Bridging the Gap

Bridging the Gap – A Support Group For People with Personality Disorder

The group has been designed to offer members an opportunity to explore how their diagnosis affects their daily lives and the impact on friends and family. The group is a safe place to  challenge  thoughts and feelings that contribute to depression, anxiety and in some instances self harm.

Aims

1. To enhance local service provision for service users with a diagnosis of Personality Disorder.
2. To provide innovative therapeutic intervention on a group and individual basis (through the project team).
3. To assist service users in improving their ability to communicate with friends and family.
4. To increase the number of people using community services by providing the support required to do so.
5. To provide local services with training on best practice and service users experience.
6. To enhance the voluntary sector’s engagement with this group in order to provide more choice for service users and their families.
7. To harness the inner strength of service users and their families in order to minimise the reliance on professionals for both day to day and crisis support.

Outcomes

• Members develop a sense of ownership of their illness, by both researching the diagnosis and sharing knowledge within the group.
• Enable significant change in members lives and relationships as mutual understanding increases.
• Patterns of behaviour that feature in day to day relationships are challenged and changed.
• Changes in individual chaotic behaviours.
• Encourage, enable and support significant others in changing their ability to manage difficult situations.
• Self harm reduction through awareness and new coping strategies.
• Reduction in prolonged depression.
• Access to external resources especially, signposting/referrals.
• Steering group, research, boundaries, structure, networking and fundraising.
• Training of staff and volunteers.
• Peer support, develop external networks of support.

Your Committment

As the group is therapeutic in nature members are asked to make a commitment to attending the group until they have achieved a personal sense of recovery or change.

New members are asked to attend at least three groups before they decide whether or not to join. Once you have joined we suggest a minimum commitment of 1 year. Breaks can be negotiated within the group.

If you come to the group as a significant other your commitment is important too. We suggest that you attend at least one group per month for a minimum of 1 year.

Access to the Group

It is important that we have some details about people attending the group so that we can provide the best possible service as well as ensuring the group and all members are safe.

Criteria

People who want to come to the group must have a diagnosis of personality disorder and be between 17—64 years old.

People who want to attend the group are strongly encouraged to bring someone with them in order to get the best out of the discussions, however if this is not possible it will not mean you cannot attend the group.

You must also have an active desire to engage in the prospect of change.

Referral

• Individuals self refer by contacting Hunts Mind to arrange an appointment with the Project Team for an initial assessment and support.
• You can decide to be members which is a minimum requirement or you can access our Journey to Recovery Programme which will offer a wide range of support services.
• Once you decide to attend the group a project worker will go through the ground rules.
• There maybe a waiting list.

Next Meeting Dates:-

• 6th November 2008 at the Oak Tree Centre
• 20th November 2008 at the Oak Tree Centre
• 4th December 2008 at the Limes
• 18th December 2008 at the Limes

Meeting Dates for New Members:-

• 4th December 2008 at the Limes

If you are interested in attending this group or would like any further information, then please contact Sarah Hughes