Credit Available - See Credits tab below.
Total Credits: 1 American Psychological Association (APA)
This training module outlines the rates of depression in the civilian, military, and veteran population and provides information about the prevalence and etiology of depression. Information related to the stigma associated with depressive issues is addressed. Strategies for screening and assessing depression are included, and specific psychometric tools are provided. Treatments consistent with the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines to address depression are provided, with emphasis given to Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy. Finally, a brief overview of the six VA/DoD recommended treatment protocols is discussed, with information and resources for obtaining more comprehensive knowledge and training.
Target Audience: For behavioral health/healthcare providers who treat military personnel, veterans, and their families.
Instructional Level: Introductory
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Communicate the prevalence of depression in the military population.
2. Articulate the negative consequences of the stigma associated with depression.
3. Appraise strategies for screening and assessing military clients for depression.
4. Discriminate effective therapies for treating military clients with depression.
This activity is approved for 1.0 continuing education credits (CEs)
The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Sharon Birman, Psy.D., is a CBT trainer working with the Military Training Programs at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. She joined the CDP in 2014 after completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she was actively involved in CBT and DBT intervention, supervision and education. She completed her predoctoral internship at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Center, focusing her training suicide prevention and evidence-based interventions for the treatment of individuals with severe, chronic mental illness.
Dr. Birman received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Southern California and her master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University.
Her professional interests are in the areas of intervention and treatment planning for severe and chronic mental illness, suicide prevention, social justice, multicultural and diversity issues in therapy. She has received intensive training in CBT and DBT in a variety of contexts, including hospital setting, community mental health centers, Veterans Affairs and within an applied research lab. She has also received training in Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP), among other therapeutic modalities. She is certified in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST), and Brief Response to Crisis (BRC).
