book, he offers guidance to friends and family on how to keep their own spirits up while at the same time doing what’s best to help a loved one who’s living with depression. The subjects he addresses include how to maintain intimacy and communication, what to do when someone threatens suicide, the role and limits of medication, the link between depression and chronic illness and how to handle specific challenging situations.
Dr. Golant is also Senior VP of Research & Training for The Wellness Community (TWC), an international nonprofit that provides free support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones at over 100 locations worldwide. In addition to What to Do When Someone You Love is Depressed, Dr. Golant has coauthored five other books and is the contributing editor to the Essentials of Psychosocial Oncology Handbook.
Be sure to listen to Dr. Golant's podcast, now available online.
Coming Soon
 Do Your Spring Cleaning … eBay for DBSA!
Clean out the garage and do some good at the same time—eBay for DBSA! Have anything sitting around that you just don’t need anymore—a stamp collection … fishing poles … bridesmaid dresses never worn that second time? You can sell these things—and almost anything of value—on eBay. And now, you can direct some, or all, of the proceeds to support nonprofits like DBSA, through a special program managed by eBay Giving Works and MissionFish.
DBSA is excited to join this program with other nonprofits like the American Red Cross and Amnesty International. In less than five years, almost $70 million has been raised for thousands of organizations. Who’d have guessed that selling the painting in your attic could help one of the millions of Americans who lives with a mood disorder?
So, tackle that closet and eBay for DBSA!
Coming in May: An Online Women’s Health Fair
Next month, DBSA is proud to announce that we will have a “booth” at Revolution Health’s online Women’s Health Expo, dedicated to helping women achieve health and balance. For each visit you or your friends make to our online booth, you’ll learn something new about women’s health, and Revolution Health will make a small donation to DBSA. More information coming soon on our website—stay tuned!
DBSA e-Update April 2008: Wellness Tips
Be at Ease with Yourself, Try New Things, Keep Going Forward
In the Facing Us Clubhouse, consumers who have found small ways to make a big difference in their recovery share wellness tips on topics like these. Visit the Clubhouse to be inspired by your peers … and to pass on some of your own inspiration.
At Ease with Yourself
Realizing how self-absorbed most people are is like finding a cloak of invisibility. Don’t worry about what people think about you—they’re thinking about themselves.
 Try Something New Each Month
I see wellness as a full, well-rounded life. So, I try to do one new thing a month. One month, I started walking my dog every night on a new, and longer, path. One month, I read a whole new kind of book—biographies. Another month, I tried—and failed—to learn chess. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and often I don’t have much energy to try something new, but even trying something simple like going to the library boosts my mood and gets me out of the house.
One Step at a Time
Recovery is not a linear process. In your journey towards recovery, you might take three steps forward and one step back every now and then. But ultimately, those steps forward will add up to lead you to a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. As best you can, you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, especially after falling a step behind, and keep walking towards the bigger picture.
To share some of your “wellness wisdom,” click here!
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A Note about FacingUs.org:
When you visit the Facing Us Clubhouse, you’ll notice that several "rooms,” including the room that houses wellness tips, require you to log in or create an account. Why is this necessary? Because in these sections, you are creating personal journals, books or a plan that is uniquely yours. So, we need a way to pull your unique information--like pulling your file out of a filing cabinet.
Joining the Facing Us Clubhouse is easy and FREE! We only need two things to create an account just for you—your e-mail and a password. Please be assured that we will not distribute or sell your information to anyone outside of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. The media room of the site does not require registration. The only reason we require registration for other parts of the site is so that you can create your own personal wellness tools.
DBSA e-Update April 2008: In the News
Hollywood & Washington: DBSA in National Spotlight
Before Congress on Capitol Hill
 On March 13 in Washington, the U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA) testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) Subcommittee. DBSA Executive Vice President and USPRA Elected Board Member Peter Ashenden joined USPRA’s CEO and Research Committee Chair to address the President’s 2009 proposed funding cuts to federal mental health programs. They stressed how crucial it is to continue funding for SAMHSA programs such as Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers and Consumer Technical Assistance Centers like DBSA’s own “Peers Helping Peers” center. These programs, they said, help immensely to promote the recovery-oriented and person-centered goals outlined by President Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and the Institute of Medicine.
As Peter testified, these programs “help my peers to have their voice heard … to have safe and affordable housing … to have gainful and meaningful employment … to have social supports and connections … please help to save lives. Please allow my peers to experience the hope and connections that I have … Please do not allow these cuts to occur as [they] will result in homelessness, institutionalization and death.”
In Hollywood for a SAMHSA Voice Award
At a Hollywood’s Paramount Studios ceremony on May 28, complete with an after-party, DBSA Vice President of Peer Services Larry Fricks will receive one of SAMHSA’s prestigious Voice Awards. Hosted this year by actor Joe Pantoliano (best known for his roles in The Sopranos and The Matrix), the Voice Awards will honor 26 films, shows and individuals that have truly given a “voice” to mental health issues and recovery. Some of last year’s honors went to Patty Duke, an episode of Law & Order: SVU and the movie Proof starring Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The Awards honor writers and producers who incorporate into film and television dignified and accurate portrayals of those with mental illnesses. But the Voice Awards also celebrate the heroic efforts of consumer leaders, such as Larry Fricks, to reduce stigma and increase awareness. Consumer honorees are nominated based on the outstanding ways they have
- led efforts to reduce the discrimination and stigma associated with mental health problems
- personally demonstrated that recovery is real and possible
- made a positive impact on their community, workplace and/or school.
One of the many, many ways that Larry has increased awareness is through telling his story in the newly-published book Strong at the Broken Places by Richard M. Cohen, who will co-keynote with him at the DBSA 2008 National Conference this September. We at DBSA extend our heartfelt congratulations to Larry and all of this year’s Voice Award recipients! Thank you for speaking out!
To learn more about the Voice Awards, please click here.
The Latest from SAMHSA
The following is a listing of headlines from this past month’s SAMHSA and CMHS announcements. To read the full announcement for each, visit the News and Announcements page of the “Peers Helping Peers” DBSA Technical Assistance Center (TAC) website at www.PeersHelpingPeers.org/news.php.
(04.08.08)
Scholarships Available for DBSA 2008 National Conference "Power of Peers"
A LIMITED number of scholarships (approximately 20-25) are being provided by CMHS to attend both the DBSA Chapter Leadership Forum (September 14) and the DBSA "Power of Peers" National Conference (September 12-13). The application is NOW AVAILABLE! Please click here to download the application form (PDF format).
(04.08.08)
Be Part of NAMI DC's “In Our Own Voice” Program
NAMI DC is looking for consumers to speak about their recovery experience through their “In Our Own Voice” program. Training will be provided. Please call (202) 546-0646 if you wish to be considered for this program. You will contacted later on for an interview. NAMI DC is looking for consumers, including youth, from a wide variety of experiences to be a part of this program. “In Our Own Voice” is a national program that has been recognized for reducing stigma in communities. This will be the first time the program will be introduced in Washington, DC.
Requirements? Be willing to go out and speak openly about your experience as a person with a mental illness. Attend a two-day training over a weekend. Also agree to be available to speak 2 times during the next year once trained. Call (202) 546-0646 with your contact information.
(03.24.08)
International Conference on Self-Determination: May 27-29, Detroit, Mich.
On May 27-29, 2008, at the sophisticated Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, the International Conference on Self-Determination will serve a much different purpose than most other conferences. It's designed to be a combination of a few very short presentations but mostly panel discussions and roundtables organized by topic with a diversity of moderators and cross-disability panel members rather than a single focus presentation by a particular individual or organization. Each session is organized across disabilities. For more information, please click here.
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