Clinicians

Clinicians

Thank you for your interest
in OSSiBD!

*Apologies, but distribution of complimentary materials is temporarily paused.*

If you are a clinician in the fields of psychology, mental health, or social work, we are proud to share the OSSiBD materials with you. Please fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page to receive the materials and instructions.


OSSiBD is fully manualized so no specific training is required for mental health clinicians. However, it is necessary to read all materials and instructions before hosting the group. The materials are self-guided but training is available to those who feel they would benefit from it.


OSSiBD is intended to be used in a small group setting. For example, the program can be run by completing one session per week in an outpatient/private practice setting or multiple times per week in an inpatient setting.

How does this fit into my clinic, program, or practice?

OSSiBD is incredibly versatile and can be used successfully in a variety of settings.

Intensive Outpatient Program / Partial Hospitalization Program (IOP/PHP)

OSSiBD makes an excellent weekly or biweekly group that runs for eight sessions. The intensive outpatient/partial hospitalization setting is ideal for OSSiBD: individuals meet on a regular basis and can therefore complete the program in a start-to-finish manner. Additionally, it is during this nascent phase of recovery that self-stigma may begin to fester and it is a prime opportunity to address and prevent it.
Inpatient
OSSiBD groups can run either from start to finish or as ongoing programs that patients partake in whenever they are present in the unit. The sessions are interconnected but not so much that individuals receiving inpatient treatment wouldn't benefit from intermittent exposure. It is also fun and self-affirming, two things that are often lacking in the inpatient experience.


Private Practice
As a clinician, you are able to run standalone groups of OSSiBD. These groups, which can be comprised of clients or open to community members, are an incredible additional benefit to offer your clients. If opening the group to community members, you provide exposure for yourself as a therapist and become connected to a stream of possible new clients. Additionally, sections of the program can be extracted and used in a one-on-one therapy setting.

Which of my clients might be good candidates for an OSSiBD group?

The ideal participant will show evidence of struggles with self-esteem, self-worth, shame, or embarrassment in relation to their diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Participants who are fully comfortable with their diagnosis, are enthusiastic about their own advocacy and outreach work, and do not demonstrate unease with their bipolar diagnosis will likely not benefit from the program and may keep others in the group from doing so.

It is necessary to screen participants. Facilitators may want to administer the Patient Screening Questionnaire (included in the materials) or conduct a brief interview about individuals' feeling of self-stigma before admitting them to the group.
Want to share information about OSSiBD with colleagues?
Download the Clinician Information Sheet here

Have more questions?

Don't hesitate to reach out to andrea@ossibd.com, or fill out the contact form below.

*Apologies, but distribution of complimentary clinical materials is temporarily paused.*