Serving Our Troops: Free Training Available

By Manny González, Summer 2009

Having met Dr. Tom Nickel, executive director of the continuing education department for Alliant, I learned that one would be hard pressed not to take advantage of the Post Combat Behavioral Health certification offered through the CE department, which is free for Alliant graduate students.

Nickel was originally hired for his expertise as an “instructional technologist” with the intent of developing an internet-based training program that could cater to the ever-evolving needs of providing on-going training for clinicians.

As novel issues have arisen as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, such as new forms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) associated with improvised explosive devices and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulting from urban-entrenched warfare, a growing need exists to cater to the population with these specific clinical needs.

The CE department is currently offering web-based training in the form of PowerPoint slides with audio narratives from experts in the field. By completing multiple-choice quizzes after viewing each online presentation in PTSD, TBI, military culture, and legal/ethical issues, one receives an APA-approved certificate, denoting training in Post Combat Behavioral Health.

Nickel argues that not only does this hold merit in remaining clinically competitive, but it helps answer the clinical community’s call for adept clinicians that can provide this specialized care, especially in light of the fact that the VA is faltering in allocating sufficient resources for our veterans.

For additional information please visit: http://www.ce-psychology.com