Launching a Competency-Based Training Program in Evidence-Based Treatments for PTSD: Supporting Veteran-Serving Mental Health Providers in Texas

Dondanville, Katherine A.; Fina, Brooke A; Straud, Casey L; Finley, Erin P.; Tyler, Hannah; Jacoby, Vanessa M.; Blount, Tabatha H.; Moring, John C.; Pruiksma, Kristi E.; Blankenship, Abby E.; Evans, Wyatt R.; Zaturenskaya, Mariya; Initiative, Strong Star Training

doi:10.1007/s10597-020-00676-7

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…This study included military‐affiliated and civilian patients who engaged in an EBT for PTSD as part of routine clinical care with a community‐based mental health provider. Mental health providers completed training in CPT or PE through the STRONG STAR Training Initiative (Dondanville et al., 2020) and offered EBTs for PTSD as part of routine clinical care. The evaluation data for these analyses were collected from August 2017 to August 2019.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The primary aims of the present study were to compare treatment outcome and dropout rates among military‐affiliated ( n = 188) and civilian ( n = 314) patients receiving PE or CPT for PTSD in community settings. The current study uses evaluation data from the STRONG STAR Training Initiative (see Dondanville et al., 2020) and expands upon Dillon et al. (2019) in several important ways.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Evidence‐based posttraumatic stress disorder treatment in a community sample: Military‐affiliated versus civilian patient outcomes

Jacoby,

Straud,

Bagley

et al. 2022

Journal of Traumatic Stress

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant mental health issue among military service members and veterans. Although the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides crucial resources for behavioral health care, many veterans seek mental health services through community clinics. Previous research illustrates that military and veteran patients benefit less from evidence‐based treatments (EBTs) for PTSD than civilians. However, most PTSD treatment outcome research on military and veteran populations is conducted in VA or military settings. Little is known about outcomes among military‐affiliated patients in community settings. The primary aim of this study was to directly compare civilian versus military‐affiliated patient outcomes on PTSD and depression symptoms using the PTSD Checklist for DSM‐5 (PCL‐5) and the nine‐item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐9) in a community setting. Participants (N = 502) included military‐affiliated (veteran, Guard/Reservist, active duty) and civilian patients who engaged in cognitive processing therapy (CPT) or prolonged exposure (PE) for PTSD in community clinics. Both groups demonstrated significant reductions on the PCL‐5, military‐affiliated: d = −0.91, civilian: d = ‐1.18; and PHQ‐9, military‐affiliated: d = ‐0.65, civilian: d = ‐0.88, following treatment. However, military‐affiliated patients demonstrated smaller posttreatment reductions on the PCL‐5, Mdiff = 5.75, p = .003, and PHQ‐9, Mdiff = 1.71, p = .011, compared to civilians. Results demonstrate that military‐affiliated patients benefit from EBTs for PTSD, albeit to a lesser degree than civilians, even in community settings. These findings also highlight the importance of future research on improving EBTs for military personnel with PTSD.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Evidence‐based posttraumatic stress disorder treatment in a community sample: Military‐affiliated versus civilian patient outcomes

Jacoby,

Straud,

Bagley

et al. 2022

Journal of Traumatic Stress

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“…In 2017, the (STRONG STAR) Training Initiative launched a training program in EBTs for PTSD for veteran-serving community providers in Texas before scaling nationally in 2018 ( Dondanville et al, 2020 ). The Bob Woodruff Foundation funded the Training Initiative with the overall goals of (1) increasing access to EBTs for PTSD for service members and veterans with PTSD seeking mental health services in community settings and (2) improving quality of life for them and their family members.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Organizational consultation was offered as a resource that could be scheduled as needed at any time throughout participation. For more detailed information about the development and initial implementation of the (STRONG STAR) Training Initiative, see the publication by ( Dondanville et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How often do community-based mental health providers educate and initiate PTSD treatment following training? Answering the question of reach

Dondanville

Fina

Steigerwald

et al. 2021

Implementation Research and Practice

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Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant problem. Clinical practice guidelines recommend evidence-based treatments (EBTs) including cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) as first-line treatments. Training in EBTs for PTSD has often been limited to large-scale systems (e.g., U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Research has shown that veteran-serving community-based mental health providers have low rates of training and supervision in EBTs for PTSD, suggesting that training initiatives for these community providers are critical to increase accessibility. This study aimed to examine the reach of education about EBTs for PTSD and the initiation of EBT for PTSD treatment among veteran-serving community-based providers participating in a large-scale training initiative. Methods: Participants ( N = 280) were community-based, licensed mental health providers who received training in CPT (67%) or PE (33%). Provider attitudes toward EBTs were measured with the Perceived Characteristics of Intervention Scale. Reach was calculated from provider self-reported follow-up survey data, including caseload total number of patients with PTSD, number of patients provided education on EBTs for PTSD, and patient initiation of EBT for PTSD. Reach was calculated for both education and EBT initiation. Results: Providers reported positive attitudes toward CPT and PE. Rates of education reach for EBTs for PTSD ranged from 30% to 76%, and rates of EBTs for PTSD initiation ranged from 11% to 35% over the 5-month follow-up period. CPT providers had higher rates of education and initiation earlier in the follow-up period, although differences in initiation rates diminished after 3 months posttraining. Conclusion: Overall, this study examined how large-scale, training programs can be used to increase the education reach and initiation reach of EBTs for PTSD among veteran-serving community-based providers. Future work should examine how best to augment these training programs to reduce the gap between education and implementation of EBTs for PTSD. Plain Language Summary Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant problem among veterans. Although there are effective treatments for PTSD, mental health providers in community settings rarely have access to training in these treatments. Training programs are designed to offer providers the necessary training and support to deliver the most effective therapies to their clients. In evaluating these programs, it is important to determine whether they increase the likelihood that providers will deliver the interventions in which they were trained. Valuable outcomes include the percentage of patients who were educated on the specific intervention and who began to receive it. The (STRONG STAR) Training stron Initiative is a large-scale, community-based program that specializes in training providers in two leading PTSD therapies: cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure. Participants received a 2-day workshop, online resources, and weekly consultation calls to aid in the delivery of the intervention in which they were trained. Consequently, a large number of clients on provider caseloads are now aware of these PTSD treatments, and many have chosen to receive them. It is clear that the components within the (STRONG STAR) Training Initiative increase providers’ competency in delivering therapies that have been widely studied. Therefore, more community members with PTSD will have access to gold-standard care. More funding should be devoted toward competency-based training programs to increase the number of people who receive education about and who engage in delivering effective therapies. This approach will ensure high-quality care and increased quality of life for those seeking treatment from community providers.

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“…In 2017, the STRONG STAR Training Initiative (SSTI) launched a training program in EBTs for PTSD for veteran-serving community providers in Texas before scaling nationally in 2018 (Dondanville et al, 2020). The Bob Woodruff Foundation funded the Training Initiative with the overall goals of (a) increasing access to EBTs for PTSD for service members and veterans with PTSD seeking mental health services in community settings and (b) improving quality of life for them and their family members.…”

Section: Training Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating a community-based training program for evidence-based treatments for PTSD using the RE-AIM framework.

Dondanville¹,

Fina²,

Straud³

et al. 2022

Psychological Services

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Launching a Competency-Based Training Program in Evidence-Based Treatments for PTSD: Supporting Veteran-Serving Mental Health Providers in Texas

Cited by 6 publications

References 46 publications

Evidence‐based posttraumatic stress disorder treatment in a community sample: Military‐affiliated versus civilian patient outcomes

Evidence‐based posttraumatic stress disorder treatment in a community sample: Military‐affiliated versus civilian patient outcomes

How often do community-based mental health providers educate and initiate PTSD treatment following training? Answering the question of reach

Evaluating a community-based training program for evidence-based treatments for PTSD using the RE-AIM framework.

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