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Our Next Lecture

Addressing Racial Trauma in Military Populations Through Evidence-Based Psychotherapies for PTSD

Brittany Hall-Clark, PhD

Wednesday, September 21 at 2:00pm ET 

Photo by RODNAE Productions

About the Presenter

BRITTANY HALL-CLARK, PhD is a Texas-licensed clinical psychologist in private practice, an Assistant Professor within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and a consultant in the PTSD Consultation Program at VA's National Center for PTSD. Her clinical specialties include trauma, nightmares, insomnia, sleep and anxiety. She has been certified as a Master Prolonged Exposure clinician and has extensive experience in working with active-duty service members and Veterans. She has also been trained in CBT for Insomnia and Nightmares as well as Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD. Dr. Hall-Clark's research interests include acculturative stress, cultural identity and delivery of culturally-sensitive treatment. For 8 years, she worked at the Ft. Hood site of STRONG STAR as a cognitive-behavioral research therapist for several randomized clinical trials focused on PTSD and related conditions in active-duty military personnel and Veterans. She obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Hall-Clark completed a 2-year fellowship with STRONG STAR, a multidisciplinary PTSD research consortium.

About the Topic

Over the last few years, the impact of racial stress and trauma has received an unprecedented level of national attention. This lecture will discuss how to provide culturally sensitive PTSD treatment for people of color. Included will be how to address racial stress and trauma in the context of trauma-focused evidence-based PTSD treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy. A historical context of relevant cultural factors related to black, indigenous, and military and Veteran populations will be presented. In addition, research related to health disparities and racial/ethnic differences in PTSD symptom presentation will be discussed. Attendees will learn about important cultural factors to consider in the assessment and treatment of PTSD and racial stress trauma. The lecture will include strategies for case formulation and tailoring treatment plans to address racial stress and trauma in the context of PTSD treatment.

Featured Article

Provider Guide to Addressing Patient Reactions to Race-Based Violence During PTSD Treatment

This article is intended to help guide providers' case formulation and treatment decision-making processes when trying to balance ongoing treatment for PTSD that incorporates therapeutic attention to emerging patient needs during race-based crises versus deciding when it is clinically wise to diverge and offer non-protocol, supplemental interventions. This guidance is intended to be applicable to all patients with PTSD addressing consideration of the full spectrum of patients' prior experiences, perspectives and needs.

Read the full article

Free Resources

Additional Race-Related Resources

To Share with Clients

Our webpage on Racial Trauma is written for the general public and can help your clients and their families learn about racial trauma and tips to help actively cope and reduce stress.

For Providers

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Racial Trauma (PDF)
  This edition of our PTSD Research Quarterly (February, 2021) provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the adverse impact, underlying mechanisms, assessment and treatment of racial trauma and PTSD.
• Racial and Ethnic Disparities in PTSD (PDF)
  This edition of our PTSD Research Quarterly (October, 2020) provides a guide to some of the key topics in racial and ethnic disparities in PTSD and PTSD treatment.

To subscribe, visit PTSD Research Quarterly.

Archive of Recorded Lectures

Most of our lectures are recorded and available to watch at your convenience.  Browse our archive to find titles like Racism-related Stress and Trauma: Definitions and Interventions
by Juliette McClendon or Culturally Responsive PTSD Care 101: The Role of Case Formulation by Gayle Iwamasa, PhD.

Many of our recorded lectures are also available with free continuing education credit in our online catalog of courses.

Whiteboard Videos

Our whiteboard videos summarize PTSD and PTSD treatment in plain language via an engaging format.  Providers can use these brief videos (~3-5 minutes each) in session or encourage clients and family members to watch the videos on their own.

Topics include: 

• What is PTSD?
• Treatment: Know Your Options
• "Evidence-based" Treatment
• Cognitive Processing Therapy
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• EMDR for PTSD
• Medications for PTSD
• PTSD and the Brain
• Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD
• Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD

To review the resources shared in previous newsletters please visit our archive.

Are you treating U.S. Veterans?

Our team of expert clinicians is available to consult with any healthcare provider treating U.S. veterans in any setting.   We can discuss assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy, medications, collaborating with VA care, patient and family education, continuing education, and just about anything else related to veterans and PTSD.  No question is too big or too small. Contact us at PTSDconsult@va.gov or 866-948-7880.