Trainings Catalog

This Tier Three training helps mental health providers to assess and treat insomnia using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). The workshop begins by discussing common problems military members have with sleep, as well as providing a foundation for understanding normal sleep (i.e., theories about why we sleep, how sleep is regulated, sleep architecture, and how sleep changes over the lifespan). The training utilizes this foundation to further clarify clinical problems clients experience, reviewing differential sleep diagnoses and available assessment tools. Next, the etiology of insomnia along with each step of the CBT-I protocol is reviewed. Implementation strategies and different formats for CBT-I such as telehealth and group settings are reviewed in addition to different cultural and clinical adaptations to treatment that can help improve outcomes with diverse populations. Experiential and interactive elements are incorporated to help participants develop practical skills for using assessment tools like a sleep diary, for questions for a sleep specific interview, and for stimulus control, sleep restriction, and cognitive therapy. The training focuses on clinical practice by application of assessment and intervention methods for both individuals and group members experiencing insomnia with an emphasis on serving members of the military-connected community that have consistent and credible empirical support in the literature.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier Three training.
• Note: Full attendance on the one day is required to earn CE credits.

This Tier Three training provides mental health providers with intensive instruction in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP) and the opportunity to practice assessment and intervention strategies. The workshop first lays the foundation for working with suicidal clients by reviewing suicide rates in the military/veteran community, discussing terminology, and providing an overview of critical theories underlying suicidal ideation and behavior. The training then moves into exploring the three phases of CBT-SP. The section on the early phase of treatment highlights the evaluation of suicide risk, including identifying risk and protective factors for suicide. The section on the intermediate phase of treatment focuses on a variety of behavioral, affective, and cognitive coping strategies that can be utilized with suicidal clients. The section on the later phase of treatment emphasizes a set of relapse prevention exercises. Video demonstrations, participant role plays, and small discussion groups are used during the workshop to enhance learning with an emphasis on using CBT-SP with military-connected clients.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier Three training.
• Note: Full attendance on the one day is required to earn CE credits.

This Tier Three training offers mental health providers intensive instruction in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidence-based treatment for PTSD. The workshop presents theory underlying CPT, a brief overview of CPT’s empirical support, and step-by-step instructions in CPT protocol techniques. Throughout the training, strategies for conceptualizing and dealing with co-morbidity, managing avoidance, and keeping clients optimally engaged are provided. Video clips of expert therapists demonstrate CPT skills, and participants are asked to do role-plays and other assignments to learn concepts and practice skills with an emphasis on using CPT with military-connected clients.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier Three training.
• Note: Full attendance on the one day is required to earn CE credits.

This Tier Three training provides intensive instruction in Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy, an evidence-based treatment for PTSD described in the manual, Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD – Therapist Guide (Foa, Hembree, Rothbaum, & Rauch, 2019). The workshop covers the theoretical support for PE and reviews the main clinical techniques used in the standard protocol with an emphasis on application with military-connected clients. Step-by-step instructions for conducting PE therapy sessions, including in vivo and imaginal exposure, along with strategies for working with over- and under-engaged clients and other difficult cases, are shared. Videotaped examples of PE cases are used to demonstrate therapist skills. Participants practice PE techniques in role-plays during the workshop, and are expected to be familiar with the evidence base supporting PE prior to attending the workshop.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier Three training.
• Note: Full attendance on the one day is required to earn CE credits.

This Tier Three training provides intensive instruction in the Unified Protocol (UP), an evidence-based treatment introduced by Dr. David Barlow and his colleagues in 2004 that cuts across diagnostic boundaries to focus on helping clients learn to experience and manage strong emotions in ways that are consistent with their long-term goals. This transdiagnostic treatment harnesses evidence-based principles of change to help clients simultaneously target the symptoms of multiple disorders and improve their quality of life. The UP is the most widely used transdiagnostic treatment with substantial empirical support for its effectiveness. This introductory workshop discusses the rationale for a transdiagnostic approach to treatment and review evidence from over 70 clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of the UP. Next, all eight UP treatment modules are introduced, including demonstrations of how to apply the content and discussion of similarities and differences between the UP and traditional CBT. There are demonstrations of core intervention components, discussion of using the UP with military-connected clients, and participants are encouraged to participate as part of these illustrations.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier Three training.
• Note: Full attendance on the one day is required to earn CE credits.

This training description is currently being finalized and will be published soon.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

This Special Topics training provides mental health providers with an introduction to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) as it relates to working with military-connected clients. First, it briefly examines the terminology around IPV and information about its prevalence in civilian and military populations. A discussion of military risk and protective factors is presented, along with recommendations for key assessment elements (i.e., questions to ask, potential screeners). Finally, the training reviews programs and resources available to prevent and respond to IPV with a military-connected population.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

This Special Topics training presents mental health providers with an overview of Dr. Douglas Snyder’s three-stage model for treating infidelity. It begins by defining behaviors that constitute an affair and then explores issues which may be specific to military couples. Next, the three-stage model is introduced along with tasks to be accomplished during therapy and treatment goals for each stage. In addition to didactic content, this training incorporates use of videos, role plays, and poll questions as additional opportunities for learning and practice.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

While moral injury is not a recognized mental health disorder, it is well-known to have impacted the lives of many throughout time. Recent military conflicts and worldwide events, like COVID-19, have brought the construct of moral injury more to the forefront in the mental health professions as researchers and clinicians work to better understand and identify how it is both similar and different from other issues clients face, like depression and PTSD.

This Special Topics training for mental health providers defines moral injury, describes how it develops, and examines various assessment and treatment methods. The focus is on moral injury in the military population, while recognizing that it also occurs in the civilian population. The presenter encourages participants to consider challenges they face in identifying and treating moral injury, including how to create a nonjudgmental, safe space for clients to talk about it, and how to distinguish moral injury from common co-occurring problems such as PTSD. Military cases are introduced to demonstrate approaches for assessing and addressing moral injury. While specific treatment modalities are not be taught in detail, participants gain tools for assessing and interacting with increased competence, and general treatment methods are explored.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

This Special Topics training for mental health providers defines and describes the different types of traumatic brain injury (TBI). It examines the rates and impact of TBI in the military population with a focus on mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and blast-related TBI. Participants learn key tools for screening, assessment, and management of TBI. The training also highlights common comorbid conditions, treatment models, and resources for providers, families, and clients in the military with TBI.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

This Special Topics training provides an overview of Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for the treatment of PTSD, focusing on the growing interest in studying and implementing this brief approach for helping trauma-impacted individuals. The training identifies why WET was developed by the authors, Drs. Denise Sloan and Brian Marx, and how it may offer both clients and providers an appealing alternative to other evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD. After reviewing WET-related theory and research, the presenter provides the basics for delivering this 5-session, structured treatment, including the tasks expected of the therapist and patient. Breakout sessions and case examples are used to demonstrate session goals and key clinical skills. Note that this overview should not be a substitute for completing the one-day training offered by the authors or WET-certified instructors and reading the WET treatment manual.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

This Special Topics training focuses on mental health provider sustainment and self-care. It analyzes the importance of sustainment and self-care as a way of reducing or eliminating burnout in mental health providers with special attention given to those who serve military-connected clients. The ProQOL self-assessment tool is reviewed with results used to aid in the development of a sustainment plan. Participants create a personalized sustainment plan that includes personal, professional, and organizational strategies, as well as engage in practical application exercises to aid in reducing burnout. The training content reflects materials and references focused on provider burnout, impacts/implications to clinical and nonclinical practice and the application of prevention strategies at the individual and organizational level that have consistent and credible empirical support in the literature.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

Transitions are a hallmark of military service. Service members are accustomed to moving, changing jobs, adjusting to new roles, and taking on new responsibilities. However, separating from military service and returning to civilian life can be destabilizing for even the most resilient military members. This Special Topics training provides clinical providers with tools to understand and assess various aspects of the transition journey with a focus on mental health and overall well-being. Strength-based interventions and considerations for when to refer are also discussed. Case examples, role plays, and group discussions are utilized to enhance engagement and learning.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

The training description is currently being finalized and will be published soon.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

This Special Topics on-demand course provides mental health providers with research-based information about the principles of Lethal Means Safety Counseling (LMSC). It begins by exploring the importance of discussing means as part of suicide prevention interventions. Next, population-level efforts are compared with individual-level initiatives. Key components of LMSC using principles of Motivational Interviewing are explored in depth. Participants view a video of Means Safety Counseling and are provided with an opportunity to interact with case examples.. The course concludes with an overview of suggested resources for additional learning.

• Prerequisites: Participants must complete both Tier One and Two trainings and be members of the Star Providers Directory prior to enrolling in this Tier S training.
• Note: Attendance of the full session is required to earn CE credits earn CEs.

7 Hours, 6 CEs

This training is the first of the three tiers and introduces participants to military culture including core values, terminology, branches of the service and military operations. The unique needs of the National Guard, including the Army and Air Force, are discussed. It also covers the impact of deployment on families and challenges in post-deployment reintegration.

7 Hours, 6 CEs

This training is the first of the three tiers that sets the foundation for becoming a Star Provider and serving military-connected clients through the Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) directory. The day-long training introduces participants to military culture, including the basics of its history, organizational structure, core values, branches of service, mission, and operations, as well as the differences between the active and reserve components. Additionally, considerations for working with military-connected families will be discussed such as identifying unique experiences of military couples, spouses and children, and normative military family life stressors that may inform the experiences and clinical presentation of military-connected clients. The training concludes with an overview of the impact of deployment on service members and families. The unique experiences and psychosocial impact that service members and families face across the deployment cycle are explored as well as ways to support military-connected individuals during each stage of deployment. Tier One highlights the need for engaging with military cultural humility, with an emphasis on educating providers about the factors that may impact mental health practice with military-connected clients. The information and contents of this training have consistent and credible empirical support as documented in the scientific literature (Heward et al., 2024; Blue Star Families, 2024; Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, 2023; Maury et al., 2022; Briggs et al., 2020).

14 hours, 13.5 CEs

This training is the second of three tiers. Tier Two provides education about specific challenges and difficulties that are often associated with military service. Topics include sleep disorders, military families, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, suicide, and ethics. This program content focuses on application of psychological assessment and intervention methods for treating military-connected patients who are experiencing these challenges that have consistent and credible empirical support in the scientific literature, as well as on ethical guidance that impacts civilian behavioral health clinicians who work with this population (Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense, 2017; Kelly, Robbins, & Martin, 2019; Khazem et al, 2016; Kizer & Le Menestrel, 2019; Merritt et al, 2019).

14 hours

This workshop will be highly experiential with a focus on helping participants practice and build skills that they can readily integrate into their work with military clients. It’s designed to give participants a strong foundation in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory and practice. The workshop is ideal for beginning practitioners new to the model as well as those already practicing ACT at an intermediate level who want to broaden their repertoire. Over the course of two days, we will work with participants to assess psychological problems using the Psychological Flexibility model, learn and practice skills relevant to each of the 6 core psychological flexibility processes, use the ACT skills to help clients differentiate between ineffective and meaningful actions, and to identify and address key indicators of psychological inflexibility. In addition, the training will explore the ways in which language and metaphor influence behavior and can be used in therapy to help change behavior. We will use experiential exercises, small group work and dyad work to encourage participants to practice and enhance new skills. Participants are expected to actively engage in class activities and must attend both days in their entirety.

14 Hours

This intensive 2-day workshop will provide training for behavioral health providers in the
fundamentals of cognitive behavioral therapy for depression (CBT-D), with a specific focus on
working with service members and veterans. We will begin with a discussion of depression in the military, followed by an examination of the central principles of CBT-D. Based on this model,
participants will then learn how to conceptualize depressed patients and organize the components of a standard CBT-D session. We will also highlight specific cognitive, behavioral, and problem-solving strategies to use with service members to help them modify unhelpful cognitions and re-engage with their environments. Participants will have multiple opportunities to observe video examples and practice intervention strategies through interactive role plays. This program content focuses on the application of assessment and intervention methods for treating depressed patients that have consistent and credible empirical support in the scientific literature (Beck, 2020; Hays, 2019; Kazantzis et al., 2018; Patel et al., 2019; Yew et al., 2021). Participants must attend both days of the workshop.

14 Hours

This intensive two-day module provides training in the assessment, management and cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronic pain. The module lays the foundation for working with military connected individuals suffering from chronic pain by reviewing the rates and mechanisms of chronic pain in civilian and military populations, including the role of military culture. Furthermore, theories of chronic pain will be introduced with a focus on biological, psychological and social factors impacting chronic pain. Participants will develop case conceptualization skills grounded by the clinical interview and empirically based assessment tools. Participants will learn and have the opportunity to practice key intervention strategies. In addition to learning CBT skills/techniques for working with chronic pain patients, participants will explore the role of motivational interviewing practices in CBT for chronic pain. The workshop also discusses common challenges to psychological service for pain management and ways to overcome those barriers. The module is designed for behavioral health providers working with service members, veterans and their families who are seeking in-depth training in empirically supported treatment options they can immediately incorporate into their clinical practice. Participants are expected to actively engage in class activities and must attend both days in their entirety.

14 Hours

This intensive 2-day workshop provides skills training in Motivational Interviewing (MI), which is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). The workshop will review the foundational constructs related to MI with an emphasis on the Spirit of MI. Participants will practice fundamental client centered counseling skills (OARS+I) across the four processes of an MI encounter (Engage, Focus, Evoke, Plan). The workshop will articulate when it is appropriate to use MI skills in a clinical encounter with a focus on health behavioral changes. Videotaped examples of MI sessions will be used to demonstrate therapist skills. Participant participation in real-plays to demonstrate MI skills and attendance at both days of the workshop are required for training completion. Participants will leave the workshop with a personalized plan to continue MI skills practice and reflective feedback.

3.5 Hours

This 3 1⁄2 -hour introductory training helps behavioral healthcare providers understand the basics of sleep functioning and problematic substance use behavior, the bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and substance use pathology, and learn strategies to enhance their care of patients with both sleep and substance related issues with an emphasis on comorbid case conceptualization. We begin by providing a context for typical sleep (i.e., theories about the purpose of sleep, how sleep is regulated, and sleep architecture) and expectations for substance use in military populations, with a review of diagnostic criteria. Next, we discuss the prevalence and overlap between disordered sleep and disordered substance use. We clarify how sleep problems can contribute to the onset, maintenance, and risk of relapse for substance use disorders as well as the reciprocal impact of substance use on impaired sleep. This workshop focuses on clinical practice by application of assessment and intervention methods for individuals with substance use problems that are experiencing sleep problems that have consistent and credible empirical support in the literature (i.e., Brower, 2016; Chakravorty et al., 2018; Department of Veteran Affairs & Department of Defense, 2019; Kelly et al., 2019; Miller et al, 2017).

4 Hours

This workshop will review a method for screening, assessment, and treatment outcome monitoring of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) centered on the use of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Participants will be introduced to VA/DOD best practices for diagnosing military-related PTSD including screening for trauma-related disorders, obtaining thorough military and trauma histories, conducting a semi-structured diagnostic interview, and using self-report measures to track treatment outcome. DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD as well as Other Unspecified Specified Trauma and/or Stressor-Related Disorders are reviewed. Tools for assessing PTSD and common comorbid conditions are discussed including appropriate use of the PCL-5, Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption Questions (AUDIT-C). Semi-structured clinical interviewing techniques are reviewed and then practiced by participants for the intended purposes of screening, diagnostic assessment, and tracking treatment outcome. Unique variables that can impact the assessment and feedback process with a military population are identified. Role-plays and demonstrations will be used to help develop participants’ PTSD assessment skills.

4 Hours

This half-day workshop builds on the foundation of sleep education provided in the 2-day Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) workshop. Detailed instruction on circadian rhythm physiology provides an understanding of contributors to both normative patterns and development of disorders. We then explore assessment specific to circadian rhythm disorders and introduce clinical interventions for the two most common in service members: Delayed Sleep Wake Phase Disorder and Shift Work Disorder. Step-by-step guidance illustrated by examples underscore recommended techniques. Participants are expected to have attended the CBT-I workshop or have equivalent or greater training in CBT-I to complete this advanced course; for a review of sleep basics such as regulation and mechanisms, we recommend viewing the CDP Presents webinar recording “The Basics of Sleep: What Every Provider Needs to Know” This program content focuses on application of psychological assessment and intervention methods for treating suicidal patients that have consistent and credible empirical support in the scientific literature (Meyer et al, 2022; Doty et al, 2019; USA FM7-22, 2020; Ashbrook et al., 2020; Wilson et al., 2019).

2 Hours

This 2-hour training provides military and civilian behavioral health providers with information about the impact of deployments on relationships. Various theories will be presented which help explain the interpersonal processes surrounding each stage of the deployment cycle. Utilizing current research, clinical skills and knowledge focused on the reintegration period will be reviewed.

4 Hours

This training provides active duty and civilian mental health providers with an overview of Dr. Douglas Snyders’ three-stage model for treating infidelity. The training begins by defining behaviors that constitute an affair and then explores issues which may be specific to military couples. Next, the three stage model is introduced along with tasks to be accomplished during therapy and treatment goals for each stage. In addition to didactic content, this training incorporates use of videos, role plays, and poll questions as additional opportunities for learning and practice.