As we continue our mission to provide hope, help, support, and education to people who have mood disorders, we deeply believe that the power of peer support and uplifting the peer voice moves the needle on increasing wellness outcomes for people with mood disorders. We’ve also reached the mid-mark of our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan to: increase peer support, demonstrate the value of peer specialists, and increase peer engagement. Because you play an integral role in our success as an organization, we wanted to give you an exclusive look into the progress we’ve made this year.
Peer support isn’t merely a concept; it’s a lifeline.
Peer support is when people use their own firsthand experiences to help others facing similar challenges. While our country faces a dire shortage of accessible and affordable mental health care and services, we see peer support as a vital solution to bridging the gap.
Peer support among individuals living with mood disorders has been shown* to:
Reduce hospitalization rates
Reduce days spent in inpatient care
Reduce the overall cost of mental health services
Increase the use of outpatient services
Increase quality of life outcomes
Increase engagement rates
Increase whole health
DBSA in-person and online support groups give people living with depression and bipolar disorder a safe place to share experiences, discuss coping skills, and offer each other hope. In addition to our general support groups, we offer identity-focused groups including groups for parents and caregivers. In our online support groups:
96% of participants report feeling welcome in the group
88% of participants report feeling more hopeful afterward
88% of participants report that they learned new strategies and information for living with a mood disorder
Our subscriber growth has increased by over 40% this year but unfortunately our number of online support groups offered has decreased by almost 40%, and we continue to have thousands of waitlist instances.
Each online support group costs $15,000 per year. DBSA is working to secure funding to maintain our current number of online support groups and will continue to seek funding to increase those offerings to decrease waitlist instances. Contact our development department at development@dbsalliance.org to learn more about how you can ensure that people living with mood disorders, and their loved ones, can find a welcoming place to find support.
Expanding the Impact of Peer Support: DBSA’s Role in Training Specialists and Addressing Mental Health Care Gaps
DBSA is a national leader in training individuals to become certified Peer Specialists—someone who uses their firsthand experience of living in recovery to support individuals dealing with mental health conditions, acting as an integrated part of their care team.
Medicare’s Inclusion of Peer Support Services: A Milestone for Person-Centered and Inclusive Health Care
Medicare’s recent decision to include peer support services underlines the invaluable contributions of certified peer specialists. This development not only marks a shift towards person-centered care but also charts a path for a more inclusive health care system. It ensures care is based on personal goals and needs and amplifies the voices of those with lived experiences.
SAMHSA’s Call for 700,000 Peer Specialists Highlights Training Gaps and Funding Needs
SAMHSA called for 700,000 Peer Specialists to fill the mental health care gap. To put things into perspective, there are only 30,000 state-certified and credentialed Peer Specialists nationwide. Even more to the point, DBSA trains over 100 Peer Specialists a year. Unfortunately, the cost of training can be a barrier for some. DBSA is actively seeking funding to eliminate these financial obstacles, enabling individuals to use their recovery experiences to assist others in their journeys.
DBSA’s Project Selected for J&J’s 2024 Talent for Healthy Communities Program to Enhance Peer Support Services
DBSA’s project has been chosen for Johnson & Johnson’s 2024 Talent for Healthy Communities Program, which connects J&J employees with organizations to tackle challenges like marketing and operations. This support will aid DBSA in expanding its peer support specialist apprenticeship program to enhance mental health services for Black and African American communities in Cook County, Illinois. Funded by a 2021 SAMHSA grant, the program provides a paid apprenticeship to address training barriers. Over 12 weeks, J&J professionals will work with DBSA on solutions, with organizations dedicating 2-4 hours per week and participating in a virtual closing event in December 2024.
DBSA’s Impact on Medical Education, Mental Health Equity, and Behavioral Health Legislation
Building on a long history of championing personal advocacy, DBSA also advocates for placing peers at the forefront when determining needs and best practices for mental health services and treatments. We support both policy and media-related advocacy at national and state levels, ensuring the needs and concerns of peers are front and center in policy, service delivery, and treatment decisions.
Pushing for Behavioral Health Legislation
In June, DBSA’s new Community Engagement Manager, Mikhael Bortz joined allies from dozens of other organizations to meet in person with Capitol Hill lawmakers and urge them to take swift action on several bills that would improve access to behavioral health care, address the workforce shortage, and expand support for the 988-crisis line. This organized coalition advocacy effort was part of the National Council for Mental Well-Being’s 20th Annual Hill Day.
DBSA’s Role in Shaping Continuing Medical Education
In May, the Policy and Peer Engagement Department worked closely with our partners on Continuing Medical Education materials for mental health professionals. DBSA’s role is to integrate the peer/patient perspective into these educational resources, which include live webinars with DBSA peer advocates and interactive patient simulations. Several CME providers depend on DBSA’s expertise to enhance their educational content.
Medlive, one such CME partner, is promoting DBSA’s resources, including the Wellness Wheel, Support Groups, and Mood Crew® for educational programming for physical conditions because we know that physical conditions can affect mental health and vice versa.
Altha J. Stewart, MD
Bridging the Mental Health Gap for Black Americans
DBSA CEO, Michael Pollock joined DBSA Board member Dr. Altha Stewart, MHA, and NAMI at the 2024 Black Psychiatrists of America Spring Conference: Exploring the Nexus of Community and Mental Health: Space, Place, and Identity in Los Angeles. Michael shared DBSA’s advocacy efforts on addressing race equity in mental health care in support of Black communities through offering support groups for the Black community and training peer specialists. Learn more.
DBSA Staff and Volunteers in the Mental Health Landscape
Bipolar Learning Health Network (BDLHN)
In June, DBSA CEO Michael Pollock and Community Engagement Manager Mikhael Bortz attended the Bipolar Learning Health Network Design Meeting 3 in Cincinnati. The Bipolar Disorder Learning Health Network will transform care for bipolar disorder by fostering collaboration, co-production, and data-driven improvement, resulting in comprehensive and personalized care solutions that address diverse needs and challenges.
Our Objectives
Continue to build community and solidify BDLHN’s vision and values
Collaboratively refine aims, measures, and change ideas related to improving bipolar disorder care and outcomes
Strengthen skills and expertise around improvement and innovation
Sozosei Summit
In April, DBSA Community Engagement Director Andrew Smith and Community Engagement Manager Mikhael Bortz attended the Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness. Sponsored by our partner Otsuka’s philanthropic arm, the Sozosei Foundation, the summit aims to improve mental healthcare access and end the misuse of jails and prisons for treating mental illness in the U.S. Representing DBSA, Smith and Bortz contributed the peer perspective to the development of a nationwide awareness campaign by Grey Group, which seeks to combat the criminalization of mental illness and challenge existing stigmas.
Bebe Moore Campbell Summit: Addressing BIPOC Mental Health Needs
During BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, DBSA, in partnership with Otsuka, hosted the Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Awareness Virtual Summit. This event aimed to raise awareness about the mental health crisis affecting communities of color, with a particular focus on addressing the unmet mental health needs of Black and African American men.
Pictured from L to R: Dr. Roger McIntyre, DBSA Board Chair, Dr. Melissa DelBello, Dr. Diego Pizzagalli, Dr. Elizabeth Lippard, Dr. Mark Frye, DBSA Scientific Advisory Board Chair, and Michael Pollock, DBSA CEO
Gerald L. Klerman Awards Presentation
DBSA honored three clinicians for their contributions to mood disorder research at the 2024 Gerald L. Klerman Awards ceremony held in NYC during the American Psychiatric Conference. This event brings together leading mental health researchers from our Scientific Advisory Board and our Partners in Wellness. The Gerald L. Klerman Awards are the highest honor DBSA gives to members of the scientific community. This year, DBSA recognized the following achievers:
2023 Senior Investigator Awardee: Dr. Melissa DelBello is a Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and Dr. Stanley and Mickey Kaplan Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (UCCOM).
2023 Senior Investigator Awardee: Dr. Diego A. Pizzagalli is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of research for the Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders at McLean Hospital.
2023 Young Investigator Awardee: Dr. Elizabeth Lippard is an assistant professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.
DBSA’s Associate Board in Action
DBSA’s Associate Board is designed for young professionals aged 21-39. They use their voices and insights to effect positive change while working together to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders. So far this year:
Learn more about and how to join our Associate Board.
In Case You Missed It
2023 Annual Report: A Note from Michael Pollock, DBSA CEO
As our nation adjusts to life following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am honored to lead DBSA amid our nation’s ongoing mental health crisis. In 2023 we embraced our roots in peer support, providing hope, help, support, and education to those living with mood disorders and their families and loved ones. I am excited to share more about this progress in our 2023 Annual Report.
As DBSA nears its 40th anniversary, we reflect on our origins in peer support. In 1978, Rose Kurland, unable to find self-help groups for depression, started her own support group in her living room. Her vision led to the founding of DBSA, emphasizing the importance of community and self-directed wellness. Today, DBSA remains dedicated to these roots, viewing peer support as a crucial solution in addressing the ongoing mental health care shortage and providing hope and connection. We hope you’ll celebrate with us next year!
DBSA Co-Founder Rose Kurland
Gratitude for our Partners in Wellness
DBSA’s mission of improving the lives of people living with mood disorders wouldn’t be possible without the support of our donors. We’re proud to recognize the impact the support from foundations, corporate and health care partners, and individual donors has on DBSA, our programs, and our community.
