Blog posts with the tag "Clinical Skills"

Staff Perspective: Preparing Patients for PTSD Treatment - EBP Education and Treatment Planning

By Jeffrey Mann  on 15.03.2017 10:12 am
Jeff Mann, Psy.D.

Over the last several years there has been an increased emphasis on providing evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) in military and Veteran healthcare environments to treat PTSD. The Institute of Medicine (2007) produced a report indicating that the DoD and VA lacked evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatments they are providing. The report was not suggesting the treatments themselves were not effective, but simply that both the VA and DoD did not have a system in place for measuring the effectiveness of the treatment in those environments. Further inquiry in a variety of studies indicated that only a small portion of individuals diagnosed with PTSD even received EBPs.

Staff Perspective: The Problem with Sleep Hygiene

By Diana Dolan  on 01.03.2017 12:09 pm
Diana Dolan, Ph.D., CBSM

SrA Pruitt slumps in the chair in her primary care provider’s exam room.  She’s frustrated she hasn’t slept much in the past five months since her promotion and just wants a magic bullet to help her fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.  She clearly did not expect her provider to ask her to see me; she crosses her arms and says bitterly “…but I’ve already tried all those things that are supposed to make my sleep better.” 

Staff Perspective: The Virtual Hope Box!

By Sharon Birman  on 22.02.2017 10:53 am
Sharon Birman, Psy.D.

Electronic Health (eHealth) has long been integrated into the mental health field allowing for healthcare practices supported by electronic processes or communication.  One type of eHealth is Mobile Health (or mHealth) interventions, which refers to the use of mobile devices for a number of activities that could include Internet access or searches, text messaging as well as smart phone applications that could be used within a mental health context. Although research remains limited, attention to mobile apps has been rapidly growing due to the increased use of technology in the mental health field.  Mobile mental health support can be very simple but effective, providing users with convenience, anonymity, consistency and round-the-clock service.  Often, technology is utilized to complement traditional therapy rather than replace it.

Staff Perspective: Group vs. Individual Treatment with Cognitive Processing Therapy

By Debra Nofziger  on 07.12.2016 11:50 am
Debra Nofziger, Psy.D.

To “group” or not to “group”…. Have you ever found yourself asking that question as a provider?  There is, of course, the general concept of group theory and what patients work best in a group and those that don’t.  It can be easy to spot people who will not interact with others well, to one extreme or the other.  But it can be harder as a provider to determine the more intricate question of what type of behavioral health problem can be better served in a group format instead of individual. 

Guest Perspective: Resilience as Acceptance

By Laura Reardon  on 06.12.2016 11:25 am

My husband and I joined the military in 2008 as psychology residents with the vague, distant understanding that deployment was a possibility for both of us. Just like anything that seems stressful and perhaps mildly unpleasant, but too far in the future, we paid little attention to our fears and concerns. However, I don’t think either of us anticipated that our experience with deployment would coincide with the birth of our one and only child.

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