Web-Based Provider Training for Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPEWeb)
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD) are two of the most common and debilitating mental health conditions afflicting military Veterans. PTSD and SUD frequently co-occur and are associated with poorer treatment outcomes. The investigators' team developed a trauma-focused intervention, Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE), which is identified by the VA as a gold standard of behavioral healthcare and was designated as a first-line treatment in the 2025 APA Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD. However, a critical barrier to ensuring that Veterans with co-occurring PTSD/SUD receive evidence-based treatment is a lack of provider training. This project directly addresses this critical gap by developing a new web-based training program for providers (COPEWeb).
Description
Background: PTSD is the most common mental health disorder among Veterans seeking treatment at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, and more than half of Veterans with PTSD also meet criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD). To address the critical need for PTSD/SUD treatment, members of the investigative team developed Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE), an evidence-based, integrated, trauma-focused treatment identified by the VA as a gold standard of behavioral healthcare. Randomized controlled trials among Veterans demonstrate COPE's effi…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * currently a provider in a behavioral health field (e.g., psychology, psychiatry, counseling) * English speaking * able to consistently obtain reliable internet access * willing to attend a 2-day "live" in-person (or virtual) COPE training if randomly assigned to that condition * willing to engage in a standardized patient assessment after training * has no prior formal training in the COPE therapy Exclusion Criteria: * received prior training in COPE * not a provider in the behavioral health field * non-English speaking * lack of reliable internet access
Interventions
- BehavioralCOPEWeb online training
COPE training delivered via online COPEWEb to providers
- BehavioralCOPE In Person
COPE training provided in person to providers
Location
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SCCharleston, South Carolina