Type 1 Diabetes
WHO WE ARE
BDI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in San Diego, California, focuses on addressing the social, emotional, and psychological barriers to living a long and healthy life with diabetes. To better understand and overcome these obstacles, BDI is actively engaged in research examining the psychological aspects of diabetes and evaluating innovative behavioral interventions. In addition, BDI directly offers an array of unique, behaviorally-oriented products and services for: people with type 1 diabetes; people with type 2 diabetes; parents of children and teens with diabetes; spouses and partners of people with diabetes; and interested health care professionals. Products and services include print materials; online courses and modules, face-to-face workshops and seminars, professional training programs, and an online library of resources.
We invite you to explore the resources available to you from BDI. We also welcome your suggestions for additional resources that might be added to our web site. Thank you!
UPCOMING EVENTS
BDI will host our next case consultation meeting (for mental health professionals working in the field of diabetes). Contact us at info@behavioraldiabetes.org if you are in the greater San Diego area and would like further information about this program and about our future meetings.
January 6, 2021 at 10:00 AM
LATEST NEWS
Welcome to BDI’s January 2021 update!
Happy New Year from your friends here at the Behavioral Diabetes Institute. And thank goodness that 2020 is behind us. Good riddance!
Like all of you, we faced a startling new reality in 2020. Despite it all, we found creative ways to make it all work and made it a productive year:
- Behavioral diabetes research: During 2020, we authored or co-authored 20 scientific publications and 6 poster presentations at major scientific meetings . Our work has covered a wide range, including studies investigating how continuous glucose monitoring influences psychosocial and glycemic outcomes, how the COVID-19 pandemic affects people with diabetes, how virtual medical clinics and other interventions help to address diabetes, and more.
- Groups programs for adults with diabetes. Our six-month group program for people who were struggling with their diabetes began in person in January and moved to a virtual format in March.
- Training for healthcare professionals: Throughout 2020, we continued to present (virtually) on the subject of behavioral diabetes across the country and around the world at major scientific meetings, at key medical centers, and at all national TCOYD events.
- EMBARK: As part of a UCSF NIH-funded research grant, the BDI team continued to be integrally involved in the development and facilitation of a new national virtual program for reducing diabetes distress in adults living with type 1 diabetes.
- Case consultation group for mental health professionals: BDI was proud to host our colleagues as we continued to gather monthly in 2020 (virtually, of course) to review and discuss our ongoing behavioral diabetes counseling experiences. Contact us at info@behavioraldiabetes.org if you would like further information about our ongoing meetings during 2021.
- Behavioral diabetes counseling: Of course, we continued to provide individual counseling every day to people who are struggling with diabetes. This critical part of our mission will never stop!
2020 was an eventful year for BDI:
- We moved: BDI headquarters moved a few blocks away to fancy new digs at 5230 Carroll Canyon Rd, Suite #208, San Diego, CA 92024. We can’t wait to welcome you into our new space when we resume our in-person programs sometime in 2021.
- Dr. Polonsky got a big award: He was the recipient of the American Diabetes Association’s 2020 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award.
And expect a lot more from us in 2021:
- New CME programs. We have completed three new online CME programs comprising 11 brief videos. These will be released soon and available for free CME credits.
- New live virtual CME programs. We will begin with “Understanding and Addressing Problematic Medication Taking in Diabetes”, a one-day training program for healthcare professionals. And more programs will follow after that one. Stay tuned for further details.
- New groups programs for adults with diabetes. Planning is currently underway as we consider how best to roll out our next series of programs.
The mission of BDI has always centered on the idea of hope: that with good care and effort, odds are good that you can live a long and healthy life with diabetes. We have seen how diabetes treatments, technologies and outcomes have improved over the years. So, hang in there. We have hope for all of us 2021, as we will leave the world of COVID-19 behind and as life and opportunities improve for all of us.
