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PTSD: National Center for PTSD

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Continuing Education

 

Continuing Education

This section brings together free in-depth Continuing Education resources for the Professional community concerned with trauma.

Learn from the experts and get CE/CME Credit!

Research-based courses at your convenience (24/7).

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criminal_legal_involvement.png
  • Date Created: 06/30/2023
  • Time to Complete: 1 hour
  • Credits: ANCC, APA, ASWB, ACCME, NBCC, Other Orgs
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Course Series: PTSD 101, PTSD Consultation Lecture Series

Veterans with criminal legal involvement have heightened rates of mental health and psychosocial needs, including PTSD. Legal involvement and trauma histories often serve as reciprocal stressors that make Veterans' experience in treatment and in navigating the criminal justice system more challenging.

This course explains a model for understanding justice-system involvement of Veterans. The authors describe the relationship between justice-involvement and trauma, how to work with Veterans who have compounding clinical and legal stressors, and how to recognize and address potential stigmatization when working with these Veterans.

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prolonged_grief_disorder_tx.png
  • Date Created: 07/27/2023
  • Time to Complete: 1 hour
  • Credits: ANCC, APA, ASWB, ACCME, NBCC, Other Orgs
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Course Series: PTSD 101, PTSD Consultation Lecture Series

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a new diagnosis in official diagnostic systems developed by the World Health Organization (ICD-11) and the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5-TR). This course explains the relationship between usual grief, complicated grief, and Prolonged Grief Disorder.

The author describes risk factors for PGD as well as how to recognize symptoms. The course also provides an overview of Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy, a short-term, highly effective therapy for this condition.

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legalized_cannabis_and_tx.png
  • Date Created: 11/30/2022
  • Time to Complete: 1 hour
  • Credits: ANCC, APA, ASWB, ACCME, NBCC, Other Orgs
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Course Series: PTSD 101, PTSD Consultation Lecture Series

Several states approved the use of medical cannabis for PTSD and some Veterans report using cannabis to relieve PTSD symptoms. However, research to date has produced insufficient evidence to support cannabis as a PTSD treatment, and some studies suggest chronic cannabis use can be harmful to individuals with PTSD.

This course provides information about the prevalence of cannabis use and the types of cannabis products available. The author describes the relationship between PTSD and cannabis use and offers strategies for addressing cannabis use among patients with PTSD in clinical practice.

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troubleshoot_lack_improvement.png
  • Date Created: 11/30/2022
  • Time to Complete: 1 hour
  • Credits: ANCC, APA, ASWB, ACCME, NBCC, Other Orgs
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Course Series: PTSD 101, PTSD Consultation Lecture Series

Trauma-focused psychotherapy is strongly supported for the treatment of PTSD in multiple practice guidelines. Many patients in evidence-based therapy for PTSD see significant improvement in their symptoms, yet some patients do not seem to improve during treatment.

This course provides a framework for examining progress in PTSD treatment, hypothesizing potential indicators for lack of improvement, and troubleshooting such cases. Recommendations for how to proceed are offered. Research and literature associated with PTSD treatment planning and progress are reviewed to help clinicians with decision-making.

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ethical_considerations_sdm.png
  • Date Created: 11/30/2022
  • Time to Complete: 1 hour
  • Credits: ANCC, APA, ASWB, ACCME, NBCC, Other Orgs
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Course Series: PTSD 101, PTSD Consultation Lecture Series

Shared decision-making (SDM) is recommended in clinical practice guidelines and allows the patient and provider to choose an evidence-based treatment in a collaborative manner. SDM elicits ethical considerations for clinicians, such as consideration for provider expertise in specific treatments, the availability of treatments, and to what extent the patient and clinician each direct the treatment plan.

This course discusses ethical considerations in SDM, including common pitfalls. Resources to support the implementation of SDM are included.

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PTSD Information Voice Mail: (802) 296-6300
Email: ncptsd@va.gov
Also see: VA Mental Health