Course Description:
This course is based on a publication about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the National Institute of Mental Health. It is designed to provide mental health professionals with an overview of the behavioral and emotional problems that are typical responses to violence or disaster in both children and adolescence. This is an important course for most mental health practitioners and other healthcare practitioners as neither typically do not have extensive experience in this area. This course is targeted for beginner, intermediate and advanced practitioners. Treatment for the emotional aftermath of violence and disaster is essential. This paper will provide an overview of the typical responses to trauma that children and adolescents exhibit, important elements of treatment for trauma within this age group and the latest research findings on the impact of violence and its consequences with children and adolescents.

This course is designed for clinicians and administrators who work in both private and public, and urban and rural areas.  Psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists can benefit from this course. This course may also be helpful for other practitioners.  This couse is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to improve their skills in the area of crisis intervention.

Author: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Learning Objectives:  This course will provide a professional with in depth information about the typical responses of children and adolescents when they are exposed to violence or disaster. Specifically, a professional will: