PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Trauma-informed Care

Trauma-informed care (TIC) approaches in workplace, educational or health care settings promote well-being, adaptation and resilience in those who have been exposed to prior traumatic experiences. They aim to ensure that policies, procedures and environments support safety, healing, empowerment and recovery, as well as reduce practices that may cause stress or remind people of prior traumatic experiences. They also aim to be responsive to racial, ethnic and cultural differences. The resources here, including articles and toolkits, may help in developing TIC approaches in a variety of fields that offer services to Veterans or those with trauma histories. Learn more about SAMHSA's guidance for TIC approaches (PDF).

Health Care

• Community Provider Toolkit
  Features support for mental health providers caring for Veterans. Learn how to connect with VA and access tools to understand military culture and Veteran-specific treatments in mini clinics.
• PTSD Awareness in Health Care Settings
  Watch this 15-minute video for medical center staff that shows how patients' PTSD symptoms may come into play in health care settings.
• PTSD Screening and Referral: For Health Care Providers
  Discusses the importance of screening for traumatic stress symptoms, with specific steps for screening and referral.

Rural Mental Health

• Rural Provider PTSD Toolkit
  A toolkit designed to help rural mental health care providers who work with Veterans and Service members who have PTSD to address the unique challenges of providing care in a rural mental health care setting.

Clergy/Pastoral Care

• Clergy Toolkit
  A toolkit designed to help clergy members who work with Veterans and Service members who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Addressing Religious or Spiritual Dimensions of Trauma and PTSD
  Reviews the relationship between trauma and spirituality and offers considerations for assessment and clinical care related to the spiritual needs of clients.

Justice System

• Police Officer Toolkit: PTSD and Military Veterans
  Aims to assist police officers, or those who train police officers, to more effectively interact with Veterans who have PTSD. Learn about PTSD, military culture, and techniques to help engage and support those with PTSD.
• Veterans with PTSD in the Justice System
  Describes programs to keep eligible Veterans out of the justice system and make sure they get treatment.

Media

• Journalists and PTSD
  Discusses traumatic events encountered by journalists and key studies pertaining to journalists and PTSD.

Self-Care

• Provider Self-Care Toolkit
  Provides education and resources to help mental health care providers with professional burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
• Provider Strategies for Coping with Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress Course
  This online course provides information for health care providers about burnout and work-related secondary traumatic stress and offers strategies to reduce their effects.

Educators

• VA College Toolkit
  Provides college faculty, staff and administration with resources to support student Veterans by recognizing their service and understanding their unique experiences, adjustment, strengths and needs.

Employers

• Veterans Employment Toolkit
  Created for employers, managers and supervisors, human resource professionals, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providers to support and retaining Veterans in the workplace. Toolkit also offers employment resources for Veterans.

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