Working with Complexity Associated with BPD (1-day)

This training involves a combination of didactic, dialogical and experiential training styles and activities, highlighting the following practice issues for effective support of people with a BPD diagnosis: the DSM-5 and ICD-11 diagnoses, a developmental understanding of BPD the complexities entailed by working effectively within and between teams and services that support people with BPD, the interactions between co-existing conditions with BPD, maintaining a recovery, person-focused approach when working with severe risk, common treatment principles and skills, creating a therapeutic frame and continuous reflective practice.

Prerequisite: Previous experience or training in working with people with BPD, e.g., Foundation Training with Working with People with BPD. The training will not cover foundational information in detail, and it is expected you will have some understanding around the biopsychosocial theory of the diagnosis of BPD as well as basic treatment principles. 

Learning outcomes:

On completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Work with BPD and its co-occurring physical and psychological presentations in the current Australian context, utilising the ICD-11 and DSM-5 frameworks.
• Utilise the principles of working with BPD and complexity to create structure and focus for interventions that can be applied in their novel settings.
• Recognise and work with complexity within and between systems (emergency services, mental health services, inpatient units/ long term care facilities, child protection, Justice/ forensic system, NDIA/NDIS) and the broader system at large. 
• Recognise the links between complexity and risk in working with BPD often founded in attachment and relational trauma and how literacy in these matters can assist with the development of appropriate treatment and recovery options.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to high-risk behaviours including frequent non-suicidal self-injury / suicidality and the need for inpatient admission and extended care settings.
• Recognise the influence of working with BPD on themselves as both a person and a practitioner, particularly with regards to the use of self, transference and counter transference and working in one on one and team contexts.