Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Core Competency Workshops (2 days)

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Core Competency Workshops (2-days) - Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th 2025 8:45pm - 4:30pm each day

We are in the process of seeking APS CPD approval (13.5 hours) for this workshop

As generalist treatments emerged to provide less specialised treatments for borderline personality disorder (BPD), researchers have identified the commonalities shared by both specialist and generalist treatments. These are referred to as the ‘common factors’ in psychological treatment. This BPD Core Competency Workshop has been developed with consideration to these common factors in the hope that an understanding of the core competencies may assist clinicians to contribute to the recovery journey of people with BPD.

The aim of the workshop is to upskill mental health professionals to work effectively with people experiencing BPD and their families. Mental health professionals can effect positive changes in people with BPD and their families at every single clinical interaction whether at community mental health facilities, private psychology clinics, emergency departments, general practice, private psychiatry practices, inpatient mental health facilities or mental health support service settings.

The workshop will cover the ten core competencies that mental health professionals require to enable them to work effectively with people with BPD as follows:

1. Understanding BPD (including symptoms, prevalence, causes and evidence-based treatments)
2. Co-existing disorders in BPD
3. Treatment principles
4. Treatment structure
5. The therapeutic relationship
6. Skills development focus
7. Partnering with families, partners and carers
8. Working with suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury behaviours
9. Clinician self – awareness
10. Focus on recovery

Learning Objectives: On completion of this workshop participants will be able to:

1. Recognise that BPD is a legitimate condition resulting from the interplay between biological, genetic, environmental, psycho-socio-cultural and spiritual factors

2. Recognise that BPD rarely exists in isolation and that when there are coexisting conditions, these need to be treated concurrently

3. Identify how to apply a principle-driven approach when working with people with BPD

4. Use a structured therapeutic framework, developed and delivered in collaboration with the person that provides the foundation and scaffolding for effective treatment

5. Build a therapeutic relationship with the person with BPD, a cornerstone of effective treatment

6. Develop an effective skills toolbox that can be shared with the people they work with to build their repertoire of adaptive coping strategies

7. Collaborate with family, partners and carers when working with people with BPD, in a way that fosters recovery, unless it is unsafe to do so

8. Utilise Spectrum’s Risk Matrix as a dynamic framework for accurately assessing and working with suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury behaviours.

9. Value the importance and practice of self-awareness and self-reflection for clinicians and teams working with people with BPD.

Recognise that people can and do recover from BPD.

Presenters:

Marianne Weddell is a Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Specialist at Spectrum. She has 20 years’ experience in public and private setting treating a wide range of disorders, managing teams, training staff and supervising/mentoring clinicians. She has a special interest and significant experience with borderline personality disorder, in particular developing service and family systems to work effectively in this space. She believes in therapy as a tool to help people understand themselves, their passions and build a life worth living.

Dr Fiona Donald is a clinical psychologist at Spectrum within the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) teams. Fiona has a particular interest in the lived experience of BPD treatment and has published on the experience of recovery from consumer and clinician perspectives and is currently working with colleagues on a qualitative study of the experience of MBT from a consumer perspective.

Who should attend? This workshop is for mental health workers, allied health workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, nurses and medical practitioners with an interest in working with people with BPD and who are currently working in the public, private and community sectors.

We are seeking APS CPD approval (13.5 hours) for this workshop)

Cost: $600 (payable by credit card only). If you are a member of the APS you are entitled to a $50 discount. Please email spectrumtraining@easternhealth.org.au with your APS registration/member number to access the promo code.

Location: This event will be held in person only at Spectrum: Level 1, 110 Church street Richmomond VIC 3121, on the corner of Church Street and Tweedie Place. Entrance is via the front of the building, to the right of the Skoda car dealership

Public transport:

• Train to West Richmond or East Richmond station (approx. 10 min walk to Spectrum from each)
• Tram 78 on Church Street. Alight at Tweedie Pl/Church Street (Stop 63).
• Tram 109 on Victoria Parade (about a 5 min walk to 110 Church Street)
• Tram 75 on Bridge Rd (about a 7 min walk to 110 Church Street)

Car parking:

There is limited 2 & 4 hour street parking available in the area. If you are driving please allow enough time to find parking.

All day parking is available in:

• Richmond Traders, 271 Bridge rd, Richmond – 7 minute walk ($12/day)
• 35 Elizabeth Street, Richmond – 11 minute walk ($20 a day)
• 1 Allowah Terrace, Richmond – 12 minute walk (about $26/day)

Catering: Lunch and afternoon tea will be provided as per your dietary requests.

Cancellation policy: If your circumstances change and you no longer can attend this event, please log into your Eventbrite account and cancel your ticket and request a refund no later than one (1) week prior to the event. A refund will not be issued if notification has not been received within this time frame and you will be required to pay for the event.

General enquiries: Email spectrumtraining@easternhealth.org.au or phone Spectrum (03) 8413 8750.