The Northwest Pennsylvania (NW PA) Veteran Suicide Prevention Program operates on a three-pronged approach involving healthcare providers, community organizations, and Veterans and their families in the 15 counties of NW PA. The National Center for PTSD is part of VA’s menu of services accessible to all healthcare professionals, Veterans and families, and members of organizations or communities serving military members and Veterans. This directory of free, online education resources is designed to help foster greater understanding of PTSD and how to best care for individuals that may have an official diagnosis or are exhibiting behaviors frequently seen in PTSD.  In addition to this online resource, our Community Toolkit, which is free to download and share, also provides county-specific information that may be useful to Veterans and their families.

If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone about publicizing the NW PA Veteran Suicide Prevention Program in your community, please reach out to us.

Read time: 5 minutes

PTSD Continuing Education

The National Center for PTSD’s continuing education course directory section brings together free in-depth learning and training resources for the professional community concerned with trauma.

Continuing education (CE/CME) credits are offered for completing most courses. There is no fee to take a course or for obtaining continuing education credits. Most courses are 1 hour long and are available 24/7 in an online format.

Credit is offered to:

• VA employees: TMS – VA’s Talent Management System
• Professionals outside of VA: TRAIN – TrainingFinder Real-time Affiliate Integrated Network

For courses that are collaborative projects between the National Center for PTSD and other organizations, you will be linked to the course website. If there are issues with a course housed outside of TMS or TRAIN, please contact the organization offering the course.

Not all courses are offered with continuing education credits. If there is no credit offered, it is indicated on the page.

Recent Courses Include

Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD 2023: Complimentary, Integrative and Alternative Approaches

The 2023 VA/DoD guideline is based on a complete review of the traumatic stress research literature since 2017 and offers recommendations for providers who treat Veterans. The course describes the CPG development process, and the author explains the recommendations related to complimentary, integrative and alternative approaches to treating PTSD. The course includes resources to support clinical practice.

Treating Co-occurring Chronic Pain and PTSD

This course provides information about the prevalence of chronic pain and PTSD as well as the relationship between these conditions, explaining the evidence base for four core conceptual models. The presenters then review treatment approaches for the management of co-occurring chronic pain and PTSD.

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

The author reviews the literature on racial stress and trauma, as well as research related to racial/ethnic differences in PTSD symptom presentations. The course highlights important cultural factors to consider in the assessment and treatment of PTSD, offers tips to address racial stress during trauma-focused evidence-based PTSD treatments, and presents strategies for case formulation to address racial trauma.

Looking to Get Involved?

Whether you identify as a healthcare provider, community organization, or Veteran, there are several opportunities through the NW PA Veteran Suicide Prevention Program and PERU to connect to resources, participate in educational training, and promote harm reduction strategies. We are actively recruiting healthcare and community partners to work with us in meeting our goals and objectives. To learn more, visit the program website at theresilientveteran.org.

Need Help? Know Someone Who Does? Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat. Both are free and confidential. You’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor in your area.