Office of Rural Health
June 17, 2015 Webinar Announcement
"Helping Veteran Families: PTSD and Family Relationships"
Originally broadcast June 17, 2015 — 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
LINK TO WEBINAR RECORDING
Webinar Resources:
Family Resources from the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center Family Mental Health Program
When a Child's Parent has PTSD
Partners of Veterans with PTSD: Research Findings
This webinar will equip community clergy to help Caregivers of Veterans to recognize and respond effectively to stress within children and others in the family affected when a Veteran has symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program will provide information to help educate Caregivers about PTSD and provide developmentally appropriate guidance on talking with children and adolescents about the Veteran’s symptoms and behavior. Strategies for strengthening family relationships of all types while respecting the boundaries or limits needed by the Veteran will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
Following the webinar, participants will be able to:
- Understand the diagnosis of PTSD.
- Understand ways to discuss PTSD with children and adolescents which are developmentally appropriate.
- Recognize behavioral indicators of distress in children and adolescents.
- Identify appropriate resources to assist children, adolescents and other family members to address concerns raised by the Veteran’s behavior associated with PTSD.
Your Presenters
Michelle D. Sherman, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and a nationally recognized expert on the effects of trauma and mental illness on the family. Dr. Sherman directed the Family Mental Health Program at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center and has worked extensively with families dealing with a range of traumatic experiences, including military combat, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She has developed and evaluated family education programs, some of which have been disseminated nationally in the VA system. She co-chaired the American Psychological Association's (APA) Presidential Task Force on Military Deployment Services for Youth, Families and Service Members, and is a Fellow of the APA Division 43 (Society of Family Psychology).
Karen A. Guthrie, LCSW, is the Senior Consultant on issues related to PTSD and Veteran Homelessness for the VA National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD) and the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans (NCHAV). In this role she is working to increase access of homeless Veterans to evidence-based practices in PTSD treatment with the goal of enhancing the quality of Veterans' lives through symptom reduction and their reintegration into stable, permanent housing. Prior to joining the National Center she was the Director of the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV) at VA Boston Healthcare System, where she developed a large multilayered program within VA and through the collaboration of local and state providers.
We hope you will join us for this informative presentation.
Sincerely,
A. Keith Ethridge, M.Div., BCC, ACPE
Associate Director, National Chaplain Center
Department of Veterans Affairs
Special thanks to artist Lulu Pelletier for the use of her sketch "Not All War Wounds Are Visible..."
