Education at the National Center for PTSD

Putting knowledge into practice is the purpose of the National Center’s education activities. In the same way that research endeavors are enriched by frequent contact with the clinical world, the ability of practitioners to diagnose, treat, and prevent PTSD is improved immeasurably by the availability of the most advanced scientific knowledge, disseminated in a form that clinicians and others can use.

The major focus of the National Center’s education activities has always been America’s veterans and active duty military personnel (Iraq War). The close relationships between the Center’s professionals and their counterparts in other VA services and the DoD have been of enormous benefit to those critical populations. Over the years, though, it has become clear that the educational materials and training programs produced by the Center can also be of help in other high-stress fields, such as firefighting and disaster relief. To reach these people and organizations, the National Center has augmented its traditional resources and publications with new technologies — the Internet, CD-ROMs, online databases, teleconferences, and more — ensuring that practitioners and lay people have access to the best information available.