Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance California

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)1 is the leading peer-directed national organization focusing on the two most prevalent mental health conditions, depression and bipolar disorder, and the associated diagnoses such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, eating disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. These conditions affect more than 21 million Americans, account for 60% of the nation’s suicides every year, and cost $23 billion in lost workdays and other workplace losses.

According to our partner the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)2, almost 46,000 Americans died by suicide in 2020. It is now the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 1.2 Million Americans attempted suicide in 2020, and these are only those statistics that have been reported and documented. It is apparent the isolation and lack of social support during the pandemic has increased the call for suicide prevention awareness.

A large percentage of those we serve have co-occurring substance use challenges, whether alcohol, opioid or other legal or illegal substances. 100% of our leadership and employees are peers with lived experience. For almost 40 years, DBSA’s core mission has been providing evidence-based peer support practices via peer-run support groups3. Since COVID, our support groups mainly meet online, but we are hopeful for hybrid and in-person meetings in the near future. We work in collaboration with NAMI, CAMHPRO, SHARE! and Active Minds.

DBSA California serves the entire state. Our chapters are predominantly concentrated in the largest counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara), which collectively represent over 70% of California’s population. While this program is designed to expand our reach, inner city areas like South Central Los Angeles and underserved rural counties need our resources too.

Many who attend our groups are at risk of becoming homeless and require a range of social services to access quality care. Our ethnic and socioeconomic reach reflects the broad ancestry that is the State of California. Mental illness and mood disorders know no borders and affect all races, national origins, genders, and income levels. We estimate our served populations are approximately 10% African American, 14% Asian/Pacific Islander, 25% Latinx, 1% Native American, 40% White, and 10% Other. We serve approximately 15% LGBTQ+, and attendee age ranges from 18 to 83. Since suicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals between 10 and 24 years of age, we are anxious to develop more programs for this age range. We also offer groups specifically for Veterans, Transition Age Youth (TAY), and Seniors.

DBSA has been approved to provide Peer Support Specialist Training in California in accordance with SB 803 signed by Governor Newsom in 2021. We were also instrumental in advocating for the new 988 mental health emergency line for suicide prevention and crisis situations, which went live in July 2022. DBSA California supports the California Access Coalition as a member and a Board seat to help advance or oppose legislation in Sacramento that affects the peer population. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) awarded a $500,000 grant to DBSA California in July 2021. The purpose is two-fold: 1) to educate peers and prepare them for billable work in their county as part of behavioral health services, and 2) to expand our support group reach for mood disorder patients throughout the state.

DBSA support group attendance is self-selected, consisting of individuals who acknowledge their diagnosis and who are taking active steps towards recovery. They are committed to self-improvement and have a high potential of incorporating new knowledge and skills into their life, resulting in a higher ratio of wellness in the population we reach. DBSA support groups provide a safe and non-judgmental environment that helps reduce the shame and self-stigma of mental illness. Our support group facilitators receive online training and mentorship through DBSA California as well as quarterly education programs to enhance their role.

DBSA California was created to provide hope, help, and support through free services and support groups to the decentralized chapter (i.e. affiliate) network. We canvassed chapters and other stakeholders to determine: a) whether there were new services that they would like to get through the DBSA channel, and b) what those services might be. The current goals of DBSA California are to broaden our demographic reach, expand access to care, advocate for mental health parity, and educate the peer support specialist workforce. By focusing on these resources and skills, DBSA California equips our peer network for future success in a peer specialist capacity. We educate our participants on: self-care and long-term wellness, the behavioral health system in California, how to advocate for themselves through Medi-Cal and commercial insurance, and the intricacies of their diagnosis. Our goal is to prevent consistent crisis situations at the cost of the county facilities. Our belief is that those who are self-motivated for treatment are much more likely to have extended periods of wellness by focusing on prevention and early intervention (PEI).

1 Lighting the Way for Wellness: Education. Community. Action., DBSA, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll7r2coQadY
2 Suicide Stats, AFSP, 2020. https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics
3 Kotera, Y., Llewellyn-Beardsley, J., Charles, A. et al. Common Humanity as an Under-acknowledged Mechanism for Mental Health Peer Support. Int J Ment Health Addiction, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00916-9