Depression

Our mission is to save lives. Together we can build resilience in our community, educate the public and strengthen the response to community need. The Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention was formed to address the higher than state average rates for self-harm and suicide here in Berkshire County. The mission of BCSP is to save lives. Together we can build resilience in our community, educate the public, and strengthen the response to community need. Please see our News and Events Pages for more information about our organization.
Who We Are: Volunteers from the health sector and law enforcement, educators and students, community organizers, social workers, mental health providers, policy makers, survivors of suicide loss and concerned citizens
What We Do To Help: EDUCATE about risk factors for suicide & self harm. ASSIST populations identified as being at-risk. REDUCE stigma and break barriers to self-help. PARTNER with schools, agencies, and providers. SECURE funding from public and private sources. ADVOCATE for public policy issues & budgets.
Holds public education series focusing on at risk populations for suicide on the third Wednesday of month, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. At the Brien Center @ 333 East St. 1st floor conference room. For more information go to www.berkshirecoalition.org.

Adolescent Wellness, a non-profit 501c-3 organization, was founded to simplify prevention of depression and suicide in adolescents. A primary activity is creating awareness of prevention resources from McLean Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston, which are available to every school with any grade 7-12, including universal preventive intervention curricula. The newest work is in teen leadership programming on resilience and referral through supportive key adults.

DBSA-Boston (formerly known as MDDA-Boston) is a resource for people with affective disorders - and their families and friends. Affective disorders such as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) and clinical depression affect millions of people every year. Coping with these disorders is difficult enough, but coping alone can be even tougher.
DBSA-Boston (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance) is a nonprofit, self-help organization run by and for people with affective disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. DBSA members come together to share support and information with others in similar situations.

The Experience Journals are designed to promote the healthy coping of children and their families who must contend with significant physical and emotional illnesses. The Experience Journals are collections of stories, pictures, and personal experiences from families about what it has been like to live with their children's illnesses. They represent the "collective wisdom" of these children and their parents as well as their health care providers.

Families for Depression Awareness is a national nonprofit organization helping families recognize and cope with depressive disorders to get people well and prevent suicides. The site includes information from families and professionals about their experiences with depression as well as a section specifically focused on children and teens.

Gould Farm is the first residential therapeutic community in the nation dedicated to helping adults with mental illness move toward recovery, health and greater independence through community living, meaningful work and individual clinical care.
In a supportive community environment made up of residents, staff and their families, we help adults with depression, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia begin to rebuild and regain their lives. Gould Farm offers a full continuum of care, with a Boston-area program for those ready for new challenges and structured transition.

Award-winning mental health journalist, John McManamy provides excellents resources to learn about depression and bipolar and to learn about treatment and recovery.

MoodGYM is an interactive program designed to help you:
* Identify whether you are having problems with emotions like anxiety and depression,
* Learn skills that can help you cope with these emotions.
MoodGYM is based on two programs which are successful in preventing and treating depression and anxiety. These are: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy.
MoodGYM is designed to be used by people who would like to prevent mental health problems or manage problems which are troubling but not incapacitating. MoodGYM is not specifically designed for use by people with clinical levels of depression or anxiety. MoodGYM suggests that those with depression scores above 2-3 seek contact with a health professional.

Project Joy is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the healthy development of young children who are at risk. Through innovative training retreats, Project Joy provides teachers and childcare providers with the resources they need to strengthen and heal their children through play. Established in Boston in 1989, Project Joy has expanded to national scope, currently supporting children and their caretakers from Boston to Biloxi and beyond.

S.T.E.P. Up 4 Kids is a nonprofit charitable foundation committed to supporting children and teens with early-onset bipolar disorder, depression and related spectrum disorders. The organization's fundamental objective is to provide reliable resources to parents, teachers, medical professionals and counselors to be best equipped to advocate for children with these disorders. Founded by Kelley Kupfer, a registered nurse and parent of a bipolar child, and Mary Ann McDonnell, APRN, BC, a nationally-recognized researcher and nurse practitioner specializing in pediatric psychopharmacology and behavioral therapy, S.T.E.P. Up 4 Kid's mission is inherent in the name, to:
Support Teach Educate Prevent

Schoolpsychiatry.org is a joint project of the School Psychiatry Program and the Mood & Anxiety Disorders Institute (MADI) Resource Center, both of the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Schoolpsychiatry.org is committed to enhancing the education and mental health of every student in every school. The Mood & Anxiety Disorders Institute (MADI) Resource Center translates the latest research advances into practical information, helping people work with their clinicians toward the most accurate diagnosis and best possible treatment results. The Center also offers resources and support to help people manage daily living with mood and anxiety disorders and cope with the disorders' effects on family relationships.

The Swensrud Depression Prevention Initiative at Children's Hospital Boston is working to prevent and treat depression in school-aged children and train educators and parents about mental health issues.
The Initiative: teaches children and teens how to identify depression and promote overall mental health; trains educators and parents how to recognize the signs of depression and other mental health problems; and creates innovative tools for the prevention of mental illness.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for informaion on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and adocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in MA, contact NAMI Massachusetts.

BluePages provides information on treatments for depression based on the latest scientific evidence
BluePages also offers screening tests for depression and anxiety, a depression search engine, and links to other helpful resources.

E-couch is a self-help interactive program with modules for depression, generalised anxiety & worry, social anxiety, relationship breakdown, and loss & grief.
It provides evidence-based information and teaches strategies drawn from cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal therapies as well as relaxation and physical activity.

Freedom From Fear is a national not-for-profit mental health advocacy association. The mission of FFF is to impact, in a positive way, the lives of all those affected by anxiety, depressive and related disorders through advocacy, education, research and community support. The website provides information on anxiety and depression along with self-screening tools for these conditions, referrals for support groups and mental health professionals, and resources on accessing treatment for those with and without health insurance.

The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression) is committed to alleviating the suffering of mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. The BBR Foundation offers news on the research it funds as well as information (documents and videos) about these and other disorders in children and adults. It also provides guidance and resources for families coping with a child or parent with mental illness.