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The Posttraumatic and Acute Trauma Treatment Program 2022-2023

The Posttraumatic and Acute Trauma Treatment Program (PTAAT) is temporarily closed to referrals. 

 

Track Overview:

The Posttraumatic and Acute Trauma Treatment Program (PTATT) is a multi-disciplinary outpatient program that specializes in the assessment and treatment of children, adults, and families who have encountered one or more traumatic events and are experiencing symptoms that warrant trauma-focused treatment.

 

Services offered within PTATT include:

  • Psychological evaluation
  • Abuse-specific assessments
  • Trauma-focused evidenced-based psychotherapy
  • Family therapy

 

All services are guided by a culturally informed integrative framework.  Given the diverse population that PTATT serves, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment within our clinicians, our consumers, and our community.  PTATT clinicians value the individual’s experience and are dedicated to promoting an environment of respect and appreciation for all persons.  The clinicians of PTATT are devoted to creating and preserving an atmosphere of safety and trust where others can freely explore and discuss all values, beliefs, mindsets, and behaviors.

 

The trauma track within PTATT supports one intern per year.  Interns complete a year-long rotation that emphasizes stress-related and trauma-focused training experiences across the lifespan.  The intern’s time will be divided between the adult and child services; these services will be completed simultaneously for the full duration of the year. This track involves working primarily with evidence-based treatments with traumatized youth, adults, and families.  Interns will be exposed to a wide range of treatment modalities including:

 

  • Individual therapy with children, adolescents, and adults
  • Family therapy and parent education/guidance
  • Group interventions (e.g., Seeking Safety)

 

Interns will provide evidence-based trauma-specific interventions, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure. Depending on interest, availability, and goals, interns may also have the option of learning adjacent interventions (e.g., Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and SUDs using Prolonged Exposure (COPE)).Interns will gain experience on a multidisciplinary team providing therapeutic case management services, interview-based assessments, trauma-specific individual therapy, trauma-informed family therapy, parent guidance, caregiver support, and skill building sessions.  Interns have the opportunity to assist in the development and delivery of community trainings, consultation, and outreach. 

 

Clinical Rotations and Patients:

  • Adult Stress and Trauma Service (Tiffany Hopkins, PhD; Mary Hill, PhD)

 

The intern will assist with psychological testing and trauma-specific assessments for adults. This experience would involve the intern administering individually tailored assessment batteries in accordance with specified referral questions.  The intern will conduct the clinical interview(s), administer and interpret tests, write the reports, and provide psychodiagnostic feedback and treatment recommendations. The intern would receive training and didactics in Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy. Supervision takes a developmental approach, beginning with modeling and co-facilitation, transitioning to reviewing session tapes, with the aim of clinicians achieving independent practice with supervision by the end of the training year. The intern will also provide evidence-based interventions via individual and group modalities for adults with PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder, or Other Specified Trauma Related Disorder.

 

  • Child Stress and Trauma Service (Shannon Chaplo, PhD; Bryte Marziano, PsyD)

 

The Child Stress and Trauma Service consists of providing outpatient services to children and adolescents experiencing a traumatic event and their families.  The intern would receive training and didactics in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and live supervision in implementing TF-CBT with children and families from a roistered TF-CBT clinician.  This does not guarantee certification as a TF-CBT therapist following the training year; however, it is a possibility for some interns.  This service consists of psychological intervention, including crisis intervention, trauma-specific individual psychotherapy, group and family psychotherapy, and parent guidance/support.  Interns will develop professional capability with a range of diagnostic skills, including clinical interviews, history taking, risk assessment, child protective issues, diagnostic formulation, triage, disposition, and referral.  The intern may have opportunity to assist with trauma-focused psychological testing and trauma-specific assessments for children and adolescents.  This experience would involve the intern co-administering individually tailored assessment batteries in line with specified referral questions.

 

Recommended Minor Rotations:

  • Reproductive Psychology (Perinatal Inpatient Unit, outpatient trauma interventions, comprehensive DBT Program)
  • Horizons
  • Psychiatric Emergency Service
  • Child Inpatient Psychiatry

 

Didactics:

The internship program features a variety of didactic seminars and conferences within the University and Healthcare systems.  One specific opportunity is within UNC Hospital’s Beacon Program.  This program provides medical, psychological, and educational services for persons experiencing threats, abuse, or other violence.  Additionally, the intern will participate in a year-long didactic series, which will emphasize trauma-informed care.  Didactics in trauma-specific evidence based treatments will be provided by the individual supervisor.  The intern will also benefit from various trauma-focused webinars and trainings.

 

Professional Development:

Supervisors in the PTATT track actively support interns’ professional development. Training and professional development goals are set at the beginning of each rotation. Professional development topics include support and coaching regarding postdoctoral and job applications. Additional goals may include writing a case report or research manuscript, presenting at an academic conference, attending a training workshop, supervising practicum students or medical residents, or giving a talk in the Department of Psychiatry.

 

Research Opportunities:

The intern will have the opportunity to participate in various translational, treatment outcome, and effectiveness studies related to trauma-focused assessment and intervention. Most current research opportunities will be smaller scale, clinic specific projects.

 

Supervision Training and Opportunities:

The intern will engage in weekly clinical and reflective supervision with an emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice, professional resilience, and reflective capacity.  Supervision is generally conducted through individual treatment-specific discussions, as well as multidisciplinary team presentations.  Availability of supervision training and opportunities will vary based upon 1) an intern’s previous training and experience with trauma-focused assessment and intervention, and 2) whether the clinic has current graduate student clinicians. If an intern demonstrates readiness for supervision and supervisees are available, interns may participate in vertical supervision as a part of their training experience.

 

Track Coordinator:

Tiffany Hopkins, PhD

 

Clinical Supervisors:

Tiffany Hopkins, PhD

Mary Hill, PhD

Bryte Marziano, PsyD

Shannon Chaplo, PhD

Cindy Frye, LCSW