Community Rounds
December 13, 2023

Evidence-Based Treatment of PTSD in Individuals with OUD, and Innovative Approaches for Increasing Access to Care in Rural Communities

Kelly Peck, PhD

Our speaker is Kelly Peck, PhD, Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science at UVM and the Director of Clinical Operations for the UVM Center on Rural Addiction. This presentation discusses effective treatment approaches for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals with co-occurring opioid use disorder (OUD). It also explores ways to increase access to evidence-based trauma treatment for members of rural communities.

Learning objectives

  1. Define trauma and PTSD
  2. Present an overview of PTSD prevalence and impact in the general population and among individuals with OUD
  3. Review effective treatment approaches for PTSD
  4. Discuss barriers to access to evidence-based trauma treatment in rural communities and how telemedicine may help overcome these barriers
  5. Describe the feasibility and efficacy of prolonged-exposure therapy for PTSD in individuals with co-occurring OUD

Speaker

Kelly Peck, PhD

Kelly Peck, PhD

Dr. Kelly Peck is an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science at UVM and the Director of Clinical Operations for the UVM Center on Rural Addiction. His primary research and clinical interests are two-fold. First, he has conducted research focused on the development and evaluation of novel treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD). Second, he has worked extensively to address co-occurring post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals with substance use disorders, particularly around the delivery and evaluation of cognitive-behavioral treatments for PTSD. Dr. Peck is currently conducting a randomized clinical trial aimed at developing and evaluating a novel Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy protocol for improving PE therapy attendance and PTSD symptom severity among individuals with co-occurring PTSD and OUD.