Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance National Capital Area Chapter Weekly Update May 23, 2021 Hello and welcome to the weekly email! If you have a suggestion or news item to share please send to
[email protected] by 5:00 pm on Friday. Be sure to check out the chapter website at www.dbsanca.org . DBSA NCA Peer Support Meetings This week the chapter will offer Zoom peer support groups: Sunday evening, Wednesday at noon, Thursday evening, and Sunday evening. Please note that peer groups are for people living with depression and bipolar disorder. The Friends and Family group is for friends and family members of those living with depression or bipolar disorder (or other mental illnesses) to share the challenges of that relationship. The group locations indicated below denote where these groups have met previously, and will probably return. Peers may opt to participate in any of the peer groups. The Zoom connection links for groups have changed for 2021. To join peer groups you use the same link to access any meeting at its scheduled time. The Friends and Family group (first and third Wednesday evenings) has a different link for its meetings. If the provided link is used online, a password should be unnecessary. Please let us know of any difficulties via email . Southern PG County Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time Beltsville Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Monday, May 24, 2021 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time Women’s Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time Mid-Day Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time Montgomery County Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time DC Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time Southern PG Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Sunday, May 28, 2021 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time Invite link for all PEER groups: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6625874960?pwd=TU5SZ3lkV3o4TDhDdi9lZU1jZDZMQT09 Meeting ID 662 587 4960 Passcode: dbsanca One tap mobile +13017158592,,6625874960#,,,,,,0#,,3858633# Dial in 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 662-587-4960 Passcode: 3858633 DBSA NCA Family and Friends Meeting Family & Friends Meeting No meeting this week. Invite link for the FAMILY & FRIENDS group: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82298544216?pwd=QVpkeVFIeTJvVGJwbmpXNHdWcnVlQT09 Meeting ID: 822 9854 4216 Passcode: dbsanca One tap mobile +13017158592,,82298544216#,,,,*6740529# Dial in 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 822 9854 4216 Passcode: 6740529 A Note About Returning to Meetings In Person With the recent developments with regard to lifting of various public health requirements for public group meetings the Board has begun to engage in discussions about when we will begin to return to in-person meetings for our various support groups. It has been agreed that it will be a combination of when our meeting hosts are able to welcome us back to their facilities and the comfort level expressed by meeting participants that will largely drive this decision process. Additionally, it is expected that we will continue to offer some meetings virtually through Zoom while others will meet solely in-person. The Board will be meeting in June to develop a “restart” plan; your input on this is always appreciated. More details will be forthcoming as they are developed. DBSA Speaker Series Event Announced COVID Sense & Sensibilities: The Tsunami of Depression/Anxiety, Sleep & Public Stress Meet Research Advances & the Goal of Health Maintenance Presented by Chapter Medical Advisor, Frederick Jacobsen, MD, MPH Thursday June 17 at 6:00 PM EDT DBSA NCA’s Medical Advisor will present his annual review of the latest research on mood disorder research with a particular focus on the impact of COVID. His talk is always highly informative and packed with new information focused on achieving wellness through a range of treatment options. Register in advance for this program. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Note that this program will be recorded. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlf-yspzgoGNVq2h5cFBCtMyfTG104SCMF DBSA Chapter Outreach Project The task group working on the development of a community outreach campaign, with a particular focus on communities of color, has been continuing its work. They are endeavoring to develop a marketing campaign and create new support group meetings targeted to a variety of communities. The next meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 1st at 7:00 PM . DBSA NCA Chapter members are invited to participate in this effort and are encouraged to reach out to Gregory Billings
[email protected] if you would like to participate in this discussion. Online Events Outside of DBSA University of Reading free online course: Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT - Online Course Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech Discuss virtual behavioral health access and innovation June 3: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/going-digital-behavioral-health-tech-summit-2021-tickets-150314810645 MHA: From Resilience to Recovery - June 10-12 Virtual registration is now free - tickets are limited https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mhas-2021-annual-conference-from-resiliency-to-recovery-registration-147134999745 Agenda: https://mhanational.org/2021/annual-conference/agenda American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Talk Saves Lives Online presentation via Zoom - Tuesday May 25 7:00 PM-8:00 PM EDT https://afsptsl05252021.attendease.com/ NIMH new online study (~2 hours): “Emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral impact of the COVID-19 pandemic” https://covidcoping.ctss.nih.gov/ Would you like to keep your own personal journal? - New virtual monthly group offered by Montgomery County Public Library - Fourth Thursday of each month starting Thursday May 27 - 6:30-7:30 PM ET https://mcpl.libnet.info/event/5018689 May is National Mental Health Awareness Month A Proclamation on National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2021 DC Mayor Bowser Launching New Mental Health Emergency Dispatch Pilot Program DC Mayor Bowser has announced that the District is launching a pilot program to shift 911 calls for emergency mental health services from an automatic police dispatch to a dispatch inclusive of a mental health crisis response. The pilot is a partnership between the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, the Office of the City Administrator, the Office of Unified Communications, and the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). During the pilot, DBH’s Community Response Teams will serve as specialized, rapid response units to be dispatched to mental health-related 911 calls instead of automatically deploying police officers. Learn more HERE . The DBSA NCA Chapter is continuing to monitor and advocate for improvements in the DC mental health crisis system as the 988 system is rolled out in the coming year. News From National DBSA New Series: “I’m Living Proof: A Letter to My Younger Self” debuted May 1. This program is organized by the DBSA Young Adults Council of which one of our very own chapter members is a leader and will be featured in an upcoming episode. I'm Living Proof: A Letter to My Younger Self I'm Living Proof Submissions and Guidelines May DBSA E-Update https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/newsletters/may-2021-eupdate/ New National DBSA Position Statement DBSA Outreach to the Black Community DBSA statement regarding the relationship between law enforcement and the mental health community Peer Advisory Council Opportunities Putting wellness within every individual’s reach is at the core of DBSA’s mission, strategies, and programs. Two of the ways we do that are through peer councils and market research. Two of these opportunities are outlined below. If you are selected to participate in either opportunity, you will be compensated for your time and energy. More information will be provided about compensation in each of the pre-screeners. One opportunity is for individuals who live with bipolar I disorder. The other opportunity is for individuals who live with major depressive disorder. DBSA does not endorse any form of treatment, including medication, nor any particular medication. Both opportunities require: 18 years of age or older Opportunity 1 Peer Council for individuals living with bipolar I Specific Requirements: • Diagnosis of bipolar I disorder • Have taken medication to treat bipolar I disorder at some point in their life What will the Peer Council do? Members of the peer council will be asked to review a one-page email and a five-minute video that peers who have been newly prescribed a medication receive. Feedback and comments will be compiled and shared anonymously. Who is conducting this peer council? DBSA is convening this peer council on behalf of AbbVie. AbbVie’s mission is to create an innovation-driven, patient-focused specialty biopharmaceutical company capable of achieving sustainable top-tier performance through outstanding execution and a consistent stream of innovative new medicines. For more information on AbbVie, visit: www.abbvie.com What should I do if I’m interested? If you’re interested in participating, please click here to take the pre-screener survey. We will reach out if this opportunity seems to be a good match for you. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MayPeerCouncil Opportunity 2 Peer Council for individuals living with major depressive disorder Specific requirements: • Diagnosis of major depressive disorder • Have taken at least one antidepressant at some point in their life • Access and ability to participate in an online video conference, such as Zoom What will the peer council be asked to do? Selected participants will take part in a 90-minute facilitated discussion and share their responses to recruitment materials for a
