Front Range DBSA is a chapter of the Depression and Bipolar Support Allliance. We host peer-support groups for people living with mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder, including those with diagnoses, friends/family, and caregivers.

Meeting Quick Guide:

Sundays: 6-7:30PM, Unity of Boulder Spiritual Center, 2855 Folsom St
2nd & 4th Tuesdays: 6-7:30PM, Arvada United Methodist Church, 6750 Carr St 
Thursdays: Zoom, 6:30-8PM, email frontrangedbsa@gmail.com to request a link

Friends and family are welcome on the first Sunday and first Thursday of each month.

What to Expect:

Meetings are facilitated by peer volunteers that have been trained but are not professionals. Their role is primarily to make sure meeting guidelines are followed and time is equally allocated. These meetings are not a replacement for therapy or other treatments.  We are not affiliated with any religious organization. Meetings are free of charge, although donations are gratefully accepted. We welcome cultural, linguistic, social, racial, gender, and all other identities and we promote their inclusion. This is a casual time for conversation on topics you bring to the meeting. We recognize life can be hectic, and coming for the first time can take great courage; it is okay to just listen and even leave early.  

A typical meeting starts with us sitting in small circle of chairs. We start by reading a welcome message and the guidelines we follow. The guidelines can be summarized as being respectful and not telling others what to do. Then people “check in” if they want with their first name, diagnosis and date, how they are doing on a scale of 1–10, and if there is a topic they want to discuss. A topic can be a question, a need to vent, or anything else as long as it relates to mood disorders. To protect participant privacy, and honor the basic guideline “what is said here stays here”, meeting facilitators will only write down suggested topics with no identifiers. Participants are asked to seek permission before writing anything down, and limit that to resources and referrals. While we at times discuss suicidal ideation, we are not equipped for immediate crisis and disallow describing specifics. Then we jump into conversation on those topics identified and new ones that come up. We often end with a “positive check-out” before making sure everyone feels okay to go home.