Advice on the APA PTSD Guidelines: Advice from a Key Contributor
- Topic Areas:
- PTSD/Trauma | Trauma
- Categories:
- Friday | Live Webinar
- Speaker:
- Nnamdi Pole
- Course Levels:
- Intermediate
- Duration:
- 7 Hours 30 Minutes
- License:
- Never Expires.
Producer: VPA/Brattleboro Retreat
Description
The American Psychological Association (APA) has disseminated many guidelines to inform practitioners and the public about best practices in treating adult psychological trauma. These guidelines include both clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and professional practice guidelines (PPGs) for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, and other trauma-related psychiatric conditions. This plethora of guidelines has the potential to confuse both the general public and seasoned practitioners. Our presenter, Dr. Nnamdi Pole, is a co-author of the APA Guidelines for Working with Adults with Complex Trauma Histories, served on the most recent adult PTSD CPG panel, and was present when the original PTSD CPG and current PTSD CPG were approved by the APA. Dr. Pole's presentation will compare, contrast, critique, and synthesize the various guidelines, and place the guidelines in the broader contexts of professional ethics and evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP), as envisioned by the APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice in 2006.
Credits
Vermont
6 CE Credits
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, and is also approved by the Vermont Board of Psychological Examiners to sponsor continuing education for psychologists licensed in Vermont. This course is intended to qualify for specialty mandated credit types as follows:
Ethics: .5
Cultural Competency: 0
Continuing education courses sponsored by the Vermont Psychological Association are pre-approved by the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation for continuing education credit for licensed independent clinical social workers in Vermont. This course is intended to qualify for the following specialty mandated credit types;
Ethics: .5
Cultural Competency: 0
Continuing education courses sponsored by the Vermont Psychological Association are pre-approved by the Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health for continuing education credit for licensed clinical mental health counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists in Vermont. This course is intended to qualify for the following specialty mandated credit types:
Ethics: .5
Cultural Competency: 0
Connecticut
6 CE Credits
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Connecticut accepts these credits for continuing education for psychologists in Connecticut pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-191c(b). This course is intended to qualify for specialty mandated credit types as follows:
Veterans' Mental Health: 0
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing educaiton for psychologists. Based on this approval, this course is pre-approved for credit for Connecticut licensed professional counselors under Conn. Agencies Regs § 20-195cc-3(a)(1). This course is intended to qualify for mandated credit types as follows:
Ethics: .5
Veterans' Mental Health: 0
Massachusetts
6 CE Credits for Psychologists & LMHCs
7.2 CE Credits for LCSWs
6CE Credits for LMHCs
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists accepts credits earned from courses sponsored by APA-approved sponsors as indicated in 251 C.M.R. §§ 4.02, 4.03.
As a course sponsored by an APA-approved CE sponsor, this course qualifies for credit for clinical social workers and certified social workers in Massachusetts under 258 CMR sec 31.04(2)(d).
The Vermont Psychological Association (VPA) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7610. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. VPA is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
New Hampshire
6 CE Credits
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor live continuing education for psychologists. The New Hampshire Board of Psychologists accepts credits earned from courses sponsored by APA-approved sponsors as indicated in Psyc § 402.01(d)(11). This course is intended to qualify for specialty mandated credit types as follows:
Ethics: .5
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education to psychologists. As a course sponosred by an organization with such approval, these credits are also accepted by the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice for clinical social workers licensed in New Hampshire, as provided in Mhp 402.02(b)(1). This course is intended to qualify for the following specialty mandated credits:
Ethics: .5
Suicide Prevention: 0
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education to psychologists. As a course sponosred by an organization with such approval, these credits are also accepted by the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice for clinical mental health counselors licensed in New Hampshire, as provided in Mhp 402.02(b)(1). This course is intended to qualify for the following specialty mandated credits:
Ethics: .5
Suicide Prevention: 0
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. As a course sponosred by an organization with such approval, these credits are also accepted by the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice for marriage and family therapists; pastoral psychotherapists; and school social workers licensed in New Hampshire, as provided in Mhp 402.02(b)(1). The course is intended to qualify for the following specialty mandated credit types:
Ethics: .5
Suicide Prevention: 0
New York
7.2 CE Contact Hours
The Vermont Psychological Association is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0210. This course is intended to qualify for specialty mandated continuing education topics as follows:
Ethics: .5
Professional Boundaries: 0
Other States Accepting Credits from APA-Approved Sponsors
6 CE Credits
The Vermont Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor live continuing education for psychologists. The Vermont Psychological Association maintains responsibility for its programs and their content. Psychologists and other professionals licensed in states whose respective licensing boards approve continuing education offered by APA-approved sponsors may earn continuing education credits for this course.
Other States Accepting Credits from NBCC-Approved Sponsors
6 CE Credits
The Vermont Psychological Association (VPA) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7610. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. VPA is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Speaker

Nnamdi Pole Related Seminars and Products
Nnamdi Pole, Ph.D., is the Harold and Elsa Israel Professor of Psychology at Smith College and chair of the Smith College Institutional Review Board. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist and a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Dr. Pole was a member of the APA’s Adult PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) Update Panel, and is also a co-author of the APA Guidelines for Working with Adults with Complex Trauma Histories.
Dr. Pole is an associate editor of Psychological Bulletin, one of the highest-impact journals in behavioral science, and is also an associate editor of Affective Science, a new journal for original empirical research on emotion. He serves on the editorial boards of journals specializing in trauma (Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy) and ethnic minority issues (Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology). In addition, he has served on the boards of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) and APA Division 56 (trauma).
Course Objectives
Objective 1 Explain the similarities and differences between the CPG and PPGs for PTSD and complex PTSD.Objective 2 Describe the first and second-line treatments for adult PTSD recommended by the APA.
Objective 3 Place the APA trauma treatment guidelines into the context of a broader three-phase model of treating psychological trauma and complex psychological trauma.
Objective 4 Identify client factors that encourage adaptation of empirically-supported trauma therapies.
Objective 5 Place the APA trauma treatment guidelines into the context of APA's evidence-based practice model.