Working with a Diagnoses of Personality Disorder

Working with a Diagnosis of Personality Disorder

Objectives After studying this course, students will be able to:

• have an understanding of personality disorders
• understand possible causes
• have knowledge of the different treatments available
• list sources of help and advice in a range of situations
• have a clear understanding of how to work with these complex conditions

Student Profile This programme is designed for people who wish to gain an understanding of working with personality disorders and the basic skills required to work with such complex conditions. No prior knowledge is required although a reasonable level of literacy, to at least Level Two, is advisable as is a keen interest in the subject.

Study Method The course is designed for study by distance learning at work or at home. Students receive course manual, assignments and study guide plus tutor support. There are no deadlines for assignments. However, you must complete the course within 12 months from the date you received the course.

Qualification

On successful completion of the assignments you will receive an OCN Level Three certificate with 9 Learning Credits plus a UK Open Learning Diploma.

OCN Information OCNs work with organisations providing your learning to ensure that the way the course is assessed is of the highest quality and is suitable for the people who wish to take it. As a learner on an OCN validated course you are entitled to earn credits for the work that you do. For each successful course you complete, you will be awarded a certificate detailing the number of credits you have achieved. You can then use your credits to move to a higher level of learning, or to prove to an employer or anyone else that you have obtained new skills and knowledge. OCN credits are generally accepted as a means of entry to further study by Further and Higher Education providers and by a large number of employers and trainers. You can use your credits to demonstrate your achievements and prove that you have knowledge and skills in a wide range of subjects. Depending on which level of course you take, you can use the credits to progress onto other courses.

Qualification Terms Explained Recent developments in England have meant that the terms Diploma, Certificate and Award now have specific meanings and can only relate to qualifications approved by Ofqual, the government regulatory authority. Consequently, our Open College Network courses will henceforth have the description ‘…a course validated by Open College Network.’ This in no way diminishes the value or importance of the course but rather avoids the vagueness associated with the above terms. Should you need further information concerning this, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Assessments Assessment takes the form of a series of tutor marked assignments plus one extended essay. There is no specific word count for the assignments but you have to prove to your tutor that you have fully understood the question. One-word answers will not be sufficient.

Timescale The programme takes place over a timescale to suit the student. Once registered, tutor support is available for up to one year or until completion whichever is sooner. To complete the course will take in the region of 100 study hours which can be spread over a 12 month period.
Location The programme is home- or work-based enabling students to complete the course without having to attend scheduled college teaching sessions.
Tutor Support Throughout the course, students will receive tutor support by email and by post.
Extra Online Support The tutor for this course has now set up a forum for all of our students studying Personality Disorder and related courses. This will assist you with your studies, as not only will you get full tutor support from a professional tutor for the duration of the course, but you will get help from other students who are studying at the same time as you.You will get an insight into related courses by talking to students studying them. You can ask questions about your course or theirs, and they will try to help you. This is a great community for all those students who wish to interact with other students in the same situation as theirs and get friendly advice, ideas and comments. You will be able to interact with students studying the following courses:

• Understanding Abuse and Trauma
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Counselling and Psychotherapy
• Understanding Eating Disorders
• Introduction to Counselling
• Mental Health and Psychiatry

We will provide all the details of how to get onto this forum if you decide to order the course.
Payment Method You can choose to pay in full at the time of ordering, or you can pay in monthly instalments (no discount applies). If you would like to pay in instalments, we would need one of these as a deposit with your order (either by cheque or by credit/debt card). We will take the rest of the instalments off the card for the remaining months. For further details on paying by instalments please call or e-mail UK Open Learning.

Course Outline Unit 1: Classifications of Personality Disorder

Diagnostic criteria – DSM – ICD

Unit 2: History and an explanation of Personality Disorders

• What are personality Disorders?
• Paranoid
• Schizoid
• Schizo typical
• Anti Social
• Borderline
• Histrionic
• Narcissistic
• Avoidant
• Dependent
Obsessive

Unit 3: Presentation of Personality Disorder

• Self Harm
• Coping with Borderline Personality Disorder
• Eating disorders
• Addictions
• OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression and Bipolar
Dissociative disorders

Unit 4: Common generalisations and misconceptions

• Manipulative
• Attention seeking
• Demanding
• Obstructive

Unit 5: Causes of Personality Disorders

• Developmental
• The role of Peers
• Biological
• Genetic
Physical

Unit 6: Treatments

• Medications, Anti Depressants, Anti Psychotics, Mood Stabilizers
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Mentalisation based treatment (MBT)
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
• Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Therapeutic communities
• Day hospitals
• Solution Focused Therapy
• Treatment research
• EMDR – Eye Movement desensitisation restructuring

Unit 7: Mediation

What is Mediation? When is Mediation called for? Responsibilities Preliminaries The introductory phase Problem definitions Respect the parties’ abilities to reach a settlement Caucus meetings The second session Teamwork The Agreement
• Attributes of a good mediator

Unit 8: Working with personality disorder

• Therapeutic relationship
• The importance of supervision
• Crisis management
• Prognosis