New DBT Collaborative enhancing relationships across services

Nearly 40 representatives from public health, community and private mental health services attended the inaugural meeting of the Metro North DBT Collaborative at Brisbane North PHN’s new offices in Chermside.

This new collaborative is an initiative developed by Metro North Health in partnership with Brisbane North PHN and local mental health providers that aims to strengthen referral pathways and supports to services offering Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) across the Brisbane North PHN region.

DBT is widely recognised as a highly effective treatment for borderline personality disorder. According to Harvard Medical School, DBT focuses on building skills to help people regulate intense emotions, manage difficult situations and improve interpersonal relationships. It is also used in the treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders and substance use disorders.

This first meeting of the DBT Collaborative was held in late March and brought together representatives from public and private mental health providers across the Brisbane North region who share a common goal of building strong relationships among providers delivering and seeking to deliver DBT services.

Discussions and activities focused on knowledge sharing across organisations to identify service gaps, clarify existing service offerings and explore opportunities for collaboration. Brisbane North PHN Lead – Mental Health Services and Regional Integration, Gillian Kehoul, said the collaborative demonstrated the value of partnership-based approaches.

‘It was encouraging to see such a high level of engagement, with participants actively focused on solutions,’ Gillian said.

'There was strong representation across services, including colleagues joining from Norfolk Island.

‘Careful consideration of lived and living experience and First Nations mental health perspectives was evident and contributions from Medicare Mental Health Centre staff added further energy and insight to discussions.’

The Metro North DBT Collaborative plans to meet quarterly and welcomes expressions of interest via our contact page from any mental health professionals keen to be involved.