Mental Health – Training Resources

VA Employee Education System – Free Continuing Education Classes

Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention – http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/07/28/42934-army-health-promotion-risk-reduction-and-suicide-prevention-report/index.html

The Army released the results of a 15-month study into the service’s growing suicide rate. The 350-page report, “Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention,” provides new context for the 239 suicides (including reservists) and 1,713 attempted suicides in the Army last year.

Advanced Therapeutic Techniques for Treating our Military Personnel and Their Families
http://www.southernregionalahec.org/professionals/pdf/PFCPrograms.pdf
Target Audience
This program has been planned for substance abuse professionals, psychologists, social workers, case managers and counselors. Other interested mental health or human service professionals are welcome to attend.
Program Description
As military service members return from deployment in the Middle East and settle back into their communities, families and careers, readjustment issues may lead to seeking treatment for symptoms related to PTSD, depression and substance abuse. This workshop will provide interactive skill-building for clinicians and will highlight
specific strategies for tailoring cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) for trauma-exposed veterans and their families. An overview of assessment considerations will be followed by description of CBT-based Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapies (CPT) and related strategies by expert trainers. Emphasis
is placed on adapting clinicians’ current skills to include tailored evidence-based therapies for PTSD with consideration of co morbid conditions.

Duke Mental Health Webinar 12: Effects of War on Military Families
The Duke AHEC Program in collaboration with the Sandhills Local Management Entity developed an ongoing continuing medical series to address important psychiatric management issues encountered in community mental health settings. The current series is targeted toward psychiatrists and other providers working with seriously mentally ill adults and child in under served regions of the State.
Click here: http://www.aheconnect.com/ahec/cdetail.asp?courseid=duke12 to download the webinar.

UNC School of Social Work Multimedia
Jodi Flick talks about Chapel Hill’s Survivors of Suicide Loss support group, which helps friends and family members cope with the loss of a loved one.  Dr. Dennis Orthner talks on the affect deployment can have on spouses. The Strong Couples, Strong Children video  is a resource for new parents to  receive guidance and assistance on parenthood and relationships with children and each other.

NC Assistive Technology Expo takes place November 18-19, 2010 at the North Raleigh Hilton.
Registration takes place here: www.pat.org.  Participants can choose from over 40 concurrent session on Thursday and Friday.

Operation S.A.V.E. (suicide prevention education):  http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/College/suicide.asp

Forward March: Moving Children Forward During Challenging Times
Conference in Fayetteville, September 16-17, sponsored by Partnership For Children and the Southern Regional Area Heath Education Center
Conference fees are $99.00 before August 25 and $125.00 after the 25th.
For more information, click here: http://www.southernregionalahec.org/professionals/pdf/booklet9-17.pdf
To contact the Southern Regional AHEC for more information call: 910-678-7207 or email:  john.bigger@sr-ahec.org

CPT Web: A web-based learning course for Cognitive Processing Therapy

This site has a particular focus on the treatment of military and combat-related PTSD, although the principles and methods described work well for any type of traumatic event that results in PTSD. This course was developed to complement other methods of clinical learning, such as reading a book or manual or attending a workshop or training course. However, unlike most workshops and manuals, this site includes specific, step-by-step instructions for each component of therapy, printable sample scripts for introducing concepts and techniques to clients, and flash video demonstrations of the therapy procedures conducted by expert clinicians. The web site is also developed so that you can proceed at your own pace and use the learning experiences when it is convenient for you.

For more information on this web based training go to:  http://cpt.musc.edu/index

PTSD 101 – Military Culture
Presenter:  Patricia J. Watson, Ph.D. – Executive Division, National Center for PTSD
Free power point presentation online training

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ptsd101/flash-files/Military_Culture/player.html

Treating the Invisible Wounds of War Series: Part 1 – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Description: To build bridges between local community resources and military families, Congress established the National Demonstration Program for Citizen-Soldier Support. Spearheaded by the Odum Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Citizen-Soldier Support Program (CSSP) focuses on all branches of the military and other reserve component members and families.

Click here:  http://www.aheconnect.com/ahec/cdetail.asp?courseid=citizensoldier to register and access the course.

Treating the Invisible Wounds of War Series: Part 3 – Issues of Women Returning from Combat

Description: Women military service members returning from deployment to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan face gender-specific readjustment issues as they transition back to their local communities. This workshop will provide an overview of the health/mental health concerns of women veterans within the context of military culture, gender-specific roles, available support resources and effective treatments.

Click here: http://www.aheconnect.com/ahec/cdetail.asp?courseid=citizensoldier3 to register and access the course.

Military Sexual Trauma:

Description: Clinicians can learn about military sexual trauma from the Military Sexual Trauma Veterans Health Initiative (VHI) online course and study guide. One objective of this online course and study guide is to raise awareness among clinicians of the breadth of issues facing persons who have been sexually assaulted or raped in order to ensure appropriate clinical care

In January 2004, the Veterans Health Initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs released the independent study course,  http://www.publichealth.va.gov/vethealthinitiative/sexual_trauma.asp

Online Training in CBT Skills for PTSD Treatment: Research Project Launching in September 2009

Useful Training!

  • CEUs
  • Self-paced
  • Interactive
  • Focused on 3 key components of CBT

To be eligible you must be:

  • A Mental Health Clinician
  • A Full time VHA or Vet Center employee
  • A Clinician who treats veterans with PTSD
  • Able to use the web at work or at home
  • Willing to consent to the research study

*Your employement will not be affected in any way regardless of whether or not you participate.
*Your individual information will be kept strictly confidential.

For more information contact:         Project PI:
Donn Garvert                                      Josef Ruzek
Clinical Project Coordinator                 Director, Dissemination and Training Division
National Center for PTSD                    National Center for PTSD
VA Paolo Alto Health Care System      VA Palo Alto Health Care System
donn.garvet@va.gov

For general information about participants rights, contact 866-680-2960.

Visit http://study.neriscience.com/ptsd/intro to sign up.

Information for Counselors at Institutions of Higher Education
(http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/College/index.asp):

Treating the Invisible Wounds of War – FREE ONLINE TRAINING!!
www.aheconnect.com/citizensolider
Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in Iraq may seek help from civilian primary care and mental health providers.

This course assists practitioners to provide better care for these patients by understanding the specific needs of returning veterans, their families, and the services available to them.

  • Identify strategies for establishing and maintaining a therapeutic alliance with combat veterans and their families by examining military structure and culture and the combat experience.
  • Examine the current knowledge of trauma and PTSD and how it is unique to military personnel.
  • Identify frames of mental health assessment and treatment options for military personnel.
  • Identify how family relationships are impacted by mobilization, deployment, and redeployment.
  • Identify services available for veterans and their families, including those provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and TRICARE

Operation S.A.V.E. (Suicide Prevention Education)
There is a recommended training by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  www.mentalhealth.va.gov/College/

Medal of Honor – http://www.medalofhonorspeakout.org/about
As part of their commitment to serve their country, more than 30 of the 91 living Medal of Honor recipients have joined in a public service campaign designed to help stem the rising tide of suicides among military service members today.  These recipients, who have survived some of the most harrowing experiences in combat, including years as POWs, physical wounds and emotional trauma, felt compelled to speak out to America’s military, share their experiences and encourage them to seek help for behavioral health issues that are often a result of deployment and combat.  Their message is simple:  Don’t let the enemy defeat you at home!  In their own words, Medal of Honor recipients encourage America’s military by reminding them that seeking care is indeed a courageous act. One that shows they recognize the need to stay strong in mind and body.

PTSD 101
A web based educational resource developed by the National Center for PTSD.  www.ncptsd.va.gov/ptsd101/

Guide for Returning Service Personnel:
Developed by the Alabama Returning Veterans Committee, the
Reintegration Action Plan provides information on readjusting to civilian life and a tool for returning service personnel to map out a personal action plan (http://www.alabamareturningveterans.org/).