To whom it may concern:

Thank you for your interest in providing meeting space for DBSA __________________, a local support group of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). After proper diagnosis and treatment, the support of others is vital to a lifetime of wellness. DBSA support groups provide the kind of caring and sharing that is crucial for sustained recovery.

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is the leading patient-directed national organization focusing on the most prevalent mental illnesses – depression and bipolar disorder. DBSA’s mission is to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders.

Assisted by a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of leading researchers and clinicians in the field of mood disorders, DBSA has a grassroots network of more than 1,000 peer-run support groups across the U.S. and Canada. Nearly three million people request and receive information and assistance from DBSA each year.

The primary purpose of DBSA support group meetings is to share information and mutual support related to members’ experiences with mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder, sometimes known as manic-depression). Our support group participants report that DBSA groups:

• Offer an opportunity to reach out to others and benefit from the experience of those who have "been there."
• Motivate people with mood disorders to follow their treatment plans.
• Help them understand that a mood disorder does not define who they are.
• Help them rediscover strengths and humor they may have thought they had lost.
• Provide a forum for mutual acceptance, understanding, and self-discovery.

At DBSA support group meetings, persons with mood disorders meet regularly to share experiences, personal feelings, information, and strategies for living successfully with these illnesses.

The primary participants in DBSA support group meetings are persons diagnosed with a mood disorder and those who believe they may have a mood disorder. Support groups may also include family members and friends of such individuals.

Most DBSA support groups operate on a very limited budget, if any, and have few financial resources. One important way you can lend support to your local group is by offering meeting space free of charge. If appropriate, group members may be available to assist with room set-up.

Thank you for helping to support people with mood disorders in your community. Please contact me if I can provide additional information.

Sincerely,