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Please note that ALL 7 Workshops MUST be attended in-person and on Widener's campus. NO online workshops/courses are offered at this time. The next cycle will be offered in SPRING 2013.
Program Overview
While more than two million American troops have deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), more servicemen and women are surviving than ever before due to improved battlefield medicine and better body armor.
However, transitioning home from these conflicts can be a grueling fight for some of our men and women in uniform, including National Guard and Reserve members. It is not uncommon for them to face numerous readjustment challenges, including behavioral health problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Family members, too, are affected as they work to reconnect with their loved ones, some of whom have deployed multiple times.
We have learned from past wars that immediately identifying and tackling combat stress injuries is vital for overcoming them. In this environment, local communities across the country are charged with doing more to reach out and shore up our newest generation of warriors and their families.
Against this backdrop, the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) has established a Military and Veteran Behavioral Health Certificate Program to teach best clinical practices to mental health professionals who will address the psychological health needs of military personnel, veterans and their families. This intensive program covers key topics identified by mental health experts in the field, such as military culture, the deployment cycle, combat trauma, suicidal risk, sleep problems, and blast-related TBI.
Presented by the Center for Deployment Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,* and The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Specific questions about the program can be directed to Erica N. Ledwell-Williamson (enledwell-williamson@mail.widener.edu or 610-499-1209) at Widener University or Paula Domenici, PhD at the CDP at pdomenici@deploymentpsych.org.
Who Should Enroll?
The Military and Veteran Behavioral Health Post-Master’s Certificate Program is for civilian mental health professionals with at least a master’s degree who are actively treating, or plan to treat, the military/veteran population. The course material is not designed for, and may not be appropriate for, non-professionals and those who are not working with the military/veteran community.
Active-duty mental health professionals interested in enrolling in this program should contact the Center for Deployment Psychology by calling Blanca Mikesell at 301-816-4763 or bmikesell@deploymentpsych.org to inquire about other trainings developed specifically for them.
Program Format and Benefits
- 38 CE credits of approved workshops
- Completion in 6 to 12 months
- Seven core workshops and no electives
- Certificate in Military and Veteran Behavioral Health upon completion (Please note: This is NOT the equivalent of a graduate degree. This is a Certificate of Completion indicating the workshop participant dedicated 38 hours of training/educational time towards this population’s mental health concerns).
Required Workshops:
- Military Culture, Deployment Cycle and Selected Reserve
- Etiology, Assessment and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Assessment and Treatment of Sleep Disturbance Associated with Deployment
- Traumatic Brain Injury Sustained in Combat
- Overview of Evidence-Based Couples Counseling in the Military
- Identification, Prevention, and Treatment of Suicidal Behavior
- Evidence-Based Treatment of PTSD: Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
Workshops I through VI may be taken individually without enrolling in the Certificate Program. For non-certificate participants, Workshop I is strongly recommended as a pre-requisite for Workshops II through VI. As an alternative to Workshop I, non-certificate participants may take a web-based military culture competence course through the CDP(www.deploymentpsych.org under On-Line Training Program). Certificate participants cannot substitute Workshop I with the web-based course. Workshop VII is only open to certificate participants.
Expected Results
After completing the Military and Veteran Health Certificate Program, participants will:
- Better understand military culture and terminology, as well as different components of the services.
- Be more knowledgeable about how the deployment cycle affects service members and their families and ways to build resilience.
- Better comprehend how sleep problems can be assessed and treated, particularly within the context of wartime operations.
- Be more familiar with evidence-based approaches for treating military couples.
- Be more skillful in preventing, identifying and treating suicidal behavior using cognitive behavioral techniques.
- Be able to identify how PTSD develops, particularly within the context of wartime operations.
- Be more aware of symptoms of blast-related TBI, as well as guidelines and resources for assisting service members with TBI and their families.
- Be trained in the skills and protocol of Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), an evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
For more information about the Military and Veteran Behavioral Health Certificate Program or individual workshops, contact Paula Domenici at pdomenici@deploymentpsych.org or Erica N. Ledwell-Williamson at enledwell-williamson@mail.widener.edu.
MVBH 2013 Workshops
MVBH Workshop Registration
Workshop Descriptions
Program Faculty
MVBH Certificate Program Flyer (a printable version of the program details)
*“The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814-4799 is the awarding and administering office for award # HU0001-06-1-0003. This project is sponsored by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS); however, the information or content and conclusions do not necessarily represent the official position or policy of, nor should any official endorsement be inferred on the part of, USUHS, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.”
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