June 2022 PTSD Spotlight

June is PTSD Awareness Month. While this topic is important at the Center for Deployment Psychology year-round, we will be providing special emphasis on the subject of PTSD during June.
Throughout the month, CDP is hosting numerous events and posting several features and tools regarding the assessment and treatment of PTSD, including blogs, webinars, training events, and PTSD-specific infographics.
Click on the icons below or scroll down to find resources to expand your knowledge and skills to treat PTSD effectively, serving those who have served.

NATIONAL PTSD SCREENING DAY

This year CDP is partnering with the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) to promote National PTSD Screening Day on June 27. But you don't have to wait until then to get help. Free, confidential screening is available now at the NCPTSD website.

PTSD-RELATED TRAINING EVENTS

CDP offers numerous events throughout the year to help train providers to assess for and treat PTSD. In June and July we will be offering even more opportunities for providers to increase their knowledge and skills. 

To register or for more details on any of these events, click on the links below!

8-9 June 2022: Online Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Training via Zoom (currently at capacity)

21 June 2021 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. ET: Treating PTSD and Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders using Prolonged Exposure

27-28 June 2022: Online Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Training via Zoom (for Tri-service providers)

18-19 July 2022: Online Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) Training via Zoom (for Tri-service providers)

26-27 July 2022: Online Training on Assessment of PTSD and Suicide Risk Management in Veterans via Zoom

Additionally, on 15 June 2022, the National Center for PTSD will be offering a live webinar on Ethical Considerations in Shared Decision-Making for PTSD Treatment by Lisa Cuccurullo, Ph.D.

INFOGRAPHICS

BLOG ENTRIES

This month's Staff Perspective blog entries will include entries on PTSD and its treatment. 

In addition, we also have numerous existing blog entries on the subject, including:

• Sleep Can Put up a Good Fight and Not Improve Following a Trauma-Focused Treatment - Dr. Paula Domenici discusses her experiences working with stubborn sleep problems after other symptoms have improved.
• Options for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Nightmares - Dr. Carin Lefkowitz offers a brief overview of some of the most common treatments for posttraumatic nightmares. 
• Finally, An Integrated Treatment for Patients with PTSD and SUD - Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE) is an integrated cognitive behavioral psychotherapy developed for patients struggling with both PTSD and an alcohol or drug problem.
• A Discussion of DBT-PE with Dr. Harned (Part One) - Dr. Kim Copeland talks with the developer of DBT-PE, Dr. Harned in this vlog. They talk about several topics including the inspiration for the creation of DBT-PE, structure and course of the treatment, and the future of DBT-PE. 
• A Discussion of DBT-PE with Dr. Harned (Part Two) - Dr. Kim Copeland continues her discussion with the developer of DBT-PE, Dr. Harned, covering how to tell when patients are ready for DBT-PE, how DBT-PE differs from traditional PE, some of the research supporting DBT-PE, how to ensure engagement during treatment, and how to get trained in DBT-PE.
• Understanding the Relationship Between PTSD, Sleep Disturbances, and Suicidality - Dr. Tim Rogers discusses the research is examining the link between PTSD, various types of sleep disturbances and their respective relationship to suicidality
• Moral Injury, PTSD, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - In this video blog, Dr. Andrew Santanello and Dr. Andrew Wyatt talk about moral injury, PTSD, and ACT.
• Mindfulness for PTSD? Maybe It's Best to Sit on the Fence...For Now - Dr. Andrew Santanello discusses Mindfulness for PTSD, including the pros and cons.
• Treating Post-Traumatic Nightmares - Nightmares are a common occurrance in the wake of traumatic events. Dr. Diana Dolan provides some suggestions on how to help clients with this issue.
• Addressing Anger in PTSD Treatment - Laura Copland writes about effective ways of managing anger during PTSD treatment.
• PTSD and Spirituality - Dr. Kimberly Copeland talks about how spirituality can aid in the process of recovery from Moral Injury associated with combat-related PTSD

PTSD RESOURCES

• CPT Session Notes:This series of brief videos reviews the key agenda items and interventions for each session in the CPT protocol. These videos are designed to complement the CPT manual
• PE Metaphor Bank: Metaphors are frequently used in Prolonged Exposure Therapy to explain the concepts involved. The concepts of exposure and habituation can feel unnatural and counter-intuitive to many people. Metaphors can be a useful tool to help frame these and other concepts for patients. (Best accessed via Firefox browser)
• CPT Metaphor Bank: Our CPT Metaphors Bank is designed to be used by behavioral health providers who deliever CPT. Our CPT Subject Matter Experts model several of the most common metaphors utilized when delivering CPT. 
• EBP Videos: Watch therapists demonstrate many of the techniques discussed in CDP's training events.
• EBP Resources: This page contains links, videos, downloads and many other tools to help providers effectively deliver EBPs.
• Consultation: CDP offers consultation services for providers who have completed an EBP workshop through the CDP. Learn more about this important service here.
• Second Life PTSD Experience: Based in Second Life, CDP's Virtual PTSD Learning Center immerses the learner in experiential learning about PTSD diagnosis, assessment, and effective treatments. The climax of the experience is the role playing game Operation AVATAR where the learner takes on the role of a Service Member with PTSD, experiencing simulations of his index trauma, PTSD symptoms after redeployment, and his functioning after completing effective treatment.

Below is a curated list of recordings from various PTSD-related webinars that the CDP has offered in the past. For a complete list, you can click here to visit our webinar archive.

• CDP Presents: Treating PTSD When Clinicians Have Negative Reactions to Patients' Sociocultural Views - Originally Presented 19 January 2022
• CDP Presents: Mind-Body Interventions for PTSD - Review of Evidence and Future Directions - Originally Presented 9 November 2021
• CDP Presents: Addressing Guilt, Shame, and Anger in Three Different Models of PTSD Treatment. Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy, and Brief Dynamic Therapy - Originally Presented 16 June 2021
• CDP Presents: CDP Presents: The Wild, Wild West of Treatments for Posttraumatic Nightmares - Originally presented 16 March 2021
• CDP Presents: Present-Centered Therapy for PTSD - Originally presented 17 February 2021
• CDP Presents: An Introduction to Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD - Originally 4 June 2020
• CDP Presents: Military Children and Trauma - Originally presented 3 April 2020
• CDP Presents: PTSD, Resilience, and Post-Traumatic Growth in Service Members and Veterans - Originally presented 6 November 2019
• CDP Presents: Understanding and Managing Anger and Aggression in PTSD - Originally presented 26 June 2019
• CDP Presents: Helping Patients with PTSD-Related Nightmares - Originally 19 June 2019
• CDP Presents: Trauma-Informed Intimate Partner Violence Treatment in Military and Veteran Populations - Originally presented 12 June 2019
• CDP Presents: Beyond PTSD - Grief-informed Treatment After Trauma - Originally presented 5 June 2019
• CDP Presents: Prevention and Treatment of Remote Combat Stress - Originally presented 16 May 2019
• CDP Presents: Comparing & Contrasting Conceptualization & Treatment of PTSD from the Perspectives of Social Cognitive and Emotional Processing Theories - Originally presented 27 June 2018
• CDP Presents: Reconceptualizing Resilience and Growth in the Wake of Trauma - Originally presented 21 June 2016
• CDP Presents: Challenges to EBP Implementation - Originally presented 29 June 2017

PODCAST EPISODES

CDP's bi-weekly podcast, Practical for Your Practice, features stories, ideas, support and actionable intel to empower providers to keep working toward implementing EBPs with fidelity and effectiveness.

Listen to Episode 03: "This IS the Track - How Talking About Afghanistan Doesn't Have to Derail an EBP"
Guests: Drs. Kelly Chrestman and Sonya Norman
The recent events in Afghanistan have left many military-connected clients (and providers!) reeling, creating a sense of anxiety in clinics about how to best provide support. In this episode, we bring lead EBP consultants from VA and DoD together to talk about the importance of examining our own reactions, making room for our client’s grief, anger and other emotions and how to be fully present in the room as our clients struggle to (re)create balance and meaning. We explore how validation serves as the essential substrate across EBP’s, as well as ways providers can support clients to examine values and move with intention through these historical events. Don’t miss this special episode as your colleagues discuss “doom scrolling,” the “EBP police” and much more!

Listen to Episode 02: "Flexing New Muscles When Doing Prolonged Exposure Therapy (and Assigning in vivo Exercises) Amidst a Pandemic"
Guest: Dr. Kelly Chrestman
Masks, social distancing and hand sanitizer, oh my! This week we are joined by Dr. Kelly Chrestman, one of CDP’s Prolonged Exposure mavens, to talk about practical tips for doing in vivo work during the pandemic. We dig into how assigning in vivo items may or may not have changed in the midst of the pandemic and creative ways to maintain momentum. Not doing PE? There is still actionable intel for you on how to collaborate with clients to get them engaged in meaningful activities despite all the barriers of COVID. This is the time to flex new muscles and think outside the box with us as we talk about doing PE (via telehealth) during the pandemic.