Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Veterans Benefits and Health Care About VA Find a VA Location

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Developing alternative training delivery methods to improve psychotherapy implementation in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Smith TL, Landes SJ, Lester-William K, Day KT, Batdorf W, Brown GK, Trockel M, Smith BS, Chard KM, Healy ET, Weingardt KR. Developing alternative training delivery methods to improve psychotherapy implementation in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Training and education in professional psychology. 2017 Nov 1; 11(4):266-275.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions


Abstract:

The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has been a recognized leader in evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) training, with 15 different EBP training programs that address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, chronic pain, insomnia, substance use, motivation for treatment, relationship distress, serious mental illness, and problem-solving skills. VA has a broad impact on the training of mental health professionals in the United States, training over 11,600 unique mental health staff in 1 or more of these EBPs since 2007. Original EBP training delivery methods relied on in-person workshops, followed by consultation with an EBP expert who provided feedback and ratings of audio-recorded sessions. Restrictions on federal government employee travel, in-person conferences, and budgets led to reductions in the number of mental health providers trained in EBPs during recent fiscal years. As a result, alternative training delivery methods were needed for training VA staff. This article describes the process used to select, develop, and pilot test alternative training delivery methods for EBPs. Surveys of key stakeholders and a literature review led us to retain consultation with review of audio-recorded sessions since evidence suggests this is critical to changing clinician behavior. All VA EBP training programs have begun pilot testing blended learning, regional training, or both, depending on local needs. Early results suggest that regional training (train the trainer method) was equivalent to, while blended learning methods showed mixed results relative to, the traditional training method. These alternative training methods may be more sustainable for training psychotherapists in large health care systems or across distances.




Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.