The connections place: a job preparedness program for individuals with borderline personality disorder

This article describes a pilot project that provided a job preparedness program specifically designed for individuals who suffer from borderline personality disorder (BPD). The program called "The Connections Place" or "TCP" was based on a 16-week curriculum that focused on both helping individuals with BPD overcome emotional barriers to employment and preparing these individuals to enter/reenter the work world. Ninety clients were enrolled in the pilot project that was conducted over three and one-half years. Almost all participants (n = 54) who completed at least 1 month of the program made significant strides in the following areas: obtained employment or achieved a similar goal (48 %), notably improved their job preparedness (22 %), or made some/limited progress toward job preparedness (26 %). These preliminary findings support the potential effectiveness of job preparedness programs targeted to individuals with BPD.