In This Issue

Feature Topic

November 11th marks Veterans Day, a celebration in honor of America’s Veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. On this day and always, we give our respect and sincere appreciation to our Veterans, fallen heroes, and their families.

View 30 sec video PTSD treatment can turn your life around.

To honor them, please work with the VA National Center for PTSD to raise Veterans' awareness that PTSD treatment can help. These men and women tell their stories in AboutFace, an online video gallery of Veterans who turned their lives around with PTSD treatment.

See the AboutFace Media Kit to help us spread the word.

• Understand the traumas of war. Also know that returning from war involves readjustment for many Service Members and their families. Learn about common reactions and problems to watch out for, like PTSD.
• Help for Veterans with PTSD answers questions about PTSD and service-connected disability that are often asked by Veterans.

Family and friends can talk to someone about finding the right words to encourage their Veteran to get needed care by contacting VA's Coaching into Care program. CoachingIntoCare@va.gov or call 1-888-823-7458

Moving Forward: Overcoming Life’s Challenges

A free way for Veterans to learn to handle stressful problems, Moving Forward is a new on-line training that uses life coaching to teach problem solving skills. What type of problem solver are you?

• Find out how stress, being pressed for time, and brain overload can limit what you do.
• Learn about the four steps to successful problem solving.

Try it out. Designed by VA and DoD to be especially helpful for Veterans, Military Service Members and their families.

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For Providers

For professionals who work with Veterans, our PTSD 101 Course: Understanding Military Culture explains the context of military service relevant for caring for Veterans, and offers free continuing education credits.

Find out more about the specific needs of Veterans and how to best help them:

• Treating Veterans: Learn how to assist Veterans following the types of trauma that occur during military service.
• Find Toolkits for specific professionals who encounter Veterans in their line of work (e.g. campus staff, community mental health providers). More toolkits coming soon!
• Our PTSD 101 VA/DoD PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline Series provides expert training based on the latest PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline. Just look for the icon: CPG.

Webinar: Clinical Use of Mobile Apps in Behavioral Health Treatment

• 11/15/2012, 1-2:30 pm EST

A discussion of the use of technology in psychological health and traumatic brain injury care with emphasis on mobile apps, incuding Prolonged Exposure (PE) Coach. For instance, behavioral health care providers may rely on mobile apps to reinforce patients' skills learned during therapy. Read more and register (by DCoE Strategic Communications).

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 For VA Providers

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) VA Sharepoint Site DBT is a cognitive-behavioral treatment that focuses on skills, such as emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. It has been shown to help patients who have a history of trauma, suicidal or out of control behaviors, and those with Borderline Personality Disorder. Find this and other Communities of Practice under “Treatment Resources” on the PTSD intranet site.

VA PTSD Consultation Program

Anyone working with Veterans can call 866-948-7880 or email ptsdconsult@va.gov for a free consultation.

Join our Lecture Series, based on questions posed to the VA PTSD Consultation Program:

• 11/20 - Drs. Karen Seal and John McKellar on Chronic Pain Patients with PTSD
• 12/18 - Dr. Eric Elbogen on Assessing and Managing Risk of Violence in Veterans

3rd Tuesday of the month, 2 pm EST. VA staff please email ptsdconsult@va.gov to sign up.

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Find tools and resources to inform research on trauma and PTSD and stay up-to-date on the latest scientific developments. For information on current research at the VA National Center for PTSD visit Research Initiatives in the About Us section.

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Responding to the Distress of Hurricane Sandy: Resources for disaster survivors, professionals working on the front lines, and the public. Our thoughts and hearts go out to those affected by this disaster.

Learn more about Joining Forces, a White House initiative to mobilize individuals and organizations to provide our Service Members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned.

Read about what is happening at VA Medical Centers for Veterans Day.

To all Veterans: husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters-

We thank you for your service.

Please encourage your colleagues and others to subscribe to the PTSD Monthly Update!

Feature topic next month: 2012 in Review

Sincerely,
The Staff of the National Center for PTSD

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