Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks to the generous support of our funders, the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the Gavin Farrell Foundation, we are pleased to include a range of mental health providers in our training program. We have a limited number of seats available for:

• Veteran-serving community mental health providers
• Community mental health providers serving civilians
• Students (see more information in FAQ below)

Email us at admin@strongstartraining.org if you have questions about your eligibility.

No, all licensed mental health providers are encouraged to apply. While the STRONG STAR Training Initiative began with the purpose of supporting veteran-serving providers in Texas, we have greatly expanded our reach and now train an international audience of mental health providers who serve a range of patients. Improving access to quality treatment for PTSD for veterans is still a core value of ours, and we are pleased to now accommodate other providers in our training programs.

A Learning Community is a more intensive training model that goes beyond the foundational workshop and includes advanced training to help you build proficiency in the treatment. This training approach is more time-intensive. This is a great option for you if you are interested in attending weekly consultation, getting expert feedback on your cases, tracking your patient outcomes, honing your skills with facilitated practice sessions, and working towards Provider Status in the treatment.

Click here to learn more about Learning Community training model.

The Learning Community was designed to facilitate the development of competency in the core elements of treatment to increase your effectiveness with your patients. Therefore, we invite you to participate in all Learning Community elements. Consistent attendance at consultation calls is particularly important to training. If you are not interested in consultation or earning Provider Status, there are other training programs in the community offering the workshop only.

Consultation is where you receive feedback and support as you apply the skills learned in the workshop to your real-life practice. As part of our learning community, you’ll select a weekly meeting time to join a small group of your fellow cohort members for a virtual consultation call with a treatment expert.

When you enroll, we’ll offer several times for your weekly consultation call, typically within the hours of 8 AM–5 PM (Monday–Friday). Please check to make sure you have flexibility in your schedule, as we are limited on the range of calls we can create.

Note: You can only join consultation groups tied to your Learning Community. For example, if your 2-day workshop is on October 2-3, you must join one of the consultation groups that start immediately after those dates. Delayed consultation is not allowed.

The foundational workshop is a critical component of training in this treatment model. Therefore, if you cannot attend the whole workshop, we suggest waiting for a future Learning Community that works better for your schedule.

Achievement of Provider Status indicates the successful completion of competency-based training in an evidence-based treatment model. The requirements for Provider Status are:

• • Completion of the foundational workshop
  • Participation in consultation (at least 12 calls for WET; at least 15 calls for PE and CPT)
  • Completion of two cases approved by your consultant as having been delivered with fidelity to the treatment model

Our workshops are not recorded, so please plan to attend the event live for the full duration.

Our training program is fully virtual!

Yes, we are happy to discuss a contract for training outside of our Learning Communities. Please email admin@strongstartraining.org to inquire.

Yes! We are happy to include student learners in our trainings. We consider students to be any supervised clinical trainee, such as graduate students, interns, residents, post-doctoral fellows, and other pre-licensure practitioners. Please note that we have multiple training options, so please be sure to select the one that best matches your (or your trainee’s) needs.

Summer Student CPT Workshop

Each Summer, we hold a Student Workshop for Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). This workshop is the standard 2-day workshop. Students also receive access to our Provider Portal, which includes many resources to support learning and practice of CPT. Thanks to the generous support of our funders, we are able to offer this training at a cost of $50 per student.

Student Seats in Other Workshops

We also have seats available in our other Learning Community workshops for students, including our Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) workshops, as well as our other seasonal CPT workshops. In most cases, students select the student training option. However, if a student will have a steady clinical placement for the following 6 months, will be working with patients with PTSD, and expects to be able to deliver the treatment model to 2+ patients, they may enroll in the full Learning Community. Please note that unlicensed professionals will not be eligible for Provider Status until they complete licensure. We are pleased to offer enrollment in our Learning Communities at a reduced rate thanks to the generosity of our funders, the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the Gavin Farrell Foundation.

Learning Community Participant

• Foundational workshop
• Provider Portal access
• Skills Labs
• Weekly case consultation calls
• Opportunity to achieve Provider Status in the treatment model
• Reduced Cost of $350

Student Participant

• Foundational workshop
• Provider Portal access
• Skills Labs
• Reduced Cost of $50

Registration fees, minus a $50 service charge, will be refunded to participants who send a written cancellation via email to admin@strongstartraining.org no less than 15 days before the training. No refunds will be made thereafter.

A colleague may be substituted for no extra charge if STRONG STAR Training Initiative is notified at least two business days before the training. In some cases, you may be able to reschedule to a future Learning Community with no additional cost.