Research shows there are many challenges for services when setting up and sustaining comprehensive DBT programmes. DBT programmes in the UK often struggle to survive, particularly two and five years after they are launched. Since Cygnet Hospital Bierley’s DBT programme is now over two-years old, the team thought it timely to share its progress with the wider DBT community.
During the audit period (2016), the team delivered comprehensive DBT to 14 service users at any given time. The team was made up of between four and six trained DBT therapists, each working between 1 and 2.5 DBT days alongside their usual psychology, social work and nursing roles.
The weekly two hour skills group was delivered reliably every week and was well attended by service users, with an attendance rate of 81%. The team offered 99% of all 1:1 weekly therapy sessions and service users attended 86% of these.
For a DBT programme to be deemed ‘comprehensive’, therapists must attend a weekly consultation meeting. Therapists’ attendance-rate at weekly consultation was 75%. This was pleasing, given unavoidable absences due to annual leave, training and sickness. In order to foster a DBT-informed milieu, the DBT team delivered 3 days of in-house DBT-skills training to 27 MDT members on Bowling ward, in addition to offering a weekly ward-based consultation meeting for skills coaches. Plans are underway to co-deliver DBT training with service users.
The presentation was well-received and generated much discussion among the audience regarding how to best promote a DBT philosophy within the ward environment.