A free online training series debuts March 20 for community and VA health care professionals to assist them in providing mental health care to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families.
The 2014 “From the War Zone to the Home Front: Supporting the Mental Health of Veterans and Families” is designed to help doctors, nurses, psychologists, clinical social workers and other health care professionals identify key diagnostic features of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), recognize re-integration challenges, and familiarize them with the approaches available to address mental health issues.
Collaboratively produced by the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program, this is the third year of the series. In previous years the lectures attracted more than 8,700 clinicians nationwide. Following the training, 88 percent of participants said they know more and feel better prepared to address the mental health needs of returning veterans and their families.
“One in three veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan experiences PTSD, depression or a TBI,” said Jessica Hamblen, PhD, acting deputy executive director at the National Center for PTSD. “This training series demonstrates our commitment to preparing providers to meet the needs of veterans and families who seek assistance.”
This year’s series again offers free CME/CE/CEUs for nine live online sessions presented every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. — and 23 on-demand lectures. Faculty includes renowned experts from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and VA’s National Center for PTSD.
“We are delighted to collaborate with the center to produce this series and to bring so many of the nation’s experts to community mental health providers across the country,” said retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond, executive director of the Home Base Program.
Content covers many aspects of working with veterans and their family members, including:
• Physical health after deployment (diabetes, cardiac, pain)
• Reproductive mental health for female veterans
• Complementary therapies for PTSD
• Veterans on campus
• Building resilience in military-connected children
Three sessions will use an interactive case conference format where a clinical case is presented and evidence-based treatment plans are created by two experts to foster discussion.
Founded in 2009, the Home Base Program serves Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families through clinical care, community education and research. Visit www.homebaseprogram.org . The National Center for PTSD conducts research and provides education on trauma and PTSD made available at www.ptsd.va.gov.
For more information or to register visit www.mghcme.org/homefront or email laurie.slone@va.gov or lchelminiak@partners.org.