Nottinghamshire Personality Disorder & Development Network (NPDDN) is an opt in, non-forensic, community service for people with a diagnosis of personality disorder. The service places a strong emphasis on individuals, referred to and treated in it, taking personal responsibility for their lives. In keeping with this responsibility model, along with a strong user involvement ethos, the service encourages people to opt into the treatment programmes following referral through Single Point of Access. On opting in, individuals can then attend “Choices” sessions, provided by our Advice & Information team, on a fortnightly basis in Nottingham and monthly across the county, where they receive information about the treatment programme available in their area. Following “Choices” individuals can opt into either the Stop and Think or Therapeutic Community Programme.
Advice and Information
The Advice and Information (A&I) team is the first point of contact for people referred to our service. A&I staff are able to support clients in making an informed choice as to which part of our service they may wish to use. Alongside this they are also able to advise people about other community services that they may wish to access. Independent advocacy services are also available through A&I.
Stop and Think
The Stop & Think (S&T) programme is a short term, social problem-solving, approach designed to teach people with personality disorder skills to deal more effectively with their lives rather than bring about enduring personality change. Preparation for S & T starts with approximately four individual Psycho-education sessions to enable understanding of the diagnosis and to clarify problems and treatment goals to work on in the sixteen, weekly group sessions that follow. Alongside the group, there are a number of parallel, individual sessions which provide additional support in developing and implementing the action plans. Following discharge from the group, individuals are encouraged to discuss their action plans with their community mental health team care coordinator, so that it can inform their overall care plan. On completion of S&T programme, individuals can also opt into the TC programme, as described below.
The Stop and Think programme is available in Nottingham, Newark and Mansfield. In Worksop, a social problem-solving intervention is part of a combined therapy treatment model provided there.
Therapeutic Community Programme
The Therapeutic Community (TC) programme is an 18 month, three day a week, group treatment intervention that encourages a culture of enquiry and self reflection in the individual regarding thoughts and feelings behind maladaptive and self destructive behaviour. It encourages individuals in the programme to develop their understanding of themselves and their reactions to, and relationships with, others in the day to day experience of the community. In preparation for joining the TC, individuals attend a weekly Tuesday or a Thursday Assessment Group (TAG). TAG is co-run by two staff from the TC team and two TC members and the ethos of being active participants in their own and others' treatment is developed.
The TC is based at the Mandala Centre in Nottingham and can be accessed by people from Nottingham City, County South, Mansfield and Newark.
Partnership Working and Staff Development
People with personality disorder present across a range of statutory and non statutory agencies in Nottinghamshire. Part of NPDDN’s remit is to deliver training to staff in these agencies, dependent upon the level of staff member’s involvement with people with the diagnosis of personality disorder. This training includes addressing problems around stigma and discrimination that people with personality disorder sometimes experience in services, and there is a strong user involvement in the delivery of this training.
Partnership working with statutory and non statutory agencies is crucial in the management of people with personality disorder and NPDDN is proactive in developing links with all these agencies through consultation, clinical supervision and joint working.
For further information on the service, please contact:
Nottinghamshire Personality Disorder and Development Network
Mandala Centre
Gregory Boulevard
Forest Fields
Nottingham
NG7 6LB
Telephone: 0115 960 2820
Fax: 0115 960 2843
