DBSA e-Update October 2008: Events & Programs
Peer Perspectives on the DBSA 2008 National Conference
Last month in Norfolk, Virginia, the “Power of Peers” truly shined through at the 2008 DBSA National Conference in a series of exciting sessions, including inspiring talks by Dr. Pat Deegan, Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison and Larry Fricks; new “Power of Peer” Roundtables; a special stand-up comedy night ; and pre- and post-conference institutes for peers, veterans, families and peer specialists.
DBSA thanks the many exceptional speakers, our sponsors, the many local and out-of-town volunteers and all those who attended the conference. Many people told us how powerful the conference was for them, and we would like to share some of your peers’ perspectives on this inspirational weekend:
“[What I enjoyed most was] the energy, excitement, passion and humor of every attendee, from the keynote speakers to the last-minute arrivals. Last year’s conference was outstanding, but this beat it in enthusiasm and the deep desire to connect—it was powerful, moving and life-changing.”
“Keep up the good work! DBSA has—and does—save lives and restore spirits.”
“[I enjoyed] learning! First, I was not alone … second, how to cope better … and third, skills to take to my family to better understand me.”
“I just had to contact you to say how phenomenal and appropriate the ‘Stand Up for Mental Health’ with David Granirer was as an ending to an informative, helpful and … entertaining conference. I was able to attend with my husband Friday and Saturday. We are so glad we came.
We both found the classes and speakers to be wonderful. The ‘Peer Roundtables’ on Friday were amazing. You could see the light-bulb moments for people with the exchange of ideas! My only dilemma was WHICH topic to attend
when all 3 were applicable!
Victoria Maxwell was an incredible speaker. No one can ever know the depths of [bipolar disorder] until one hears their triumphs (and ongoing challenges). Speaking of ‘challenges,’ the ‘Successful Career Planning’ speaker never used the word PROBLEM…but challenge. That was a very subtle but positive message to the audience.”
Click here to read more from conference participants.
DBSA e-Update October 2008: Advocacy
Mental Health Parity Signed into Law
 By a vote of 263-171, the House gave final passage on October 3, to the Paul Wellstone-Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (HR 1424). President Bush signed the bill that same day. After lots of hard work over the past six years, Mental Health Parity is finally a reality. Many thanks to our country’s policymakers and to all of you who wrote Congress about this important legislation—DBSA is so proud to be working with you!
The law passed provides parity between medical-surgical and mental health/addiction benefits in plans that offer mental health coverage. It will not allow health insurance plans sponsored by businesses with 50+ employees to impose day and visit limits or apply different deductibles, co-payments, out-of-network charges and other financial requirements for treatment.
We’re celebrating the passage of Mental Health Parity only because of the dedication, commitment and fortitude of tens of thousands of advocates who have hung in there for the long haul. Since the beginning of this year, over 40,000 letters have been sent through DBSA's Legislative Action Center (LAC) in support of parity. While the legislation doesn’t mean better coverage for every one of us, it is a huge step toward the equitable mental health care we so desperately need.
Next Up—Preparing for the Presidential Election
Now that we’ve done our part to see Mental Health Parity become law, we have another very important task—to make our voices heard in the presidential election on November 4. To help you prepare, DBSA has created an online election center, “MI Vote Counts (Election Resources for People Living with Mental Illness),” at www.DBSAlliance.org/Vote.
“MI Vote Counts” offers everything from side-by-side comparisons of the presidential candidates’ positions to information on the role of the Electoral College. You can also find your local polling place, and there’s even a section on political trivia for history buffs. Both informative and entertaining, “MI Vote Counts” is designed to convey the message that knowledge is power.
DBSA e-Update October 2008: Peer Services & Training
 Trauma Course for Peer Specialists—December 9
REGISTER NOW for DBSA’s next live Peer Specialist Continuing Education (CE) webinar on Tuesday, December 9: “Trauma-Informed Care: What the Peer Specialist Needs to Know.” “Trauma-informed care” recognizes that the symptoms experienced by survivors of war and disasters, crime, sexual abuse and domestic violence are directly related to their traumatic experiences and often cause mental health and substance use concerns. Join presenter Elizabeth G. Vermilyea, MA, of Traumatic Stress Recovery Consulting, to learn about
- The need for self-care and protection from vicarious traumatization (and strategies to that effect).
- The ways that trauma presents in individual and group interactions.
- How to assist trauma survivors in peer support settings.
- How to integrate trauma-informed strategies into the peer specialist’s wide variety of activities.
Since 1991, Ms. Vermilyea has been working exclusively with trauma survivors and the people who care about them. She received her master’s in clinical psychology from Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, and is an independent consultant specializing in traumatic stress consultation, training and program development. Previously, she served as the training director and trauma specialist at The Sidran Institute, where she developed traumatic stress education and training programs and materials.
Ms. Vermilyea has created and delivered education programs and consultation on traumatic stress to a broad range of professional, paraprofessional and public audiences. She is the author of Growing Beyond Survival: A Self-Help Tool Kit for Managing Symptoms of Traumatic Stress, as well as one of the authors of Risking Connection in Faith Communities. She also has served as faculty for the University of Maryland Trauma Certificate Program.
Course Details*
"Trauma-Informed Care: What the Peer Specialist Needs to Know”
December 9, 2008
2:00-3:30 p.m., Central Standard Time (CST)
$75 per individual registrant
REGISTER NOW
*1.5 Continuing Education (CE) credits are available to all course participants who successfully complete the post-course examination.
Online, Self-Study CE Courses
If you missed the live webinar, you can still take DBSA’s peer specialist CE course online, at your own pace. The following self-study courses are currently available:
Want to Become a Peer Specialist?
If you would like to help others on their road to recovery, consider registering for the upcoming DBSA Peer Specialist Training session in Chicago, Illinois, this December 8-12. For more information, including cost of registration and hotel accomodations, contact PeerSupport@DBSAlliance.org or call (800) 826-3632.
DBSA e-Update October 2008: Chapter Update
DBSA + good2gether = Big Chapter Benefits
DBSA is thrilled to announce our partnership with good2gether, the free web service that puts your chapter’s information in front of millions of potential donors, volunteers and advocates. Over the past several months, DBSA has been working with chapters in select areas to register them with good2gether, joining other organizations like the American Red Cross, American Heart Association and Best Buddies International.
 Once your chapter’s profile is listed, good2gether makes your chapter—all your local events, in-kind donation needs, volunteer opportunities, programs and more—visible, searchable, and sharable on high-traffic websites like those hosted by your local newspapers, TV stations, colleges and universities. For free!
And now, good2gether is expanding! All DBSA chapters with an e-mail address can now participate. To find out how to list your local chapter on good2gether, contact Allison at aflaherty@good2gether.com.
For an example of what you can do on good2gether, visit DBSA’s national office profile at http://dogoodchannel.com/nonprofits/depression-and-bipolar-support-alliance.
Highlights of Chapter Leadership Forum 2008
Last month’s Chapter Leadership Forum (CLF) was one of the best yet! Chapter representatives from across the U.S. came together to hear from guest speakers, meet other chapter leaders, and most importantly, share their knowledge with one another.
We started out the day with an energizing session by Jerry Teplitz, PhD, who helped us learn more about work styles and how to interact most effectively with our chapter members. After a wonderful lunch, where we recognized our 2007 Chapter and Professional Advisor Service Award winners, we came back together for café-style sessions. In these sessions, we held discussions on specific topics such as
- Recruiting and retaining chapter participants
- Chapter fundraising
- Growing DBSA on a national level
- Cultivating new leaders
CLF attendees spent 30 minutes on each topic, sharing experiences and brainstorming ways to help one another. (You can check out the notes from each session later this month on the chapter management section of DBSA’s website.)
We rounded out the day with a special presentation by fundraising professional, Geran Capewell, who helped us discover the seven different revenue sources for event fundraising. Though we were all exhausted by the end of the day, we spent a little time during the closing session reviewing what we’d learned and how we can use this information in our home chapters.
Thank you all for making Chapter Leadership Forum 2008 such a success!
New Chapters in September
DBSA Conejo Valley (Calif.)
DBSA La Mesa (Calif.)
DBSA Pasadena Wellness Center (Calif.)
DBSA Osceola County (Fla.)
DBSA Plainfield (Ill.)
DBSA Hancock County (Ind.)
DBSA Muskegon (Mich.)
DBSA Grants-Cibola Counseling (N.M.)
DBSA Jackson-Roane Counties (W. Va.)
 DBSA e-Update October 2008: Web Connections
Listen Now--Music Contest's Top 16 Finalists
If you haven’t heard the Facing Us 2008 Music Contest’s top 16 songs yet, click here to be inspired by the creative spark of these finalists! Many thanks to all of you who listened and voted for your favorites! The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners have been notified, and we’ll formally announce them next month when DBSA launches the Dave’s Spark Creativity Center* on www.FacingUs.org/.
The top 16 songs will be showcased on the new stereo feature of the Facing Us Clubhouse, your online home for wellness. And next month, the Clubhouse’s new Creativity Center will feature podcasts and online workshops that discuss how to use your own creative expression as a wellness tool … as a way to not only cope but thrive in the face of life’s challenges. The Center will also offer the music of the Facing Us 2008 Music Contest finalists in a digital album, available as a purchasable download. You can create your own MP3 playlist and listen to your favorite songs whenever you want, wherever you are!
For direct access to the winning songs—and so much more—register today for your free account at http://www.facingus.org/. It’s easy to register; all you need is an e-mail address and a password. And be sure to drop in at the Facing Us Clubhouse next month to check out the Dave’s Spark Creativity Center!
*Dave’s Spark: Let the Music Play Fund was established in 2006 by the friends and family of Dave Kaplan in conjunction with DBSA; its mission is to provide support to families who are confronted with bipolar disorder.
DBSAlianza.org—New Website for Spanish Speakers!
In honor of World Mental Health Day and National Hispanic Heritage Month, DBSA launched a new Spanish-language version of our website, http://www.dbsalianza.org/, on October 10. It is a dynamic, interactive site that empowers caregivers, as well as those living with depression and bipolar disorder. DBSAlianza.org offers critical resources, including recovery tools for Spanish speakers seeking treatment, support and information on living with depression or bipolar disorder. It provides access to a variety of DBSA’s resources, including
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Information on identifying the signs of depression and bipolar disorder -
Educational brochures in both audio and print format -
Guidelines for finding help, treatment and support -
Resources for health care professionals
Do You Have an Outstanding Mental Health Provider?
If you do, let us know at www.DBSAlliance.org/FindAPro! In return for your recommendation, you’ll receive a special DBSA lapel pin, as a small token of our thanks, and will also be entered into a drawing for a beautiful Swarovski crystal bracelet, handmade by jewelry artist and consumer Sharon Baum Crawford. But you’ll also win the heartfelt thanks of your peers—a personal message is invaluable from someone who has “been there” and experienced the often confusing, overwhelming process of finding a provider.
Visit Find A Pro, a database of peer-recommended mental health providers and facilities!
DBSA e-Update October 2008 : Making Dream Comes True
 This November, Change a Life … and Pass It On
In the spirit of true “thanksgiving” this November, we invite you to change a life … and pass it on. Be part of the dream that Rebecca Cutler had … to educate others about bipolar disorder and depression … to help those living with these devastating illnesses know that there is hope. The 3rd Annual Rebecca’s Dream Gala, this November 8 in Chicago, celebrates the hope that rises from tragedy. The Gala remembers Rebecca Cutler, a young woman who lost her life to bipolar disorder, but whose legacy lives on. “Those she loved have taken a horrible event and found a powerful way to help others who are struggling with this awful disease.” These words belong to someone who, thanks to a scholarship provided by Rebecca’s Dream, rediscovered hope at this year’s DBSA National Conference.* This individual’s testimony is a moving example of the real people whose lives have been forever changed by Rebecca’s legacy:
"Somewhere in the course of the DBSA conference,
I made a paradigm shift from a survival mentality to a recovery model.
That changes everything about my future outlook.
Instead of merely surviving bipolar, I am now ready to consider thriving despite my diagnosis....
Rebecca's death is so tragic and heart-wrenching, but those she loved have taken a horrible event
and found a powerful way to help others who are struggling with this awful disease.
I am honored to have received a Rebecca's Dream scholarship
and vow to take what I have learned and pass it on.
I really feel that participation in the conference has dramatically altered my life
and put me on a course to live a life that is rich and meaningful.
Thank you!"
This year’s Gala honors someone who has helped to “pass on” this kind of hope: Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn. For his hard work supporting our veterans who struggle with illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder, Quinn will receive the “Rebecca’s Dream Legacy of Life Award.”
Your presence at the Gala will allow us to continue this young woman’s legacy of life. Your gift will help so many others—like this year’s scholarship recipients—thrive despite their diagnoses and have lives that are rich and meaningful. If you’re unable to attend the November 8th Gala in Chicago, we hope that you might make a donation by December 31, 2008, and be part of Rebecca’s Dream. Change a life, and pass it on.
*Thanks to funds raised by Rebecca’s Dream, nearly 20 other people, like the two quoted below, were also able to rediscover hope at the DBSA 2008 National Conference:
“I'm just writing to let you know how much I appreciate the scholarship.
I learned a lot, made some new friends and connected with friends
that I've know on the [DBSA] forums for as long as seven years.
In short, it was a great experience.”
"Thank you...for such a great conference. I was a Rebecca's Dream scholarship recipient,
and I could not have attended without the scholarship. It was great to see old friends
and meet new ones. I know that the information that I received over the weekend
will be used in both my job as a peer support specialist
[and] in moderating DBSA...support group[s]."
DBSA e-Update October 2008: Wellness Tips
Friends, Freedom and a Single Step
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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Friends
Hang around people who make you laugh!!
Freedom
I’m beginning to see the only way we can truly be free of our illness is to embrace it … and to get involed in our own treatment … find things that can make us feel we are in control instead of the illness.
A Single Step
I have a little sign on the ledge in my apartment, which reads, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Some days it is hard, but for me, the first step happens when you get out of bed. So, don’t sweat it. If you hate the day, just remember, go to bed, and it becomes a brand new day.
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 October 2008: In the News
U.S. Congressmen Receive Awards from DBSA President
 Last month, Peter Ashenden had the honor to meet with several important figures on Capitol Hill. Introducing himself as DBSA’s new president and discussing some of the organization’s initiatives, Ashenden met with the following members of Congress: Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), as well as the Health Care Legislative Director, Myra Alvarez, for Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Ashenden left the meetings inspired and encouraged. “These individuals are strong supporters of initiatives that we hold important to our service system,” he said.
While in Washington, in his role as the new chair-elect for the U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA), Ashenden was also privileged to make two award presentations:
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USPRA’s 2008 Congressional Leadership Award to Congressman Patrick Kennedy for extraordinary leadership in championing for mental health parity and behavioral health legislation. -
USPRA’s 2008 Leadership Award to Senator Richard Durbin for outstanding dedication and contributions to behavioral health and rehabilitation legislation.
2009 Welcome Back Awards:
Nominate Someone Courageous in the Depression Community
If you, or someone you know, has made great strides in battling depression or improved the lives of those struggling with this devastating illness, let the 11th Annual Welcome Back Awards committee know! Nominations may be submitted by anyone and will be accepted through November 10, 2008. Five recipients will be honored at a May 2009 ceremony in San Francisco, California, with an award which includes a donation of up to $15,000 to the nonprofit of their choice. (They also receive complimentary airfare and lodging for themselves and a guest.)
The Welcome Back Awards was established by Eli Lilly and Company 11 years ago to recognize outstanding achievements in the fight against depression, to help transform the stigma associated with the illness and to increase awareness of proper treatment options. Each year, the program celebrates achievement in the depression community by recognizing five individuals for outstanding contributions in the areas of lifetime achievement, community service, destigmatization, primary care and psychiatry.
For more information, call (800) 463-6440 or visit www.lilly.com/responsibility/outcomes.
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.
(10.14.08)
Medicare 2009 Part D Open Enrollment Period
November 15-December 31, 2008
The Medicare Open Enrollment Period for Prescription Drug Plans (Part D) and Medicare Advantage plans begins this November 15. This is the one time of the year when current beneficiaries can change their prescription drug plan (PDP) and individuals who wish to join a PDP may enroll. Many plans change year-to-year and some beneficiaries may see significant premium increases or changes, such as reduced coverage within the coverage gap, if they remain in the same PDP.
Detailed information about each plan in each state is available online at http://www.medicare.gov/ through the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder and Medicare Options Compare. For helpful fact sheets, click here.
(10.08.08)
Planning Ahead Supports Self-Determination
Mental Health Crisis Plans and legally binding Psychiatric Advance Directives (PAD) contain specific information and instructions about an individual's treatment needs and preferences during a mental health crisis or psychiatric hospitalization. For some, completing a PAD can be daunting. The UPENN Collaborative on Community Integration recently released an easy-to-use, practical tool for creating a PAD. Get a free download at www.upennrrtc.org/var/news/48-ASAP%20Announcement.pdf.
(09.24.08)
Administrator of Consumer Affairs Needed in Nebraska’s Division of Behavioral Health
For full details, visit www.das.state.ne.us/personnel/nejobs/pro.htm#admin. The position’s responsibilities include:
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Managing Nebraska’s Office of Consumer Affairs and developing plans/processes for working in close collaboration with consumers of substance use, mental health and gambling services and their families. -
Advocating for consumer views and achieving the meaningful involvement and participation of consumers as a priority in the state-funded behavioral health system. Providing comments on proposed regulations and rule changes. -
Developing with Ombudsman and others a fair and equitable consumer grievance system. -
Tracking complaints and writing reports. -
Collecting and analyzing complaint data. -
Actively supporting, expanding and developing a plan for consumer participation. Managing federal and other grant projects. -
Providing supervision and directing the work activities of assigned staff. -
Training, or managing training for, consumers to take meaningful roles throughout the behavioral health system. -
Monitoring, encouraging and developing regional consumer specialists. Encouraging relevant and useful consumer participation in behavioral health emergency system. |