The Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) is offering a two-day evidence-based workshop entitled "Training on Assessment of PTSD and Suicide Risk Management in Veterans" on 19-20 July 2023, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern via Zoom. Registration for the course is free. 

Please note: All initial applicants will be waitlisted until the application is vetted through the CDP/VA Project Managers. Applicants will be notified by email of the decision within approximately two weeks of the application.

This training is funded by the PTSD Consultation Program at VA’s National Center for PTSD and presented in collaboration with VA’s Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program and the Center for Deployment Psychology.

Cultural competence is an ethical and clinical imperative for effective clinical practice. Cultural competence for clinicians working with Veterans and Service members includes developing familiarity with unique aspects of military culture that impact clinical care as well as common clinical issues faced by these populations. This two-day workshop aims to introduce participants to military culture and help them develop skills in assessing for two important clinical issues: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide risk.

Description: 
Day One
An overview of military culture will be provided including basics about its history, organizational structure, core values, branches of the service, mission and operations, as well as the differences between the active and reserve components. Participants acquire greater competency in working with Service members and Veterans by learning military culture and terminology, and by discussing how aspects of the military culture impact behaviors and perspectives. The remainder of day one 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. Interactive exercises and video demonstrations will be used to help develop participants’ PTSD assessment skills.

Day Two
Veteran suicide remains a significant public health concern, with those diagnosed with PTSD at potentially elevated risk. Clinicians with the VA Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program will review risk factors and discuss empirically-supported best practices for suicide assessment, prevention, and intervention with Veterans, including lethal means safety counseling and collaborative safety planning.

Target Audience:
Licensed behavioral health providers who regularly treat U.S. Veterans (or who intend to treat U.S. Veterans) in the community can apply. This training is not intended for behavioral healthcare providers currently working in VA or DoD settings.

Learning Objectives: 

Attendees will be able to:

• Characterize the structure and major components of the United States military.
• Analyze common characteristics of the military population and how they compare to the general population.
• Substantiate the importance of a distinct culture to the military.
• Appraise elements of the military experience and lifestyle that are integral to military culture.
• Apply the VA/DOD Guidelines for the Assessment of Trauma and PTSD.
• Discriminate between symptoms of PTSD and other disorders based on the DSM-5.
• Facilitate the screening, diagnostic assessment, and tracking of treatment outcomes in PTSD patients using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).
• Communicate results of diagnostic assessments as well as treatment outcome measures to clients to facilitate effective treatment.
• Describe suicide risk identification methods, including identifying warning signs, predictive analytics, and screening.
• Learn how to conduct a comprehensive suicide clinical risk assessment by reviewing overarching goals of the assessment, suicidal ideation, history of suicide, recognizing warning signs, and identifying risk and protective factors for suicide.
• Understand how to utilize results of a suicide clinical risk assessment to complete a suicide risk formulation and recommendations for documentation of risk.
• Describe suicide risk stratification using patient examples to understand the differences between acute versus chronic suicide risk and descriptors for low, intermediate, and high risk status.
• Learn the purpose and principles underlying lethal means safety counseling as a best practice for suicide risk management.
• Describe specific methods and recommendations to approach lethal means safety counseling for US Veterans and firearms, medications, and other environmental risks.
• Identify the purpose of and steps needed to collaboratively develop a safety plan.
• Review strategies to enhance the use of a safety plan in order to mitigate suicide risk.

System Requirements: This course will be presented via Zoom teleconferencing software. Participants will not have to install any additional programs on their computer to take part. However, a web browser is necessary. (Mac users are recommended to use the Chrome or Firefox browsers to minimize tech issues). Participants can test their computer's capabilities by clicking here (or visiting http://zoom.us/test). We recommend all participants test their ability to load Zoom in advance of the event to ensure there are no technical difficulties. All participants must log in via an individual connection, rather than as a group using one machine. A headset/headphones are recommended.

Continuing Education Details:

Continuing Education Details:
The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

The Center for Deployment Psychology offers attendees 14 credit hours for participation in this training. Participants attending events in person are required to sign-in at the start of the training and sign-out at the conclusion of the training in order to attain CE credit. Participant attendance data will be collected electronically during webinars. There is a 30-day time limit post-training to complete all CE requirements. Partial credits cannot be issued. Inquiries regarding CE credits may be directed via email to Micah Norgard at micah.norgard.ctr@usuhs.edu.

APA Approval: CEs provided by American Psychological Association sponsors are acceptable for most licensed professionals when renewing their license and it is our experience that these CE credits have been recognized by most professional state license boards. However, please check with your board regarding the acceptability of these CE credits for this activity. For additional CE details, please click here or on the "CE DETAILS" button above.

NBCC Approval: NBCC completed its review of the single program application submitted by The Center for Deployment Psychology (the Provider), and the information provided by The Center for Deployment Psychology representatives in related communications with NBCC. As the result of this review, NBCC approved the single program application. NBCC Approval No. SP-4151. Click here for more CE details.