Message from Lived Experience Carers
From their own lived experiences of supporting family members with BPD, they know skills and information that will support in the caring role in a way that is sustaining.
Fri, Mar 28
Meet Rita
Rita has worked in a lived experience (carer) role here at Spectrum for many years. Her role has recently expanded to include service and sector wide advocacy for people living with BPD and their carers.
Rita regularly facilitates peer to peer interactive workshops for carers, presents at conferences and forums throughout the state and nationally. Rita is also a volunteer, founding and current President of the Australian BPD Foundation, a national charity.
Meet Jackie
Jackie is relatively new to working at Spectrum. In other services she has been supporting carers for ten years and finds the experience both enlightening and rewarding.
Jackie advocates for carers’ interests through her involvement with peak carer organisations. She has an educational background in psychology and public policy.
Lived Experience Carer role at Spectrum
Jackie and Rita’s work at Spectrum supports carers in several ways:
- Facilitating peer led workshops for carers to help them develop an improved understanding of BPD and how to support the other person in a more sustainable way
- Developing information and resources to assist carers and provide a sense of hope and optimism
- Providing training and resources to clinicians and peer workers on working with people living with BPD and their carers
- Highlighting at a service and systemic level the importance of the carer's role and their needs