Speakers Bureau - Assessing Military Clients for Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress DIsorder

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Brief Description:

This workshop will review a method for screening, assessment, and treatment outcome monitoring of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) centered on the use of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Participants will be introduced to VA/DOD best practices for diagnosing military-related PTSD including screening for trauma-related disorders, obtaining thorough military and trauma histories, conducting a semi-structured diagnostic interview, and using self-report measures to track treatment outcome. DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD as well as Other Unspecified Specified Trauma and/or Stressor-Related Disorders are reviewed. Tools for assessing PTSD and common comorbid conditions are discussed including appropriate use of the PCL-5, Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption Questions (AUDIT-C). Semi-structured clinical interviewing techniques are reviewed and then practiced by participants for the intended purposes of screening, diagnostic assessment, and tracking treatment outcome. Unique variables that can impact the assessment and feedback process with a military population are identified. Role-plays and demonstrations will be used to help develop participants’ PTSD assessment skills.

Note: This presentation can be presented face-to-face or as a webinar.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Apply the VA/DoD Guidelines for the Assessment of Trauma and PTSD.
  2. Discriminate between symptoms of PTSD and other disorders based on the DSM-5.
  3. Facilitate the screening, diagnostic assessment, and tracking of treatment outcomes in PTSD patients using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).
  4. Communicate results of diagnostic assessments as well as treatment outcome measures to clients.