BPD Collaborative celebrates 5-year anniversary
BPD Co celebrated five-years since commencing operation with a showcase on 27 September 2024. The showcase was an opportunity to share progress and acknowledge the contributions of consumers, carers, clinicians, and researchers who have partnered with BPD Co to support enhanced service development, delivery and evaluation across SA over the past five years.
The showcase featured presentations on BPD Co’s implementation, research and outcomes, as well as highlighting a range of partnerships with people with lived experience, mental health service providers and academic institutions.
The event concluded with the opening of SA BPD Awareness Week 2024 campaign; Live Life Well – Recovery and BPD, which runs 1-7 October (see below for more details).
The 2024 theme for BPD Awareness week is 'Living Life Well: Recovery & BPD'
The BPD Awareness Week theme for 2024 is focussed on living life well. Everyone is on their own journey and the word ‘recovery’ may mean different things to different people. It takes time, effort and patience. Be kind to yourself and celebrate progress, no matter how small. You are worthy! Our aim is to offer hope – and research shows that with appropriate treatment and support people with BPD 'recover' and lead a life that’s meaningful to them.
This year, our working group wanted to create a resource that is more hopeful and compassionate, so that if you are newly diagnosed, you are supported with good information, and to help you find what living well looks like for you. We are incredibly proud and excited to share with you this zine: Living Life Well: A Guide to BPD’.
Zine: Living Life Well: A Guide to BPD (2024)
Resources:
BPD Co together with Dr Lois Choi-Kain from the Gunderson Personality Disorder Institute – Boston, deliver GPM-Complex workshops in Adelaide.
In March 2024, BPD Collaborative had the pleasure of hosting Dr Lois Choi-Kain, Director of the Gunderson Personality Disorder Institute and Professor Harvard University in Adelaide.
BPD Co have been working with Dr Choi-Kain since 2020, developing a local team of trainers and supervisors in Good Psychiatric Management (GPM), an evidence-based generalist treatment for GPM. And more recently have focused on adapting GPM for people presenting with high levels of complexity.
Dr Choi-Kain’s visit to Adelaide provided on opportunity to co-lead two sold out 1-day workshops of GPM-Complex and GPM-Complex for Adolescents for mental health clinicians who had previously completed the basic 1-day training in GPM.
New Research Published
BPD Co. is excited to announce several new publications!
The first paper describes our coproduced peer group for people diagnosed with BPD. Participants reported experiences of growth and change, a sense of connection & feeling understood, within a safe environment grounded in mutuality. This research highlights the value of peer support in the treatment of BPD. You can read the article here: https://doi.org/10.1002/pmh.1604
The second paper highlights the effectiveness of Gold Card SA, a brief crisis intervention for people who present to services with symptoms of BPD. This intervention has been implemented across metropolitan and regional areas of South Australia. In addition to demonstrating positive clinical outcomes for service users, the audit highlights a reduction in ED and inpatient service utilisation. The full text is available from the publisher here: https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.2024.38.1.87
Finally, the third paper reports on the acceptability and feasibility of BPD Co’s short-term group, Road Maps. Based on the initial cohort of 208 adults and youth who consented to participate in the evaluation, those who completed the group reported that the sessions were useful, that they liked the group, and they would recommend it to others. The incidence rate of emergency department presentations was significantly lower in the 6 months after the group, compared to the 6 months beforehand. You can read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562241246485
See our research page for more information about projects happening at BPD Co.
19th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) 2023
In November 2023, staff from BPD Co, presented at the ISSPD Conference in Sydney.
The ISSPD, stimulates and supports scholarship, clinical experience, international collaboration and communication of research on all aspects of personality disorders including both diagnosis, course and treatment.
BPD Co delivered 10 presentations over the three day congress, two symposia presenting evaluations of the services delivered including; Integrating lived experience within a state-wide service for people living with BPD and Stepped care for BPD: A real world example.
Two free papers were also presented which focussed on the rates of BPD symptoms in custodial settings Prevalence and self-reported symptomatology of BPD in prison: A systematic review and
meta-analysis and Prevalence of BPD symptoms amongst a moderate and high risk cohort of adult offenders in SA.
Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Week 2023
Sunday 1 to Saturday 7 October 2023
The 2023 BPD Awareness Week national campaign is titled: Be the Difference: Principles of Care. Designed to demystify treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Six Core principles have been drawn from the common factors of ‘what works’ in effective therapies. For more info, new resources and events see the BPD Awareness Week website.
Be the Practitioner with a Difference - 'Principles of Care'
BPD Co hosted a free online event for clinicians interested in discovering more about BPD, and what supports a person to reach out/stay engaged in treatment. A panel will share the perspectives of people with lived experience, carers and clinicians. Our lived experience 2023 BPD Awareness Week Working Group have also prepared an open letter to practitioners and a screen saver summarising the messages that people with lived experience would like practitioners to know.
BPD Co are host a free webinar for people with a lived experience of BPD and their family and friends which introduces polyvagal theory and how to move from 'fight & flight' to 'rest & digest'. The session included the role of self-compassion and calming practice.
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BPD Co’s ‘Lived Experience Update’ shares our latest news, together with updates and opportunities from relevant programs and services for people living with BPD, carers, and professional supporters.
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