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Larry Fricks Elected
New Secretary of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Board of
Directors
CHICAGO, IL,
February 15, 2005
– Atlanta resident Larry Fricks has been elected to serve a one-year
term as the Secretary for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
(DBSA) Board of Directors, headquartered in Chicago, IL.
DBSA is the leading
patient-directed national organization focusing on the most prevalent
mental illnesses – depression and bipolar disorder. Incorporated in
1985, DBSA oversees and guides a rapidly expanding grassroots network of
more than 1,000 support groups; provides useful and timely information
on these illnesses to more than
four million people each year;
and acts as an advocate for equitable treatment of people with
depression and bipolar disorder.
Fricks has been a
member of the Board of Directors since 2002. In his new position, he
will continue his commitment to the growth of DBSA. “In the coming years
I would like to see increased support for our constituents, growth of
our chapters, and a focus on peer support,” he explains.
DBSA President Lydia
Lewis believes in his appointment, “Larry has served the Board well as a
member since 2002 and as an officer I know his extensive background in
the mental health field will only benefit DBSA and our mission.”
He currently serves
as the Director of the Office of Consumer Relations for the
Georgia
Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive
Diseases. He is a founder of the
Georgia Mental
Health Consumer Network, Inc. that now has some 3,000 members, a founder
of the Georgia Consumer Council, a founder of Georgia’s Peer Specialist
Training and Certification and a founder of the Georgia Peer Support
Institute.
Additionally, he
served on the Planning Board for the Surgeon General's Report on Mental
Health, and the Board of Directors of the National Mental Health
Association. He is also on the National Advisory Council for the Center
for Mental Health Services and the Advisory Board for The Carter Center
Mental Health Journalism Fellowships.
Fricks earned a
journalism degree from the University of
Georgia and has won
journalism awards from the Associated Press, the
Georgia
Press Association, Gannett Newspapers, the National Mental Health
Association of
Georgia
and the National Alliance for The Mentally Ill -
Georgia. He is the
1995 recipient of the Clifford W. Beers Award given annually by the
National Mental Health Association and the 2001 recipient of the
American Association for World Health Award for significant
contributions to improving community mental health.
The Depression and
Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is the nation’s leading patient-directed
organization focusing on depression and bipolar disorder. The
organization, which has more than 1,000 support groups nationwide,
fosters an understanding about the impact and management of these
life-threatening illnesses by providing up-to-date, scientifically-based
tools and information. Assisted by a 65-member scientific advisory
board, comprised of the leading researchers and clinicians in the field
of mood disorders, DBSA supports research to promote more timely
diagnosis, develop more effective and tolerable treatments and discover
a cure. More than 4 million receive information and assistance each
year. More information can be found at
www.DBSAlliance.org or by calling 1-800-826-3632. |
