Staff Psychologist / Field Clinical Lead TeamHealth Winter Garden, Florida
Session Summary: This 90-minute session equips LTC teams with evidence-based strategies to manage Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Topics include: a clinical overview of BPD and its late-life presentation, chronic suicidality and ER use, an introduction and application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and 10 actionable clinical pearls for effective direct care management. Attendees will learn structured communication, crisis de-escalation, behavioral planning, and interdisciplinary coordination. Targeted for healthcare professionals, primary care providers, behavioral health providers, nursing staff, direct care staff, social workers, and administrators, the session aims to improve care consistency, reduce crises, and foster safer, more compassionate environments.
Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this session, learners will be able to:
Describe the core diagnostic criteria of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and explain how its presentation may differ in older adults within long-term care settings.
Identify evidence-based strategies, including components of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), that can be adapted to manage BPD-related behaviors in institutional environments,
Apply interdisciplinary approaches to improve behavioral care planning, crisis de-escalation, and documentation practices for residents diagnosed with BPD.