Being a case manager for persons with borderline personality disorder: Perspectives of community mental health center clinicians

Abstract

The scope of case management has expanded to include persons with chronic, nonpsychotic disorders, in particular, persons diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Despite more widespread use, literature about case management for persons with this disorder is limited. To address this gap in knowledge, a study of the day-to-day experiences of case managers who care for persons with borderline personality disorder was conducted. Seventeen community mental health center case managers gave their informed consent to participate in individual, in-depth interviews. The interviews were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological research approach. The analysis showed a pattern of monitoring self-involvement. The case managers monitored themselves in terms of expressing concern and setting boundaries. These shared practices highlight a central and unique component of being a case manager for persons with borderline personality disorder, that is, the case manager's focus of attention is on self. By focusing on the self, case managers seek to retain control of the nature of the relationship. The author asserts that the matter to be resolved is not to determine whether retaining or relinquishing control is better, but rather, how best to help practitioners maintain a helpful relationship over time with persons who have borderline personality disorder. In an effort to accomplish this goal, questions about current helping practices and suggestions for working collaboratively with persons who have this diagnosis are provided.