Support Promote Advocate
for Borderline Personality Disorder
Peer work resources
For those that may be interested in considering peer work or for organisation seeking to employ peer workers we have included a number of interesting links.
Project Air has developed two programs - 6 weeks and 10 weeks. The manuals are for peer workers, mental health professionals and services who are interested in providing co-facilitated programs for individuals with personality disorder. It is recommended that peer workers involved in the program have lived experience of personality disorder (with traits resembling borderline personality disorder) and have undergone the training associated with delivering and using this intervention manual. Clinicians delivering the intervention should be adequately qualified and both peer workers and mental health clinicians should be engaged in regular supervision, peer consultation, and other continuous professional development.
10 week program manual; 10 week participant workbook; 6 week program manual; 6 week participant workbook which can be downloaded from their website.
Three videos from Project Air - watch how three peer workers with lived experience of personality disorder enhance treatment. They talk about various aspects of their role including using their own lived experience, what they say to people who are newly diagnosed, how to work alongside clinicians, and share some stories of success.
Natalie talks about being a carer peer worker focused on working with families impacted by personality disorder (10 mins)
Sophie talks about being a consumer peer worker focused on mental health and personality disorder (5 mins)
Jackie talks about being a consumer peer worker focused on mental health, personality disorder and drug and alcohol challenges (9 mins)
National Mental Health Commission:
Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines
Although local and regional lived experience workforce frameworks exist, the development of national guidelines will ensure consistency across Australia. National guidelines will also be a step towards professionalisation of the lived experience workforce.
Consumer and Carer Engagement Project
NSW Mental Health Commission
Queensland Mental Health Commission
Lived Experience Workforce Framework
Orygen: National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health
Share your story safely
For those wishing to share their story (either as a person with lived experience or a family member/friend) it can be extremely rewarding as well as helping to destigmatise mental illness.
However, there are some major factors you should consider before sharing your story.
The Foundation has written two guides for people considering sharing their story in the BPD Advocate:-
1) For people with lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD)
2) For carers/family/support people
Please also check out the information on the WayAhead page (NSW)
Professional Development
National: Lived Experience Australia (formerly Private Mental Health Consumer Carer Network Australia)
NSW: Mental Health Consumer Advocacy Course - courses throughout the year