Second meeting of the Metro North DBT Collaborative strengthens local connections and shared action

The second meeting of the Metro North DBT Collaborative was held on Wednesday 22 July 2026 at Brisbane North PHN’s offices in Chermside, building on the strong connections and shared purpose established at the inaugural gathering in March this year.

Public, community and private mental health providers came together again last week to strengthen access to dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and DBT-informed supports across the PHN region. Activities and discussions in this session were focused on turning connection into action, including building local networks, strengthening referral pathways and identifying practical steps that respond to the needs of specific communities. Participants also gathered into hospital region groups to consider local priorities, opportunities and commitments, with discussion focused on how services could work together to expand community-based DBT groups and improve access closer to where people live.

Brisbane North PHN Lead in Adult Mental Health, Gillian Kehoul, said the meeting also highlighted the warmth, generosity and shared commitment emerging within the collaborative.

‘What stood out in this meeting was the genuine willingness of people to connect, share knowledge and think together about how we can work alongside each other in practical and meaningful ways,’ Gillian said.

As the DBT Collaborative continues to develop local networks that can raise awareness of DBT and DBT-informed services, members are also continuing to grow shared resources and actively supporting contributions from across the sector.

Practical ideas discussed included creating shadowing arrangements between Hospital and Health Services and community providers, sharing facilitators across services, supporting peer supervision through Metro North and exploring whether a DBT consulting group could help strengthen capability and consistency across the region.

Future conversations will continue to explore practical collaboration opportunities, including approaches to waitlist management, sharing available group spaces and strengthening peer supervision practices across services.

Importantly, the Collaborative is being shaped by the people and services who are part of it. It’s creating further opportunities for shared learning while keeping lived and living experience, culturally safe practice and inclusive approaches at the centre.

To support governance that reflects the diversity of services and perspectives across the region, Chris Trupp from the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health and Katie Nutting from Footprints have volunteered to lead the working group, planning the next session in November.

The Collaborative will also move further into community, with Joel Veling and the Redcliffe Medicare Mental Health Centre generously offering to host the next meeting at their newly refurbished premises on Ningi Ningi Country.

Brisbane North PHN looks forward to supporting this next session and helping the group continue to build momentum for practical, community-based action.

For any mental health professionals across the region who wish to connect with the network or submit an expression of interest, please send your details via our contact page.