Personality Disorders (1 day)

The term Personality Disorder is often misunderstood and media sensationalism adds to service users being stereotyped and stigmatised. In addition, the view that Personality Disorders cannot be treated leads to workers feeling disempowered to help and service users being offered little or inappropriate support.

This course aims to clarify terminology and provide support workers with a realistic and more optimistic view not only in approaching this area, but likewise in finding ways of offering support


Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course learners should have understood:

• What we mean by ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’
• What we mean by the term ‘personality’
• What we would consider to be a ‘normal’ personality
• What we would therefore mean by an ‘abnormal’ personality
• Not everyone fits this ‘normal’ model-the dangers
• A Psychiatric perspective
• How Personality Disorders differ from other groups of other Mental Health diagnosis incl. “Neurosis” and “Psychosis”
• What might lead to someone having a Personality Disorder
• The different types of Personality Disorders
• The signs and symptoms of different Personality Disorders
• Risk Assessment
• Challenges to service users and staff
• The traditional support/treatment offered
• Support/treatment offered today
• Current thinking and developing legislation
• What the support worker can do to support service users in a realistic and positive way

Training methods:

•Tutor presentation
•OHP/PowerPoint
•DSM references
•Warm ups
•Word shower method
•Pairs work
•Large groups
•Small group work
•Handouts

CP142/5.9