U.S. Army photo by Liana Mayo, 311th Signal Command

Dr. Lolita O’Donnell is a registered nurse and has served DCoE since its establishment in November 2007.

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) monthly webinar series continues to be a success, and I’m excited to announce that starting this month, we’re adding a new benefit—the chance to attain continuing education units or continuing medical education credits.

The January webinar, “Addressing Alcohol Misuse Among Service Members: The SBIRT Model,” scheduled for Thursday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. (EST), will examine a system-level approach to identify and treat people with drinking problems at the onset of risky or hazardous behavior (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment model—SBIRT). To register or for more information about our webinars, please email: DCoE.MonthlyWebinar@tma.osd.mil.

DCoE monthly webinars provide an excellent opportunity for service members, veterans, families, health care providers and anyone interested in helping individuals improve their personal health learn more about important resources and programs. With this interactive, easily-accessible online program, we’re sharing information and facilitating discussion on a variety of topics related to psychological health and traumatic brain injury (TBI) every month.

Additional webinar topics to be highlighted this year include sleep impairment in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and TBI; screening and assessing of TBI, tools and resources to help deal with mental health concerns; suicide prevention and emerging technologies to address PTSD and TBI. If you’re interested in any of our previous topics, presentations and audio recordings, visit the archives in the webinar section of the DCoE website. Check back often for up-to-date information and useful resources.

These webinars use technology to connect health care providers and support networks, no matter where they are physically, to enhance the care of service members and veterans coping with psychological health and traumatic brain injury concerns. I’m so excited to be part of this effort and encourage everyone to join us. Together, we can help service members, veterans and families while sharing and growing our knowledge of these relevant and important subjects. I encourage your participation and welcome your feedback.

Education credits are available for physicians, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses and social workers. We encourage you to learn more about how to take advantage of this new, professional growth opportunity.