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Military and Veteran Behavioral Health Post-Master's
Certificate Program
Workshop Descriptions
Workshop I - Military Culture, Terminology, and the Deployment
Cycle
This workshop will provide an overview of the US military, reviewing
basics about its structure and mission, common terminology used in
and out of theater, and the demographics of military personnel and
their families. It will shed light on the unique experiences of military
personnel and their families through use of videotapes and a review
of research studies. This workshop will help elucidate aspects of
the military culture and its ethos that may impact seeking help for
behavioral health problems. There will be a discussion on psychosocial
consequences of different stages of the deployment cycle on service
members and their families and ways to help them manage these challenges.
Workshop II - Etiology and Assessment of PTSD and Comorbid Problems
This workshop will review common reactions to trauma and risk factors
that may contribute to the development of PTSD in the general population
and military population. Research findings on the rates of traumatic
exposure and PTSD and the typical course of PTSD without intervention
will be discussed, as well as what we know about traumatic experiences
faced by military personnel and their combat tress reactions. This
workshop will also focus on problems that commonly coexist with PTSD,
which service members may first present to clinicians, including substance
use disorders, relationship issues, and medical concerns. Assessment
tools for identifying PTSD in the military population will be covered
in addition to the strengths and weaknesses of using these instruments.
Workshop III - Assessment and Treatment of Sleep Disturbance Associated
with Deployment
This workshop will cover the rates and types of sleep problems identified
in the military population, highlighting current research findings
on this topic. The epidemiology, diagnosis, and conceptualization
of insomnia and its psychological, behavioral and health implications
will be reviewed. Clinical strategies and interventions for assessing,
treating, and managing non-deployment and deployment-related sleep
problems, including insomnia, will be provided. The emphasis will
be on common sleep disturbances that emerge in theater and educational,
cognitive, and behavioral components of treatment during and after
deployment.
Workshop IV - Traumatic Brain Injury Sustained in Combat
This workshop gives an overview of mechanisms associated with blast-related
traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the signs, symptoms, levels of severity,
and rates of TBI in the military population. Recommendations for managing
mild TBI will be covered plus an overview of neuropsychological screenings
and tests used in and out of theater to assess for TBI. This workshop
will review overlap between TBI and PTSD, care coordination strategies,
and resources and services for military personnel who have sustained
a TBI and their families.
Workshop V - Assessment and Treatment of Deployment-Related Depression
This workshop will provide an overview of factors associated with
depression in military personnel and review the prevalence of depression
and its significance in the military population. Related research
findings will be highlighted. Also, this workshop will cover strategies
and tools to assess for depression and empirically-validated treatments
and adjunct techniques to address it in the military population. Case
examples will be discussed to exemplify key points about conceptualizing
and implementing treatment for depression in service members.
Workshop VI - Identification, Prevention, and Treatment of Suicidal
Behavior
Rates of suicide in the general population and military population
will be reviewed in this workshop, followed by pathways leading to
suicidal behavior and military risk and protective factors. Stages
and levels of suicide prevention will be covered, including military
initiatives. Additionally, this workshop will focus on clinical strategies
for assessing and managing suicidal behavior, referencing a structured
cognitive therapy protocol used by Brown et al., 2005 that has research
support.
Workshop VII - Evidence-Based Treatment of PTSD: Prolonged Exposure
Therapy
This intensive workshop will provide training on how to conduct Prolonged
Exposure Therapy (PE) to treat PTSD, which is an evidence-based approach
described in the manual, Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD - Therapist
Guide, by Foa et al., 2007. This 2-day training will cover the theoretical
underpinnings and research behind PE and review the main clinical
techniques used in this structured protocol. Step-by-step instructions
for conducting PE therapy sessions, along with strategies for working
with over and under engaged patients and other difficult cases, will
be shared. Videotaped examples of PE cases will be used to demonstrate
therapist skills. Note: students will be expected to do role-plays
to practice PE techniques.
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