Personality Disorders Mental Health Network
The Mental Health Network includes a unique Network structure.
The Personality Disorders Mental Health Network was established on 30 August 2016, to address the difficulty in coordinating such a large network and to support the Mental Health Network to engage with and improve outcomes for specific cohorts of mental health service users.
The establishment of the Personality Disorders Mental Health Network followed a thorough process that sought to be inclusive, representative and reflect the concerns and views of the sector.
The Personality Disorders Mental Health Network has a broad membership that is supported by a Steering Committee and is sponsored by South Metropolitan Health Service.
The Steering Committees is co-chaired by Dr Kaine Grigg (interim appointment) and Ms Kelly Clark.
The Personality Disorders Mental Health Sub Network Establishment Report provides background on this Network and can be found here.
Personality Disorders Model of Care Project
People living with Personality Disorder (PD) are more likely to present frequently to health services, and the suicide rate for those with Borderline PD is up to 45 times the general population. Effective, evidence-based treatments exist but are not widely available. PD is a highly stigmatised condition and many people living with the condition report significant challenges in accessing care, support, and treatment.
The Mental Health Commission engaged the Western Australian Association for Mental Health (WAAMH) to work in partnership with the Mental Health Network to develop a clinically sound, co-designed, standardised state-wide Model of Care for the treatment and support of people with personality disorders in Western Australia.
The project was overseen by a Project Reference Group made up of the Co-Leads of the Mental Health Network, the Co-Chairs, and members of the Personality Disorders Network. The process of developing the Model of Care was a highly collaborative process involving people with lived experience of personality disorders as a consumer, carer and family member, mental health clinicians working in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors, psychiatrists and psychologists, service providers and policy makers.
Acknowledgements to Catherine Holland and Dr Sian Jeffrey, Co-Chairs of the Personality Disorders Steering Committee; Kelly Clark and Karen Wellington, the co-facilitators of the Co-design process, Dr Peter Smith and Lisette Kaleveld, who undertook the Literature Review and Colin Penter, WAAMH's project facilitator and report author.
The Statewide Model of Care for Personality Disorders - Final Report, can be viewed here.
Statewide Personality Disorders Model of Care Report Launch
On Tuesday, 20 July 2021 a launch event for the Statewide Personality Disorders Model of Care Report (Report) was held at the Mental Health Commission to officially recognise the final Report and all who contributed to its development.
The Report is a product of a project which arose following feedback from family members of people with personality disorders reporting on their experiences when presenting in crisis at hospital Emergency Departments. From this, the Mental Health Commission requested that the Mental Health Network develop a Statewide Model of Care for the treatment and support of people with disorders in WA and engaged the services of the WA Association for Mental Health to work in partnership with the Mental Health Network and the Personality Disorders Network to deliver this work.
Hosted by Rod Astbury, Mental Health Network Community Co-Lead, the event was opened with a Welcome to Country from Mr Paul Parfitt and saw presentations from Dr Nathan Gibson, Ms Kelly Clark, Dr Sian Jeffery and Dr Helen McGowan.
From the Report, a Resource Sheet was developed and presented to attendees at the event which aims to guide system partners to incorporate the many ideas and initiatives into existing areas of work.
The Resource Sheet can be viewed here.