About this trial
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).
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
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
Disqualifiers
received prior training in COPE
not a provider in the behavioral health field
non-English speaking
lack of reliable internet access
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- COPEWeb online training
- COPE In Person
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
VA Office of Research and Development
Lead sponsor
Medical University of South Carolina
Collaborator
National Center for PTSD
Collaborator