Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Orange County, Inc.

The mission of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance-Orange County Inc. (DBSA-OC) is to provide hope, help, and support to improve the lives of people living with a mental health diagnosis and their families and friends. DBSA-OC pursues and accomplishes this mission through peer-based, recovery oriented, empowering services and resources when people want them, where they want them, and how they want them. A "peer" is an individual with a mental health diagnosis helping another person with a diagnosis.

In 1983, we were formed with the guidance of a local psychiatrist, Himasiri De Silva, MD. He was our Founder and long-term Chief Medical Advisor. He is now retired. In 1983, a group of patients living with Bipolar Disorder approached Dr. De Silva about forming a support group. He offered his office as donated meeting space. The organization started as the Manic-Depressive Association. We then joined the Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association, a national organization in Chicago. In 2002, our name was changed to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance-Orange County. From the beginning of our formation, we have offered free support groups and educational meetings, which are also free and open to the public. In 2001, Dr. De Silva arranged for St. Joseph Hospital in Orange to donate an office for us. This became the DBSA Bipolar Resource Center. We offer a lending library of books, DVD's, and magazines on mood disorders. We refer callers and visitors to local community resources also. Our trained volunteers are available to talk to callers or visitors who are struggling.

Within the past year, we have continued to offer our virtual Zoom Support Groups. We are pleased with the attendance of the Zoom Groups. It is a true advantage to our members to be able to access meetings without having to worry about transportation. Our hospitals that welcome us to have in-person support groups are now open to us hosting our in-person meetings. All three Wellness Centers host our groups also.

The following are our top four most pressing needs:
1. We would like to purchase more of our color brochures and have them translated into Mandarin Chinese.
2. Secure funding in providing facilitator training for new facilitators. This would entail providing training manuals and materials. We especially need to train bilingual Spanish Facilitators.
3. We are currently holding our support group meetings with the use of the Zoom platform. We would like to continue this and need funding for Internet expenses. We also have resumed our in-person support groups.
4. We would like to continue to support our website, which allows individuals to find support group meetings, and our Quarterly Newsletter, the "Roller Coaster Times". This is done by our webmaster through our continued use of Go Daddy and Squarespace.

All of Orange County, California is served by DBSA-OC.

We do not have a CEO or Executive Director currently. Please see Statement from our President, below. Thank you.

Laura Gaffney has recently been nominated as President of DBSA OC. She has been with DBSA OC since 2008. She has been part of the Board in various positions and currently facilitates Peer Support groups. She is a Facilitator Coordinator for our chapter and provides training through our affiliate DBSA National. She received her Certified Peer Support Specialist in 2023 which has been used to navigate through our chapter. She is also trained as a NAMI National Certified Helpline Specialist.