Our Impact 2024

TOTAL IMPACT

4,500

Mental Health Clinicians Trained

40,000

Treatment Sessions Delivered

55,000

Hours of Professional Development

Empowering Communities with Your Support

Since 2017, STRONG STAR Training Initiative has been dedicated to making lives better by increasing access to quality mental health care through excellence in training, research, and community engagement. We empower clinicians with the skills and support they need to deliver evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide prevention in their communities.

We are deeply thankful to our funders – your support has been key to expanding EBT access to those who need it most.

We are also proud to serve as Scientific Advisors for USAA’s Face the Fight Initiative, a partnership that has helped us push through barriers to make effective mental health care more accessible.

In 2024, our training efforts reached new heights, supporting clinicians across Ukraine and Israel while building on past global initiatives in Jordan and Turkey. This continued expansion reflects our dedication to making EBTs accessible worldwide. With our funders, partners, and mental health clinicians at our side, we continue striving to make EBTs within reach for everyone who needs them.

Join our mission by donating today at makelivesbetter.uthscsa.edu/ssti

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4,500

Clinicians Trained

This year, we continued to train clinicians across the country in EBTs, expanding access to quality mental health care. Our Learning Communities provide training in Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Written Exposure Therapy—three leading EBTs for PTSD.

Since 2017, we’ve steadily increased the number of trained clinicians, and 2024 marks yet another milestone in our journey. In 2024, a remarkable 200 clinicians achieved Network Provider Status, competently delivering care to clients with PTSD during their training with us! We’re incredibly proud to have supported their professional growth. To learn more about our 2025 PTSD Learning Communities, visit our Upcoming Trainings Page.

Recognizing the urgent need for suicide prevention, we also conducted trainings in Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention, Crisis Response Planning, and Lethal Means Safety. These initiatives help clinicians integrate suicide prevention strategies into their practice, equipping them with the skills needed to save lives.

Additionally, clinicians participated in our 2024 Advanced Skills Workshops, gaining further expertise in areas such as Group Cognitive Processing Therapy, Identifying and Addressing Comorbid OCD During Trauma Work, and Socratic Questioning in Trauma-Focused Treatment.

2024 by the numbers

    • 1,708 New clinicians trained
    • 200 Clinicians achieved Network Provider Status
    • 49 States now reached

40,000

Sessions of PTSD Treatment

2024 by the numbers

    • 918 New clients receiving PTSD treatment
    • 8,091 PTSD treatment sessions

STRONG STAR Training Initiative is committed to increasing access to quality mental health care through excellence in training and community engagement. Thanks to the hard work of clinicians trained in our programs, 918 new clients were treated for PTSD. Clients treated by clinicians trained in our Learning Communities have significantly reduced PTSD and depression symptoms. These symptom reductions translate to functional improvements such as better relationships, sustained employment, and reduced risk for suicide and other adverse mental health outcomes.

New Provider Portal

This year, we launched a new Provider Portal to enhance clinician learning and practice. It features training videos, a Resource Center with therapy tools, real-time client progress tracking, and a community platform for connecting with fellow clinicians.

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55,000

Hours of Professional Development

As part of our mission, we’re dedicated to equipping mental health clincians, students, and care navigators with the resources and training to address PTSD and related disorders. Last year, we proudly offered over 15,000 Continuing Education (CE) credits through our diverse training opportunities. For inquiries about partnering with us for CE opportunities, please contact admin@strongstartraining.com.

In 2024, our Webinar Series reached 1,229 attendees across six sessions. Presentations from STRONG STAR faculty and other national experts covered topics such as traumatic loss, the role of homework in trauma-focused treatment, updates to the Cognitive Processing Therapy manual, MDMA-assisted treatment, and perinatal loss.

We also continued our Care Navigator Trainings, which support clinicians, case managers, and peer support specialists in guiding individuals toward effective PTSD treatments. These trainings boosted awareness and skills in trauma care, screening tools, and EBTs for PTSD.

care navigators

285

Care Navigators Trained

Webinar

1,229

Webinar Series Attendees

CE Award

15,814

Continuing Education Credits Awarded

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Culturally Responsive Treatment

Under the leadership of Dr. Brittany Hall Clark, Director of Inclusive Behavioral Health Advancement, significant progress was made this year in advancing training and support for culturally responsive mental health practices.

Our Skills Lab training sessions equipped clinicians to assess and address race-based stressors in clinical settings. We also provided ongoing consultation to refine their culturally responsive, trauma-focused treatment skills. Additionally, we created new video examples of full-length Cognitive Processing Therapy sessions that included strategies for addressing racial themes in “stuck points” during therapy.

Our consultants also participated in a weekly discussion group centered on The Racial Healing Handbook, fostering deeper insights and meaningful dialogue. Building on this foundation, similar discussion groups are now being offered to mental health clinicians, reinforcing our commitment to inclusive, trauma-informed care.

We look forward to continuing this vital work in the coming year, including hosting our first-ever Culturally Responsive, Trauma-Focused Therapy Workshop!

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In 2024, Face the Fight, an initiative created by USAA with founding partners Reach Resilience and the Humana Foundation, continued its mission to reduce the veteran suicide rate. As an academic partner since 2021, STRONG STAR Training Initiative has contributed expertise in scientific strategy, training, and technical assistance to help create lasting change in military and veteran communities.

Led by Dr. Katy Dondanville (Chief Scientific Advisor), Dr. David Rozek (Senior Scientific Advisor), and Ms. Brooke Fina (Face the Fight Technical Assistance Team Manager), our team has been instrumental in supporting the significant growth of Face the Fight throughout 2024.

Our work has focused on providing technical assistance to organizations, helping them scale their veteran-focused suicide prevention programs. We’ve delivered extensive direct support, overcoming implementation barriers and empowering grantees to expand their reach and impact. We’ve centralized training through the Face the Fight Training and Resource Center to offer no cost training, resources, and postvention support, equipping individuals with life-saving tools to support veterans at risk for suicide in their communities.

Totals so far:

    • 32 New projects
    • 30 Grantees supported by our technical assistance team
    • 348 Hours of direct technical assistance

2024 by the numbers:

    • 1,144 Trained in Crisis Response Planning
    • 433 Trained in Lethal Means Safety

Face the Fight remains deeply committed to tackling veteran suicide through innovative, research-supported strategies. We are proud to be part of this impactful initiative and look forward to our continued partnership. For more information, visit wefacethefight.org.

Research

A key part of our mission is to integrate research into our training programs, using its insights to enhance education quality and foster collaboration within our research network. We are excited to share updates on current and new research studies led by STRONG STAR faculty, focusing on clinician training and PTSD treatment delivery.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares Web-Based Training

Now Live!

With support from the Department of Defense, Dr. Kristi Pruiksma and collegues have developed a free web-based training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares. Clinicians in STRONG STAR Training Initiative’s programs helped test this resource during its development. Now available to all mental health clinicians, this training provides essential skills for treating nightmares – free of charge. Start training today at www.cbtnightmares.org.

Cognitive Processing Therapy via Telehealth 2.0

Recruiting Now!

We’re partnering with Stanford University and Talkspace on a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study comparing messaging-based Cognitive Processing Therapy and Culturally Informed Trauma Treatment for PTSD. Clients who qualify will be paid for their time and receive 13 weeks of free online treatment. Their participation will help us improve digital mental health care and make interventions for trauma more accessible.

To refer interested individuals, email the study team at texting_study@stanford.edu for the screening link and eligibility details.

Using Early Response to Guide PTSD Treatment

Recruiting Soon!

Dr. Stefanie LoSavio is leading a study focused on adjusting PTSD treatment based on early response to Cognitive Processing Therapy or Prolonged Exposure. This research will explore whether early responders can transition to self-managed care and which interventions work best for non-responders. Recruitment begins in Veterans Health Administration clinics in 2025. For more information, contact Dr. LoSavio at Losavio@uthscsa.edu.

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