Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) 101: From Inpatient Care to Community Care

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment modality used with youth, including youth who cycle between inpatient and community care. DBT was originally developed for clients with Borderline Personality Disorder and to help those who struggle regulating their emotions, experience suicidal ideation, and have interpersonal conflict. DBT helps people to build their awareness of and capacity to regulate their emotions, to effectively navigate interpersonal interactions, to tolerate and cope with distress, and to live in the present moment.
Clients who benefit from DBT are often those who cycle between community-based and inpatient care. Participants in this training will learn about the core concepts and theoretical foundations of DBT for youth and families. Participants will learn basic DBT techniques, the structures and components of the treatment, and what they look like in different clinical settings. We will also discuss how practitioners working in inpatient, community-based, and school-based settings can best partner with each other, the client, and the family to support healing.