Several training opportunities are available for treatment providers who are interested in learning how to deliver evidence-based posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessments and interventions.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a free online course for providers who are interested in learning about the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), which is the gold-standard PTSD assessment. This assessment explains the history, rationale, administration, and scoring of the CAPS-5. This training also offers interactive online courses and simulators that provide prompts in real time and on-screen coaching that teach participants how to administer and score the CAPS-5.
Webinars and in-person trainings are available for providers who are interested in Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). During these trainings, experts provide intensive instruction in the use of these evidence-based interventions for survivors of trauma, covering the basics of all components of treatment and how to modify treatment procedures in order to tailor the treatment to the client’s specific needs. Depending on the training opportunity, lecture, discussion, videotaped therapy sessions, and participant role plays with feedback from experts may be used to accomplish the goals of the workshop.
In addition to the foundational training opportunities listed below, ongoing consultation and/or supervision is recommended to develop proficiency in delivering these treatments. Many of the training opportunities include the option to attend weekly consultation (often for an additional cost).
The online VA course for providers who are interested in learning about the CAPS-5 is free, and UVM CORA can cover the cost of the PE, CPT, and COPE trainings below for rural treatment providers. Please see section below for descriptions of available trainings and an application for reimbursement.