DBSA state organizations serve as representatives of DBSA in their states, provide support to new and existing local DBSA chapters, and conduct statewide efforts to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders.
What do state organizations do?
DBSA state organizations
- serve as a communication link between local DBSA chapters in the state and the DBSA national office when appropriate;
- represent local DBSA chapters on state legislative matters when appropriate,
- speak for DBSA within their state or region (must be familiar with DBSA’s stance on public policies);
- educate the public on the nature of mood disorders;
- recruit new chapters in the state/region;
- lend assistance to individual local DBSA chapters on operational matters;
- provide leadership training to chapters in the state;
- become incorporated;
- participate annually in the DBSA re-affiliation process;
- send representative(s) to DBSA state organizations meeting;
- provide ideas and suggestions for group programs, fundraising, membership recruitment, and other areas of chapter development to DBSA;
- hold regular or annual meetings where a majority of chapters are represented;
- invite national staff to the annual state meeting;
- maintain current contact information with the DBSA national organization (including affiliation, contact information, meeting schedules, and annual progress reports); and
- hold annual elections for the state organization’s Board of Directors, rotating board membership on a regular basis.
