Welcome and thank you for helping peers improve their lives. Below you will find news and resources for Support Group Facilitators.
Resources for Support Group Facilitators
News
DBSA support groups were named “Best Specialized Support Groups” by Healthline and “Best Overall” by PsychCentral.
Next Level Thinking;
NEW! Wed., April 19th at 7pm Eastern
Did you know? Resources and Networking
Opportunities for Facilitators
To register, send email to jburgos@dbsalliance.org
Remembrance Groups Nov 2021
Crisis Response Series Presented by Chuck Weinstein, CPS
Facilitator Practice Session Challenging Situations
You can download what was discussed by clicking on the Facilitator Sticky Situations.
The DBSA DEI Toolkit made possible through the support of the Alkermes Inspiration Grant
DBSA’s DEI Toolkit consists of the following three elements below:
- The March 21, 2022 Chapter Chat Presentation
- A copy of the presentation slides.
- The DBSA DEI Toolkit
The Presentation
March 21, 2022 Presentation Slides
DBSA’s DEI Toolkit
- Training Information
Whether you are a new DBSA facilitator or an experienced one, raise your facilitation skills up to the next level by attending DBSA’s free, interactive Virtual Facilitator Training. Taught by experienced support group facilitators, this 8-hour introductory training class includes 2 – 3 separate sessions featuring lecture, question and answer segments and mock facilitator practice. Please note that the training is for DBSA support group participants only.
Participants must attend all sessions of a particular class to receive a certificate of participation. Please note that these training sessions are intended for peers who are working with a DBSA chapter or DBSA support group.
Available Sessions, Dates and Times:
Basic SGFT 3/25 & 3/26 12 – 4pm Eastern AT CAPACITYBasic SGFT 05/11 & 05/12 4 – 8pm EasternApril Facilitator Think Tank Thursday, April 13 at 7pm EasternMay Facilitator Think Tank Thursday, May 11 at 2pm Eastern |
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To register, please email Jill at jburgos@dbsalliance.orgInclude your full name, chapter name and email address. |
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**SGFT stands for Support Group Facilitator Training |
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Resources
Training Resources
We suggest that DBSA Support Group facilitators be familiar with and follow the DBSA Support Group model as outlined in the DBSA Support Group Facilitation Guide.
- Support Group Facilitation Guide
- At-At-Glance Support Group Facilitation Guide
- DBSA Welcome Statement
Meeting Resources
Welcoming New Participants
A welcome kit can be an important tool for your support group. It provides information about your group to new peers and also carefully explains what a peer can expect from a support group meeting. Starting a relationship with a strong welcome can increase support group participation and retention. The following are templates and samples that you may wish to include in your support group’s welcome kit:
Preparing for Challenges
Community Outreach
DBSA support groups may choose to perform community outreach by offering educational programming, focusing on specific communities within the local community. The following are resources support groups may use to help in outreach and member recruitment activities:
- Bipolar Community Education Kit
- Depression Community Education Kit
- Living Successfully with a Mood Disorder
- WRAP for Groups and Organizations
- DBSA Chapter Inclusiveness Guide
- Inclusion, Diversity, and Language
- DBSA Chapter Advocacy Guide