Advocacy & Support for
Borderline Personality Disorder
& Complex Trauma
ACT Directory
Borderline in the ACT - A website developed by the Women’s Centre for Health Matters (WCHM) to provide information and raise awareness of BPD and services in the ACT
Service Directory
In crisis situations contact:
Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT)
The Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT) provides a 24-hour, seven day a week service used for assessment and treatment of mentally ill people in crisis situations.
Call the CATT Mental Health Triage Service on 1800 629 354 (24 hour service) or (02) 6205 1065.
Access to Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Provides assessment and treatment 7 days a week during business hours. Referrals are received from General Practitioners, School Counsellors or other concerned health professionals.
To make a referral, please phone CAMHS on (02) 6205 1971 or Fax (02) 6205 2627.
For after hours, please contact CATT on free call 1800 629 354.
Safe Haven Cafe provides the space for people experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings or emotional distress to access support when they need it, in a calm and caring environment. Safe Haven is staffed by Peer Support Workers and non-clinical Mental Health Support Workers. Safe Havens promote the wellbeing of people through assistance and support to manage their experience of distress, both current and in the future, and reduce the need for people to access emergency departments when they are feeling unsafe. There is no referral or diagnosis required to visit, and any person can use the space. Guests can call 0421 154 147 to make an appointment or just walk right in and receive support.
Safe Haven Café Belconnen is open 3 pm to 10 pm from Tuesday to Saturday at 56 Lathlain Place, Belconnen ACT
includes a Services Directory........a list of services, information sources and help centres for various mental health related issues in and around the ACT and surrounding areas of NSW.
Mark's Place Mental Health Foundation Carer and Consumer Respite
Short term respite program for people of any age who are carers of someone with mental illness. Carers can stay with or without the person they care for. Supports the goals of the carer and the person they care for by developing individual recovery plans.
Wellways (was Mental Illness Fellowship)
offers a number of services in the ACT including:
Partners in Recovery program - Call a support facilitator on (02) 6287 8070 or email
Mental Health Adult Step Up Step Down Program
The Adult Step Up Step Down Program is a residential mental health program that operates to prevent relapse and to assist consumers in recovering from an acute episode of mental illness. People ‘step-up’ from the community into a highly supportive environment when they are becoming unwell to prevent further relapse. People ‘step down’ from the hospital setting to enable a more graduated return to the community. It is able to accommodate up to 5 people at any one time. In addition, the program offers outreach services to help people as they move into the community.
BPD Awareness ACT - DBT Skills Group Program 2023
This program is not a therapy program but rather a psychoeducational capacity building program based on the DBT Skills component of DBT therapy programs. The program is designed to build your capacity to learn skills that help you to self-regulate your emotions, tolerate distress without making things worse and improve interpersonal relationships. The program runs 4 modules that are 10 weeks in length. In person and online Zoom attendance options are available. Click here for more information.
BPD Awareness ACT - Graduate Group
This program is designed for individuals who have graduated from a DBT Therapy or DBT Skills Group program and would still like to maintain connection to peer support. This group allows for members to continue building mastery in their DBT skills. In person and online Zoom attendance options are available. Group graduates meet every third Thursday of the month. Click here for more information.
Alternatives to Suicide
Alt2Su meetings use a peer-based approach to supporting people who have made suicidal attempts or who have experienced suicidal thoughts. Peer-to-peer mutual support groups provide a space for voicing, sitting with, understanding and moving through suicidal thoughts. Click here to find current meetings.
A Gender + Agenda Intersex Support Group
A Gender + Agenda is a safe space for intersex folks to meet, trainings, support groups, etc. Turner ACT (02) 6162 1924. Click here for more information. (*Not a crisis service, or BPD specific).
Website includes a listing of many LGBTIQA+ Organisations and Services
Project AIR Strategy has a list of services on its website. Click here.
FOR CARERS
Carers ACT peak body for carers in the ACT.
Family Connections Program (NEABPD Australia)
The 12 week Family Connections program is designed to provide parents, spouses, adult children, and siblings the knowledge and skills that will be helpful to them for their own well being in living with a relative with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The program also helps those relatives build a support network with other individuals with a relative with BPD.
To register your interest contact NEA BPD (Aust) via email
Support Group For Family members/ Carers/ Friends of someone with BPD.
This is a carer support group for anyone who loves and/or cares for a family member or friend who has been diagnosed with BPD or who has BPD traits. Contact Natalie by email (bpdawarenessact@gmail.com) or 0415 111 894 . Meetings held at 5:30-7:30pm on the first Monday of every second month (2023- 7th August, 7th October, 5th December). Click here for current details.
Mental Health First Aid Courses
Not BPD specific, but can assist with confidence in responding to non-suicidal self-harm, psychosis and suicidal ideation. Designed for specific groups such as youth, older person, aboriginal and for teens assisting their peers.