Contact:
info@dbsanewjersey.org

1-609-912-0273

Welcome

DBSA New Jersey is a state chapter of national DBSA and a networking organization of DBSA Support Groups in New Jersey. These groups provide education, support, outreach and advocacy for people living with mood disorders in New Jersey.

Our mission is to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders by:

• nurturing the development of mood disorder support groups and  providing mutual support and networking;

• educating residents about the nature of mood disorders as treatable medical illnesses;

• improving access to mental health services and increasing awareness about mental health issues; and

• acting as a link between the DBSA national office and its affiliated chapters and local support groups in New Jersey

DBSA New Jersey Groups Brochure

Location and contact information is available in our Group Locations and Meeting Times brochure (Adobe PDF file). The file was last updated on July 2, 2010. If the brochure does not open for you, you will need to get and install the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

DBSA National's Financial Plight

For a quarter century, DBSA has fulfilled its mission of helping people live with mood disorders, family and friends included. Now DBSA is in financial peril and needs our help. In her letter to chapters, Ingrid Deetz, DBSA's Director of Chapter Relations, explains, "Several years of organizational deficits, coupled with greatly changed giving practices of DBSA's core corporate partners, have taken a toll on DBSA's ability to achieve its important work."

DBSA has streamlined its operation, including laying off staff, to reduce expenses by 40%. Cost-cutting, though, is not enough. DBSA must develop the wherewithal to survive and continue its mission. To do so, DBSA has launched a fundraising campaign—Promoting education, Empowerment, Resilience and Stability (PEERS)—with the goal of securing $500,000 by September 30. The money raised will be used to retire debt and ensure financial stability into the future.

As DBSA's Interim Executive Director for External Affairs, Allen Doederlein, noted, "DBSA's community is dedicated to empowering consumers to find lasting recovery. We have a critical need to come together now to facilitate education, empowerment, resilience, and a thriving, stable DBSA. With the support of our community, DBSA can emerge from its cash-flow crisis. And we will be better able to meet our crucial mission to improve the lives of the over 21 million Americans who live with mood disorders."

Please donate to the PEERS Campaign.

Annual Spring Conference

DBSA New Jersey held our fourth Annual Spring Conference on May 8, 2010 at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. We started with a moving remembrance about Naomi Sims by her friend and neighbor, Jay Cobb, followed by our educational presentations. To see the full agenda and presentations and resources provided by our speakers, please see our conference resource page (updated May 17, 2010).