DBSA's Ceremonies of Hope are gatherings of mental health consumers/patients, family members, health care professionals, community leaders and the entire community to:

• Celebrate our achievements

• Honor those who have supported us on our recovery journeys

• Recognize those things we still need to achieve

• Remember those who we have lost.

Throughout the summer and fall of 2005, DBSA hosted three Ceremonies of Hope in conjunction with its three national conferences held in Illinois, New Jersey and Texas.  The ceremonies inspired hundreds of attendees to publicly give thanks for the Hope, Help and Support they've received along their wellness journeys.

This kit provides a guide, script and resources for your chapter to host its own Ceremony of Hope in your community.  If you choose to host one of these moving events, you too can make a public impact in your community.  These local ceremonies are meant to take a small step toward stamping out the stigma surrounding mental illness.  The Ceremonies of Hope bring together like-minded people to simply and reverently celebrate life, recovery and each other.

Use this guide to customize your own Ceremony of Hope.  You can take the basic outline and content of the ceremony, and alter it to make it fit your community and your particular situation. Then be sure to give DBSA a full report (form included) so that we can keep track of the many celebrations that are sure to happen around the country.

For assistance email chapters@DBSAlliance.org with your questions.

Here are some links to get you started:

Enjoy your celebration!