University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

STRONG STAR Training Initiative: Gulf Coast

The South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience (STRONG STAR), is a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research consortium funded by U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and evaluate the most effective early interventions possible for the detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions in military service members and recently discharged veterans. This BWF grant builds on the current STRONG STAR Training Initiative infrastructure with a particular emphasis on increasing the clinical providers offering evidence-based treatment (EBT) in the Texas Gulf Coast. With this grant, made possible by a partnership between the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the Qatar Harvey Fund, the STRONG STAR team will conduct three trainings, two on Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and one on Prolonged Exposure (PE), for at least 90 clinicians from the counties impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The STRONG STAR team will subsequently provide expert consultation to these mental health care providers as they provide PTSD treatment to at least three veterans each, who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The STRONG STAR team will also work directly with organizations to develop implementation and sustainability plans to ensure long-term success of EBTs for PTSD programs. This entire effort will train 90 providers and serve 270 veterans during the grant period, while creating an enduring capability to treat many more.