VTSC Workshop Catalog

47,000 Americans died by suicide in 2017, and sadly, over 14% of the completed suicides were Veterans. Despite increased funding and awareness, the Veteran suicide rate is still steady. Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) helps give clinicians the skills and confidence to meet suicide care standards and competencies.

This training is designed for outpatient providers to assess and manage suicide risk with the goal of aiding in patient recovery. Clinicians will learn through group discussion, case examples, and videos, and should expect to participate in this class with a collaborative, non-adversarial and nonjudgmental stance. This course meets the Washington State requirements (RCW 43.70.442) for social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists.

Trainers

Leidy McIntosh | Suicide Prevention Coordinator | VA PUGET SOUND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

David Kapelle, MSW, LCSW | VA PUGET SOUND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

47,000 Americans died by suicide in 2017, and sadly, over 14% of the completed suicides were Veterans. Despite increased funding and awareness, the Veteran suicide rate is still steady. Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) helps give clinicians the skills and confidence to meet suicide care standards and competencies.

This training is designed for outpatient providers to assess and manage suicide risk with the goal of aiding in patient recovery. Clinicians will learn through group discussion, case examples, and videos, and should expect to participate in this class with a collaborative, non-adversarial and nonjudgmental stance. This course meets the Washington State requirements (RCW 43.70.442) for social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists.

This workshop focuses primarily on specific interventions and emotional stuck points that can occur when addressing traumatic memories and nightmares from a survivor’s past. Although cognitive interventions have gained more attention as gold-standards for working among clients diagnosed with PTSD, these interventions fall-short of fully processing the stuck emotions of grief and guilt often embedded within a survivor’s trauma—leaving survivors to still struggle with many of these feelings even after they’ve gained skills from evidence-based PTSD therapies. Accomplishing a shift of cognitions can be more effective by using a client’s emotional stuck points to process through problematic thoughts which maintain re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD. By utilizing the interventions described in this workshop, the mental health counselor may be able to intercede against negative thoughts by accessing underlying emotions of which the client may be struggling; and eventually using the process to suggest more functional behavioral actions as a follow-up. In addition, the clinician’s own feelings and thoughts will be discussed as either contributors to, or barriers against, the therapy process in the form of countertransference reactions.

This workshop is open to professionals with mental behavioral health related graduate degrees (i.e., MSW, MA, MS, MSN), physicians, dentists, and psychologists (i.e. AMA, ADA, APA) and those professions who are qualified for membership in, or are members of their respective professional organizations. Graduate students in an accredited mental behavioral health program may also participate in this training.

This 6-part training series, Building Blocks for Cognitive Success, helps Veterans address several common challenges experienced by those with TBI & PTS.Participants learn about cognitive rehabilitation and its various components; the stages of learning applied to home, school, and work; the concept of cognitive fatigue and its impact on productivity, the issues associated with executive function (e.g., decision-making, organization, etc.) and the stages of the memory process. Practical strategies will be provided to address each of the challenges referenced in the series.

This 6-part training series, Building Blocks for Cognitive Success, helps Veterans address several common challenges experienced by those with TBI & PTS. Participants learn about cognitive rehabilitation and its various components; the stages of learning applied to home, school, and work; the concept of cognitive fatigue and its impact on productivity, the issues associated with executive function (e.g., decision-making, organization, etc.) and the stages of the memory process. Practical strategies will be provided to address each of the challenges referenced in the series.

This 6-part training series, Building Blocks for Cognitive Success, helps Veterans address several common challenges experienced by those with TBI & PTS. Participants learn about cognitive rehabilitation and its various components; the stages of learning applied to home, school, and work; the concept of cognitive fatigue and its impact on productivity, the issues associated with executive function (e.g., decision-making, organization, etc.) and the stages of the memory process. Practical strategies will be provided to address each of the challenges referenced in the series.

This workshop is designed to teach participants Cognitive Processing Therapy, an evidenced based treatment for Veterans with PTSD. Cognitive Processing Therapy is a gold standard treatment for Veterans with PTSD focused on helping Veterans to restructure negative cognitions that develop after trauma. Material covered will include theoretical background and a review of session by session content. There will be both didactic and experiential components so that participants can practice the essential components of CPT. Given this workshop is based on a manualized treatment, participants are encouraged to purchase copies of the manual prior to attending. This will ensure participants get the most out of their training experience.

This workshop is designed to teach participants Concurrent treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders using Prolonged Exposure (COPE), an evidenced based treatment for Veterans with PTSD and co-occurring substance use disorders. COPE has two primary components of treatment: PE and substance use skills building. Throughout treatment, Veterans will engage in exposure exercises while building alternative coping skills to assist them with their substance use goals. Material covered will include theoretical background and a review of session by session content. There will be both didactic and experiential components so that participants can practice the essential components of COPE. Given this workshop is based on a manualized treatment, participants are encouraged to purchase copies of the manual prior to attending. This will ensure participants get the most out of their training experience.

For years, practitioners have been aware of the importance of understanding multicultural issues when intervening and assessing clients. With the veteran and traumatized client group, multicultural issues can also be used effectively as a tool to assist in psychotherapy recovery efforts. This presentation focuses not only on multicultural variations of different clients and the importance of recognizing the veteran/military culture as a subculture in counseling, but also helps practitioners better identify their own cultural biases and values while in the role of assisting in the recovery efforts of their clients. A mixture of lecture and experiential exercises will be utilized.

The presentation will also address aspects of assessment to consider when addressing cultural issues, as well as suggestions for incorporating appropriate cultural healing within an intervention plan for different client groups.

Training for Mental & Behavioral Health Professionals: This workshop is open to professionals with mental and behavioral health-related graduate degrees (e.g., MSW, MA, MS, MSN), physicians, dentists, and psychologists (e.g., AMA, ADA, APA), and those professionals who are qualified for membership in, or are members of their respective professional organizations. Graduate students in an accredited mental or behavioral health program may also participate in this training.

This workshop is for job seekers, entrepreneurs, job coaches, and career counselors. It offers a unique and creative way to get in touch with your true strengths, opportunities, and pathways toward something truly fulfilling and supports you in recognizing your innate talents and skills, and in clarifying your career and life path going forward.

This workshop is for job seekers, entrepreneurs, job coaches, and career counselors. It offers a unique and creative way to get in touch with your true strengths, opportunities, and pathways toward something truly fulfilling and supports you in recognizing your innate talents and skills, and in clarifying your career and life path going forward.

How can we help our clients find freedom from anxiety? Behavioral treatment of anxiety is an evidence-based approach that can help individuals find relief from panic disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other presentations of anxiety. In this 6-hour training, participants will learn the fundamentals of behavioral treatment of anxiety from a transdiagnostic perspective (not focused on PTSD). Participants will gain a better understanding of the core principles and procedures that are used to help our clients face their fears and take back their lives from anxiety, with an emphasis on exposure (i.e., a process of safely confronting feared/avoided things). Training participants will have the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways including lecture, demonstrations, discussions, and experiential learning activities designed to give them a richer understanding of the application of behavioral approaches to treating anxiety.

Note: this training is provided as information and education, and is not intended as therapy, healthcare, medical advice, or a doctor-patient relationship; if you have questions about the role of anxiety in your life, please consult your healthcare provider.

As helping professionals, we often try to support people with making changes and achieving goals in their lives. If you’d like to expand your toolkit of strategies for supporting motivation and goal attainment, join us for this interactive 6-hour training. We’ll be exploring a range of science-based strategies for motivation, achievement, and habit change. Participants will have the opportunity to apply these tools to their own lives and their own goals in the interest of gaining a deeper understanding of the benefits (and the limitations) of each method.

Training participants will have the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways including lecture, demonstrations, discussions, and experiential learning activities designed to offer a richer understanding of goal pursuit. This training is designed for anyone working in helping professions where motivation and goal attainment matter (i.e. it is not specifically designed for licensed professionals).

Note: this training is provided as information and education, and is not intended as therapy, healthcare, medical advice, or a doctor-patient relationship; if you have questions about your mental/physical health goals, please consult your healthcare provider.

Sleep is essential for our physical health and our psychological health. Poor sleep is linked to concentration problems, poorer productivity and work performance, inability to fulfill our roles at work and home, risk for dangerous accidents, physical illness, pain, depression, and anxiety. Yet, about 30% of adults struggle with symptoms of insomnia, and this number is even higher amongst our Veterans at 50-60%. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help. CBT-I is an effective, science-based approach for helping people get better sleep – and doesn’t involve the use of medication. In this 6-hour training, participants will learn how to recognize factors that create and perpetuate sleep problems; how to calculate sleep efficiency; how to instruct clients in good “sleep hygiene” practices; how to appropriately guide the process of sleep restriction; and how to use principles of classical conditioning to improve sleep.

Training participants will have the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways including lecture, demonstrations, discussions, and experiential learning activities designed to offer a richer understanding of the treatment of insomnia. This training is designed for counselors, psychotherapists, nurses, physicians, and other professionals working in similar therapeutic/healthcare roles.

Note: this training is provided as information and education, and is not intended as therapy, healthcare, medical advice, or a doctor-patient relationship; if you have questions about the role of insomnia in your life, please consult your healthcare provider.

How can we help our clients make positive changes in their behavior -- without nagging, shaming, persuading, or arguing? Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling approach that can help individuals change behaviors they might feel ambivalent about, such as exercising, changing their diet, quitting or reducing alcohol/drugs, adopting safer sex practices, taking important medications, engaging in behavioral activation, or starting psychotherapy. In this 6-hour intermediate-level training, participants will build upon their existing MI skills through interactive and experiential learning activities. We will focus on topics that may impact the Veterans we serve, including motivation to seek help for mental health, addressing PTSD, addressing substance use concerns, and management of chronic pain and health conditions. 

Participants will have the chance to:

•  Review the MI spirit, processes, and principles

•  Hone their use of MI micro-skills (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries) to evoke change talk

•  Practice responding effectively to sustain talk and discord within the helping relationship

•  Give advice and information in a motivating way

Training participants will have the opportunity to learn in various ways, including lectures, demonstrations, discussions, experiential learning activities, and role plays designed to give them a richer understanding of the use of motivational interviewing in therapeutic and healthcare settings.

How can we help our clients make positive changes in their behavior -- without nagging, shaming, persuading, or arguing? Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling approach that can help individuals change behaviors they might feel ambivalent about, such as exercising, changing their diet, quitting alcohol/drugs, adopting safer sex practices, taking important medications, or starting psychotherapy. In this 6-hour training, participants will learn the fundamentals of motivational interviewing, including the MI spirit, the four processes of MI, use of the core techniques (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries), the strategic use of different types of reflective listening, how to evoke and strengthen motivation for change, and how to roll with difficulty and discord within the helping relationship. We will focus on topics that may impact Veterans we serve, including: motivation to seek help for mental health, addressing PTSD, addressing substance use concerns, management of chronic pain and health conditions. Training participants will have the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways including lecture, demonstrations, discussions, and experiential learning activities designed to give them a richer understanding of the use of motivational interviewing in therapeutic and healthcare settings.

Did you know that the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) is a full-service state agency that assists veterans, their family members and survivors? The department is an advocate for Veterans and their families, and aggressively pursues all county, state and federal benefits and entitlements on their behalf. One of the most common issues preventing Veterans from pursuing benefits, is a lack of knowledge on benefits and entitlements that are available.

Please come join us for an overview on:

• Service Connected Disability (SCD) Compensation

• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

• Pension/Death Pension

• Veteran’s Health Care Benefit

• The GI Bill

• Burial Benefits

• State Benefits

• County Benefits

• WDVA Network

This training will be provided online as a webinar in the interest of health and safety. Learning will include lecture, powerpoint slides, online interaction, and information about tools and activities to use on your own after the training.

This is a training that will help mental health providers to better understand what happens when they have a client in crisis who needs mental health services through the involuntary treatment court system. The training will review the process and grounds for involuntary treatment and the impacts of involuntary treatment on mental health recovery.

Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can be beneficial for a wide range of clinical issues and concerns, including mental health disorders and medical conditions. There are numerous mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) that are time-limited which teach the basics of mindfulness. However, there are limited MBIs that address the barriers and challenges to of ongoing mindfulness training, which is crucial to maintaining the previous gains and further development of mindfulness skills. 

This presentation will discuss the development and implementation of a long-term, ongoing weekly mindfulness group at the VA. This mindfulness protocol was developed by the presenter and has been implemented at the VA continuously since 2012. This Mindfulness Training Program has been expanded into other clinics and across state lines, utilizing this protocol in both group and individual sessions. 

The Buddhist roots, treatment protocols, and therapeutic aims of this mindfulness treatment model will be reviewed, as well as recent innovations and expansions. Participants will experience the mindfulness group through direct participation in a typical group, which will include hands-on guided mindfulness exercises and discussions/reflections.

The workshop will begin with a didactic covering the topics above, followed by a 60 minute experiential mindfulness group, which will consists of check-in, open discussion, and three sets of guided mindfulness exercises with discussions/Q&A between each set. After the conclusion of the 60-minute experiential mindfulness group, there will be an opportunity for reflections, questions, and discussions about the workshop as a whole.

Veterans benefit from mindfulness training, whether in the context of mental health care, chronic pain treatment, SUD treatment, other specialty care environments (diabetes, cancer survivorship, etc). It is important to be familiar with mindfulness so that we can support Veterans by providing mindfulness therapy or making referrals to mindfulness therapists as needed.

Veterans face enormous challenges as they transition from military to civilian life. Family members, friends, and colleagues of veterans also face unique challenges in supporting those who served. COVID-19 presents new anxieties that may compound these factors. Forefront’s LEARN Saves Lives for Veterans training, developed in partnership with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, offers perspective on the unique challenges Veterans and their families face and teaches essential skills for support and suicide prevention, specifically tailored to those who have served, their loved ones, and those who work with or support them.

The LEARN Steps:

Look for Signs

Empathize and Listen

Ask Directly About Suicide

Reduce the Dangers

Next Steps

Detailed Agenda:

1. Introduction and public health issue of suicide
2. Covers risk factors and experiences specific to veterans
3. Suicide prevention skills using Forefront’s LEARN model
4.  Includes imminent harm by lethal means (such as firearms)
5. Prevention approaches practice
6. Gives participants an opportunity to practice suicide prevention skills with their peers

Appropriate treatment of sexual assault and/or harassment from a client’s active-duty military experience can be challenging for mental health providers. A one-size-fits-all intervention may not be the most appropriate intervention, given the complexity of issues or the timing within a client’s counseling journey. The context of a survivor’s experience and creating a collaborative counseling relationship are important variables to consider as therapists facilitate each survivor’s recovery process. This presentation will discuss the option of integrative psychotherapy techniques (including evidence to support multiple interventions) which allow for a client’s context to be taken into account and the building of rapport as a priority. If time, a case will also be presented illustrating the application of integrative methods.

Appropriate treatment of sexual assault and/or harassment from a client’s active-duty military experience can be challenging for mental health providers. A one-size-fits-all intervention may not be the most appropriate intervention, given the complexity of issues or the timing within a client’s counseling journey. The context of a survivor’s experience and creating a collaborative counseling relationship are important variables to consider as therapists facilitate each survivor’s recovery process. This presentation will discuss the option of integrative psychotherapy techniques (including evidence to support multiple interventions) which allow for a client’s context to be taken into account and the building of rapport as a priority. If time, a case will also be presented illustrating the application of integrative methods.

Trauma survivors often report suffering from dreams that reference traumatic incidents. In addition, the re-occurrence of trauma memories during sleep has long-term, negative physical ramifications and emotional impacts on interpersonal relationships and occupational functioning. Clients who experience dissociative episodes and traumatic stress symptoms can learn about issues underlying their nightmares and be empowered to better understand their symptoms, resulting in increased resilience. This presentation discusses Nightmare therapy/Dreamwork techniques designed to reduce the frequency and intensity of trauma-based nightmares. A major emphasis will be the description and case examples of two methods of working with traumatic nightmares: sand-play processing and a writing technique. Both techniques allow for a nightmare to be discussed in a counseling milieu using a structured format that allows for titrated exposure to traumatic material and stimuli. A major goal of each nightmare therapy technique is to use a client’s nightmare “story” to facilitate the healing process, thereby minimizing the negative influence of nightmares on survivors. This workshop is designed for advanced clinical practitioners who wish to enhance their skills addressing specific traumatic memories that impact on their clients’ lives. 

Adversity can lead to great suffering and also, in some situations, to positive transformation: Post-traumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive psychological changes that can emerge as a result of struggling with adversity and trauma. These positive changes are different than the absence of, or recovery from, post-traumatic stress disorder. In recent years there have been great efforts to better understand and foster PTG in individuals who have experienced trauma and loss. In this half-day training, participants will learn a research-informed perspective on what PTG is and how we might be able to support its development in the clients we serve in clinical practice. Training participants will have the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways including lecture, demonstrations, discussions, and experiential learning activities designed to offer a richer understanding of the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth.

This training is designed for counselors, therapists, and other professionals working in similar therapeutic/helping roles.

**Note: this training is provided as information and education, and is not intended as therapy, healthcare, medical advice, or a doctor-patient relationship; if you have questions about the role of trauma in your life, please consult your healthcare provider.

This workshop is designed to teach participants Prolonged Exposure (PE), an evidenced based treatment for Veterans with PTSD. Prolonged Exposure is a gold standard treatment for Veterans with PTSD. The theory underlying PE suggests that avoidance prevents individuals from overcoming trauma while exposures help to reduce anxiety and overall PTSD symptoms. Material covered will include theoretical background and a review of session-by-session content. There will be both didactic and experiential components so that participants can practice the essential components of PE. Given this workshop is based on a manualized treatment, participants are encouraged to purchase copies of the manual prior to attending. This will ensure participants get the most out of their training experience.

This 3-hour interactive workshop is designed to provide knowledge, skills, and important tools for professionals working with Veterans at the end-of-life and their families. The workshop provides a compassionate approach to addressing military experiences’ impacts on coping with serious illness, dying, death, and grieving. The workshop will include group discussions and role playing to give participants tools for conversations that may occur related to military experience, coping, and the journey of dying. Significant attention to the needs of the caregiver and/or loved ones will also be highlighted. Workshop participants may include but are not limited to social workers, counselors, peer volunteers, caregivers, hospice workers, psychologists, administrators, nurses, chaplains, and clergy who work serving the veteran community.

How can we help our clients make positive changes in their behavior -- without nagging, shaming, persuading, or arguing? Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling approach that can help individuals change behaviors they might feel ambivalent about, such as quitting or reducing alcohol/drugs, adopting safer sex practices, taking important medications, engaging in behavioral activation, exercising, or starting psychotherapy. In this 3-hour advanced training, participants will build upon their existing MI skills through interactive and experiential learning activities. In particular, we will focus on: (a) learning to assess whether someone is using MI, and how skillfully they are doing so, through the use of behavioral coding procedures (adapted from the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity [MITI] scale); (b) intensive practice that involves giving and receiving quantitative and qualitative feedback. This workshop will include minimal lecture or instruction about MI, as the workshop assumes participants already have a high level of existing knowledge of MI. Instead, we will prioritize using the time to practice using MI skills, assess/code MI skills, and provide feedback on MI skills. These skills should prove particularly relevant for individuals who are in supervisory or mentoring roles in which they are responsible for assessing and coaching other providers in developing MI skills.

Providing treatment targeting a myriad of changes undergone since a client’s trauma experience is challenging for mental health providers. A one-size-fits-all intervention may not fully address the uniqueness of each client’s recovery journey. The context of a survivor’s experience and the counseling milieu are important variables to consider. This presentation will discuss utilizing integrative psychotherapy techniques, allowing for a client’s context to be taken into account, and the importance of rapport-building. Examples of trauma processing techniques will also be discussed, including addressing PTSD symptoms related to guilt, anger, and grief.

Most adults have experienced at least one traumatic event in life, and trauma exposure is even more prevalent for our Veterans. Trauma can be like a thief, stealing our sense of safety, our ability to trust, our hope, and our sense of control over our own lives. All of these difficulties can impact our ability to participate in, and benefit from, the very services designed to help with healing. Trauma-informed care (also known as healing-centered engagement) can help. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is not a specific therapy method; instead, TIC is an overall approach to providing any sort of healthcare or social services designed to meet people where they’re at and help them regain a sense of safety, trust, connection, hope, and control. In this 6-hour training, we will explore what trauma is; how stress and trauma impact our brains, our minds, and our lives; how to use core communication skills to connect with individuals who have experienced trauma; and how to change the environments where we deliver services to maximize safety and healing.

Training participants will have the opportunity to learn in various ways including lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and experiential learning activities designed to offer a richer understanding of trauma-informed care. This educational training is designed for people from a variety of professional backgrounds (i.e., it is NOT designed solely with mental health professionals in mind); Anyone who wishes to understand how they could play a role in making their professional environment more conducive to healing is most welcome.

**Note: this training is provided as information and education and is not intended as therapy, healthcare, medical advice, or a doctor-patient relationship; if you have questions about the role of trauma in your life, please consult your healthcare provider.

Providing treatment targeting a myriad of changes that emerge from a client’s past traumatic experience is often challenging for mental health providers. A one-size-fits-all intervention rarely fully addresses all the problems associated with PTSD, the uniqueness of each client’s recovery journey, and the context of a survivor’s experience. Integrative approaches are better suited for intervening with different traumatized clients. This workshop is for practitioners who wish to provide a safe emotional space and immerse into the depths of processing traumatic memories. Integrative psychotherapy techniques addressing trauma-related triggers, guilt, repressed anger, and unresolved grief are highlighted, as well as considerations for a client’s own cultural, developmental, and situational context. Rapport building is discussed as a metaphor for having a “dive buddy” and self-care for practitioners. Throughout the workshop, clinical cases will be presented to illustrate the application of integrative psychotherapy methods. 

Baby boomers are now aging into the geriatric category, and health care providers are challenged to meet the demand more than ever in history over the next 30 years. Within the aging baby-boomer group is the sub-set of aging veterans from the Vietnam War, many of whom are diagnosed with PTSD. Meanwhile, a vast majority of traumatic stress treatment has emerged in the past 30 years based on younger adults, including evidenced-based practices for PTSD. This presentation attempts to bridge the gap between the aging trauma survivor and current PTSD therapies, discussing client-centered interventions that focus on grief & PTSD, as well as interventions used within the gerontology field.

The Veterans Cultural Engagement workshop, offered by the WA State Department of Veterans Affairs’ Counseling and Wellness Program, sheds light on the world that military veterans come from, highlights the challenges veterans face in transitioning from “Battlemind to Homemind,” and offers a meaningful discussion about how an individual or organization can create an environment in which veterans can find their “second mission.”