DBSA e-Update June 2009
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Announcing Legacy of Life Awardee: Extreme Makeover's Paige Hemmis
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 Paige Hemmis of ABC's award-winning Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, is a talented carpenter and designer...and she is also one of the millions of Americans with the experience of depression. In honor of her efforts through the Blueprint for Hope national campaign to use her personal experience to shatter stigma, raise awareness, and educate the public about depression, she will receive the 2009 Legacy of Life Award at the 4th Annual Rebecca’s Dream Gala in Chicago this fall.
This March, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) publication noted “that stigma can be reduced when people with mental illness are portrayed as ‘a person like any other.’” Sharing her story openly through Blueprint for Hope, Paige is doing exactly that…letting the general public know that she has faced depression like so many others…and that neither she nor they are any different than “other people.” This echoes what we at DBSA say every day: You are not alone. We’ve been there. We can help.
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4th Annual
Rebecca's Dream Gala
A Celebration of Dreams
& Awareness
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Chicago Cultural Center
Chicago, Illinois
For more information, visit http://www.rebeccasdream.org/.
COMPASSION. HOPE. UNDERSTANDING. |
DBSA 2009 National Conference Welcomes Klerman Award Winners
| For the first time ever, DBSA will present the Gerald L. Klerman Awards this fall at the DBSA 2009 National Conference. The Klerman Awards are the highest honors that DBSA extends to members of the scientific community, recognizing researchers whose work contributes to understanding the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder. |
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In addition to the awards ceremony, we’re pleased to announce that several Klerman Award winners will have a role as speakers in the DBSA 2009 National Conference. Several honorees will answer questions from the audience as part of the conference’s “Ask the Doctors Q&A Panel.” And we’re especially excited that two of this year’s winners will lead breakout sessions as well:
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Audrey R. Tyrka, MD, PhD—“Alternative Treatments: Evaluating Your Options”
Dr. Tyrka is Associate Chief of the Mood Disorders Research Program at Butler Hospital (Providence, R.I.) as well as Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
Trisha Suppes, MD, PhD—“New APA Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder”
Dr. Suppes is Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Studies at the Stanford University School of Medicine as well as Director of the Bipolar Disorder Research Program within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. |
The Klerman Awards are named after Gerald L. Klerman, MD, one of DBSA's earliest supporters
and a pivotal figure in psychiatry. As Professor and Associate Chairman of Research at Cornell University Hospital
Medical College, Dr. Klerman led the first multisite study to understand the diagnosis, clinical course
and genetics of depression. Still ongoing, the study has provided baseline information on depression.
Read about all of the speakers and breakout sessions
at www.DBSAlliance.org/Conference2009.
Don't Be Late for Special Rates!
 Register for the DBSA 2009 National Conference by Friday, August 3, for special Advance Rates. And don't forget our special discount packages that can save you even more!
Register online today in our Registration Center.
New DBSA Store—Conference T-Shirts and More!
You don’t have to wait until September to get a “Peer Connections” T-shirt. It’s available now—along with so much more—in the all new DBSA store! Visit http://www.DBSAlliance.org/Merchandise to find all kinds of conference and DBSA merchandise like
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SIGG water bottles
Travel coffee mugs
Mousepads
Baseball caps
Tote bags
Tracksuits and hoodies |
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Proceeds go directly toward meeting our mission: improving the lives of people living with mood disorders. Check out our new store for the perfect pick-me-up gift for a friend or yourself…and show your support for peer support!
Learn How to Tap Your Creative Flow--New Online Course
 Creative outlets—music, scrapbooking, photography, etc.—are personal wellness tools anyone can use. Learn how through this new, self-paced course. A collaboration between DBSA and Lana Castle, author of Finding Your Bipolar Muse, the course discusses how to handle creative barriers, create the time and space you need for your activity, find focus, deal with criticism, and much more.
Launch "Tapping Your Creative Flow," a self-paced course on creative expression.
DBSA expresses its sincere thanks to Lana Castle for her collaboration on this course. Lana is the author of Finding Your Bipolar Muse and Bipolar Disorder Demystified, as well as a speaker and mental health advocate with a passion for the creative arts.
New Podcast--Transitioning to Work
Are you entering, or re-entering, the workforce after a period of time on disability? Listen to our new Real Recovery podcast to learn what Social Security's "Ticket to Work" (TTW) Program can offer you. The TTW program is free and helps those eligible for SSDI or SSI benefits to find a job or go back to work. This podcast addresses the following:
what type of employment and job search services/supports are availablewhat an Individualized Work Plan iswhether TTW affects disability benefits, health insurance coverage,
and Medicaid or Medicarethe Social Security Administration's 2009 hiring projectand more! |
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Listen to this podcast.
Note: It is highly recommended that you consult with a Social Security representative or benefits specialist before
using your Ticket to Work or starting any employment program. Each beneficiary's circumstances are different;
it is only by consulting with an expert that you will get specific information that pertains to your individual situation.
And the Winner Is....
DBSA would like to thank Bonnie R. and Yolanda H. for sharing their personal recommendations for a highly qualified mental health care professional or facility on the DBSA Find A Pro search engine! Their names were randomly selected in the drawing for a beautiful Swarovski crystal "Beads for Bipolar" or "Beads for Depression" bracelet, handmade by artist Sharon Baum Crawford. Submit your recommendation to Find A Pro today for another chance to win!
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Beads for Depression
Winner, Bonnie R.
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Beads for Bipolar
Winner, Yolanda H.
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Next Peer Specialist Training and More
Peer Specialist Training this September
The next DBSA Peer Specialist Training will be held September 14-18 immediately following the DBSA 2009 National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Training topics include
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Role of peer support recovery -
Problem solving with individuals -
Effective listening and the art of asking questions -
Combating negative self-talk -
Dissatisfaction as an avenue for change -
Facilitating recovery dialogues -
Peer specialist ethics ... and more
DBSA Peer Specialist Training prepares people who live with mental illnesses to use their experiences to work with others as peer specialists. Facilitated by nationally-recognized trainers, this comprehensive course delivers a foundation in recovery principles, intervention techniques and ethical practice. Curriculum focuses on the use of peer-delivered services to support the recovery of others.
DBSA Peer Specialist Training is delivered in affiliation with Appalachian Consulting Group, Inc., innovators of the Georgia Certified Peer Specialist Project that pioneered Medicaid-billable peer support services. Following training, participants are eligible to complete a written peer specialist examination and receive a training certificate.
APPLY NOW
“I found the training one of the best educational programs in my life.
I have a new look on recovery—so exciting to be on the frontlines of mental health recovery!”
--AC (Wisconsin peer specialist training 04/08)
Not Too Late! Register for Headache/Mood Disorder Webinar
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The Chicken or the Egg?
Understanding Chronic Pain & Mood Disorders
June 23, 2009 (Tuesday)
2:00-3:30 p.m. (Central Daylight Time)
Register Now |
Some 27 million Americans suffer from migraines and many more from chronic daily headaches, both of which can greatly decrease a person’s quality of life. The numbers are even higher for those living with a mood disorder. For example, about 32% of those living with bipolar disorder report a history of migraines, and a recent study of headache clinic patients found that 8.6% of those with migraines also live with some form of bipolar disorder. And those living with depression are also affected. Depression can’t be treated effectively without treating the pain associated with migraines and chronic headaches…and that pain can’t be effectively treated without treating depression. It’s crucial to treat both.
Presenter Lawrence Robbins, MD, is a Chicago-area neurologist who specializes in headaches and founded the Robbins Headache Clinic. He is also the author of two books, Headache Help, and Management of Headache and Headache Medications.
Register online now.
The registration fee is $75.00. Continuing education (CE) credits
are available for peer specialists who successfully complete the post-course exam.
Chapter Update
Online DBSA Facilitator Training--Coming in July!
At long last, DBSA will be offering online support group facilitator training…at no cost! This July, we’ll launch the first of two  webinars on support group facilitator training. This interactive training will cover the knowledge, skills, and perspectives essential for current and prospective DBSA facilitators. The first webinar addresses the principles and skills of basic facilitation, centering on opportunities for dialogue within the group. The second focuses on recovery-oriented training, person-centered approaches, and the underlying motivational framework that empowers the webinar participants to be the best facilitators they can be.
Registration will be available soon for this free training, so stay tuned! Each webinar will also be recorded and made available online at no charge for anyone unable to participate on the scheduled dates.
For more information, contact the DBSA Chapters Department
at chapters@DBSAlliance.org or (800) 826-3632.
New Chapters in May
DBSA Fresno Area (Fresno, Calif.)
DBSA Albany, GA (Albany, Ga.)
DBSA Eastern Kentucky (Prestonburg, Ky.)
DBSA Westerville (Westerville, Ohio)
Help Others Put the Pieces Together
Make a Gift to DBSA
 Living with depression or bipolar disorder makes it hard to put the pieces together. But peer support through DBSA can help:
I belong to a DBSA support group, and I love it because we all speak the same language. My peers truly “get it” when I talk about my struggles, because they have been there, and they know what I’m describing. I’m surrounded by caring and supportive people, and that is just such a tremendous healing power. I’ve been with the group for two years…the best two years in my recovery. I don’t think that’s a coincidence!
—Sue H.
I know firsthand that depression can make suicide seem the only choice….Fortunately, as I’ve experienced, you
absolutely can feel better….It seems a contradiction: depression almost killed me, but then it taught me how to live.
I learned to deal with the illness, to live well and happily. You can, too. Who knows how much good you’ll be able to do
for others? I’m now able to help many others, based on my own experience.
—Dan M.
Your gift to DBSA supports hopeful, peer-focused help for people like Sue and Dan. Know that we will always use your donation wisely, dedicating 83 cents of every dollar to powerful programs and tools like several of those described here in e-Update. Please visit www.DBSAlliance.org/Donate, to help millions of people put the pieces together, find their place, and find recovery.
 More information on these and other announcements from SAMHSA and CMHS is available, by date, on the “News and Announcements” page of the “Peers Helping Peers” DBSA Technical Assistance Center website,
www.PeersHelpingPeers.org/news.php.
(6.09.09)
Register by Friday, June 19!
Free Teleconference Training: "Suicide Prevention and the Role of the Social Determinants of Health"
(5.19.09)
SAMHSA Launches Mental Health Transformation website: Transformation Tracker Explorer
(5.19.09)
Nationwide Report Reveals that 1 in 13 Adults Experienced Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year
In the Facing Us Clubhouse, consumers who have found small ways to make a big difference in their recovery can share wellness tips like those listed here. Visit the Clubhouse to be inspired by your peers…and to pass on some of your own inspiration.
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Victory
Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat.
~Malcolm Forbes
Breathing
I notice when I’m having a major manic-depressive moment, I smoke a lot. So instead of reaching for a pack of smokes, I should work on my breathing technique so I can get on my way to stop smoking as much or at all. Cigarettes have been my stress reliever too often.
The Sun
If, when depressed, I can remind myself that “the sun also rises”...in other words, at some point the depression will subside...it can make the unbearable depression somewhat bearable....It is often difficult to see through the fog of depression and even for one second believe it will ever end...but it will...and it does. The sun also rises.... |
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Share some of your own “wellness wisdom!"
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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.
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