A controlled study to assess the efficacy of the Open Borders programme located at Hampton Road Service, Fremantle

Borderline personality disorder is characterised by emotional instability, intense and unstable relationships and fear of abandonment. People with this disorder frequently present in crisis to emergency departments following an episode of self-harm or suicide attempt, which often results in hospital admission. A targeted, recovery-oriented model was required and to address this. Hampton Road Service, a public, state-wide residential facility for mental health consumers in Western Australia, commenced their Open Borders programme. This is an innovative project that offers those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder an alternative to hospitalisation by allowing them to arrange their own admission, rather than going through the usual channels. The aim of this programme is to minimise self-harming behaviours by enabling consumers to access immediate support and, in the process, support the consumer’s recovery journey. This research will explore whether the Open Borders programme is an effective alternative to general psychiatric treatment by utilising a process of assessment and data collection over two years; comparing social functioning, recovery-orientation, and the number of presentations and hospital admissions with a comparable group of consumers who are not in the programme