The Center for Deployment Psychology is presenting a two-day course, "TRICARE Provider Readiness Designation," on 28-29 January 2026, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern. Registration for the course is FREE and comes with 14 CEs. 
Please note the CE details section at the bottom of the page. Space in this event is limited and registration will close when capacity is reached, even if this is before the final registration deadline.

To access the course, on the day of the event, log into your account here: https://deploymentpsych.ce21.com/Account/MyAccount and click on the green "Launch Webinar" button.

Description:

TRICARE Provider Readiness Designation Trainings
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 required the development of a system where non-DoD (TRICARE) mental health care providers who meet eligibility criteria established by the Secretary of Defense, could receive a mental health Provider Readiness Designation. These providers would then be specifically highlighted in the TRICARE directory as having earned this designation.

As behavioral health providers who work with military service members, we hear the term ‘readiness’ often and may wonder what it means and how it could impact our work with our military clients. Generally speaking, readiness refers to the military’s capability to do its job, whether that’s during training, combat operations, or humanitarian missions. In order to ensure that the military can meet its missions, commanders need to know if their service members are able to deploy or work in an austere environment for an extended period of time. 

To receive this designation, providers must demonstrate knowledge related to military culture and evidence-based treatments that have been approved by the Department of Defense for the treatment of mental health issues among members of the Armed Forces. This is demonstrated by completing the package of courses listed on this document which have been developed by the Center for Deployment Psychology and approved by the Government.

The six (6) courses are:

Assessing Military Clients for Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
This workshop will review a method for screening, assessing, 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 as they relate to screening, diagnostic assessment, and tracking treatment outcomes. Unique variables that can impact the assessment and feedback process with a military population are identified.

Ethical Considerations for Working with Military Members and Veterans
Civilian behavioral health providers working with military service members and veterans often face ethical challenges unique to this population. Ethical practice is contingent on effective application of personal and cultural morals, as well as on following professional regulations and expectations. Information about informed consent, boundaries of cultural and clinical competence, disposition-driven diagnoses, multiple relationships, and professional fitness are all presented in the context of work with military-connected clients. Decision-making models are included to address ethical dilemmas, with specific presentation of the role of dual relationships within a clinical framework.

Military Culture: Enhancing Clinical Competence
This training is designed for civilian behavioral health providers who want to develop a better understanding about military culture so they can more effectively engage with Service members in their clinical work. The training presents information about who comprises the armed forces as well as basics about organizational structure, branches of service, core values, military missions and operations, as well as the differences between the active and reserve components.

Addressing Suicide with Military-Connected Patients
This training provides a general overview of suicide prevention with military-connected clients. It begins with a comparison of suicide rates for military and civilian populations. Next, it explores myths about suicide and stigma within the military that can result from those myths. Finally, crisis intervention skills are addressed including a review of the steps for safety planning and lethal means safety counseling. The training ends with a review of suggested resources and next steps for additional learning.

An Overview of Sleep Disorders Common in Military Members
In this training participants will gain an understanding of common sleep disorders and sleep-related problems for military members. The presentation focuses on providing strategies to enhance the ability of mental health providers to assess, refer, and identify evidence-based treatments for the top two sleep disorders in military populations.

The Use of Screening Tools
This is an intermediate training that provides behavioral health providers with a general overview regarding the use of screening tools that are utilized with military populations. It starts with reviewing the benefits of utilizing screening tools and exploring limitations. Next, the training reviews specific screening tools for common mental health problems to review their rationale, interpretation, and how to apply those results to clinical decision making. The training includes multiple case examples to apply information about screening tools, as well as discussions on additional considerations such as liability concerns and data storage. This training focuses on utilizing empirically supported screening tools and how to incorporate those results into clinical decision making that have credible empirical support in the literature (i.e., Barry et al., 2023; Duffy et al., 2023; VA/DoD , 2023, 2024, 2025).

Attendance 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. Participants can test their computer's capabilities by clicking here (or visiting http://zoom.us/test). We highly recommend those using Internet connections on government or military locations test their ability to load Zoom in advance of the event to ensure there are no technical difficulties. It is also recommended that Mac users access the training link using either the Chrome or Firefox browser to minimize problems. Everyone must participate using a separate computer rather than joining as a group of people viewing via one machine.

Also, a functioning microphone is MANDATORY to attend, in order to participate in the role-play sessions. 

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.
A functioning microphone is also MANDATORY to attend this training, to allow for participation in role-play sessions. 

Continuing Education Details:
Participants are required to attend the entire training. Partial credits cannot be issued. This training contains non-instructional time of one hour for lunch and two 15-minute breaks each day. Attendance is taken through the use of electronic logs, and a post-training evaluation form must be completed in order to receive ACE social work CE credits.

For other CE credits, completion of the evaluation is strongly encouraged, but if you do not wish to complete the evaluation, please contact the training event's POC after the training event. There is a 30-day time limit post-training to complete all CE requirements. CE Credit Certificates will be emailed to qualifying participants within 30 days of the workshop completion date.

For additional details, please click here or on the "CE DETAILS" button at the top of the page.

American Psychological Association Sponsor Approval:
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.

Association of Social Work Boards Approved Continuing Education Provider Approval: The Center for Deployment Psychology, #1761, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: May 19, 2025 – May 19, 2028. Social workers completing this course receive 14 Live, Interactive Webinar continuing education credits.

New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology Provider Approval: The Center for Deployment Psychology is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0178).

New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work Provider Approval: The Center for Deployment Psychology is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0744).

Inquiries regarding CE credits may be directed via email to Aric Bowie at aric.bowie.ctr@usuhs.edu.