ACT in the US Department of Veterans Affairs

ACT in the US Department of Veterans Affairs

There are Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that ACBS members can join:

 

The April 2016 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Major Depressive Disorder recommends ACT as a "first-line treatment for uncomplicated mild to moderate MDD", citing the research evidence for this recommendation as "strong"
http://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/mdd/MDDCPGClinicianSummaryFINAL5192016.pdf

 

Articles from Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS) pertinent to ACT in the VA:

  • O'Brien, K., Dozier, M., Lopez, J., & Ruha, A. (2021) A new treatment model for veterans?: Results from a program evaluation of a recovery-oriented intensive outpatient program for veterans with heterogeneous diagnostic presentations. JCBS, Vol. 19, Pages 57-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.12.001
  • Wharton, E., Sears Edwards K., Juhasz, M., and Walser, R. (2019). Acceptance-based interventions in the treatment of PTSD: Group and individual pilot data using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. JCBS, Vol. 14, 55-64.
  • Cox, D. W., Motl, T. C., Bakker, A. M., & Lunt, R. A. (2018). Cognitive fusion and post-trauma functioning in veterans: Examining the mediating roles of emotion dysregulation. JCBS, Vol. 8, 1-7.
  • Farnsworth, J. K., Drescher, K. D., Evans, W., Walser, R. D. (2017). A functional approach to understanding and treating military-related moral injury. JCBS, Vol. 6, Issue 4, 391-397.
  • Cobb, A. R., Lancaster, C. L., Meyer, E. C., Lee, H., & Telch, M. J. (2017). Pre-deployment trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance predict war-zone stress-evoked psychopathology. JCBS, Vol. 6, Issue 3, 276-287. doi:10.1016/j.jcbs.2017.05.002
  • Hermann, B. A., Meyer, E. C., Schnurr, P. P., Batten, S. V., & Walser, R. D. (2016). Acceptance and commitment therapy for co-occurring PTSD and substance use: A manual development study. JCBS, Vol. 5, Issue 4, 225-234.
  • Bryan, C. J., Ray-Sannerud, B., Heron, E. A. (2015). Psychological flexibility as a dimension of resilience for posttraumatic stress, depression, and risk for suicidal ideation among airforce personnel. JCBS, Vol. 4, Issue 4, 263-268.
  • Bahraini, N.H., Devore, M. D., Monteith, L. L., Forster, J. E., Bensen, S., Brenner, L. A. (2013). The role of value importance and success in understanding suicidal ideation among Veterans. JCBS, Vol. 2, Issues 1–2, 31-38.

 

Miscellaneous Resources

Sonja Batten

ACT for Posttraumatic Anger-Related Problems in Living

ACT for Posttraumatic Anger-Related Problems in Living
Many veterans who have survive trauma experience anger-related problems in living. This page is an open forum concerning ACT perspectives on the treatment of posttraumatic anger-related problems in living within the VA system. Some suggested topics include ACT conceptualizations of anger problems within the context of PTSD, specific protocols and interventions, and potential barriers to incorporating ACT-based anger treatment within the VA system.
Andy Santanello

H.E.A.T. (Honorably Experiencing Anger and Threat) Protocol

H.E.A.T. (Honorably Experiencing Anger and Threat) Protocol
Over the next few months I will be posting session outlines and other materials that Sharon Kelly (my co-leader) and I have been using in our HEAT (Honorably Experiencing Anger and Threat) group here in the PRRTP at the Baltimore VAMC. Please note that our protocol is still being developed and that we have not yet collected any outcome data. If anyone is interested in putting the protocol to the test or has any ideas about how it could be improved, please email me at andrew.santanello@va.gov.
Andy Santanello

HEAT Presentation at ISTSS

HEAT Presentation at ISTSS
Here is a Power Point about the HEAT group that I presented at ISTSS this past month.
Andy Santanello

Letting Go of 'Righteous Anger with Willingness

Letting Go of 'Righteous Anger with Willingness
Attached is the powerpoint presentation that Hank Robb and I did at Summer Institute III.
Andy Santanello

ACT for Returning Vets (and others)

ACT for Returning Vets (and others)

September 8, 2013

This website (http://www.mirecc.va.gov/apps/activities/lifeguard/) presents the five core ACT processes with non-jargon language. The website’s content is based upon a live workshop, named LifeGuard, that has been delivered to returning Veterans, their families, and first-line responders: police officers, firefighters, clergy, college counselors, and employers. The LifeGuard workshop is a one-time, two hour demonstration that uses skits, physical metaphors, and exercises to present the ACT skills. The workshop was evaluated, and positive findings were generated. If you want to know more about the workshop’s findings, you can read the article’s abstract at the following link: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pro/42/1/32/

Although the workshop was developed for returning Veterans and their families, it has been delivered to numerous, diverse groups. It has been well-received and anecdotal reports from audience participants suggest that the skills have proven useful -- through a grant a website was created to deliver the material. The LifeGuard workshop and the accompanying web version are educational in nature and are not intended to be a substitute for therapy. The reason for both the workshop and the website is to present ACT skills to the general public, Veterans and non-Veterans alike, so that they can share the skills with one another: peer-to-peer assistance.

Feel free to view the workshop clips and role-play demonstrations on the site and forward the link to whomever you think could benefit from the ACT core processes. The website is free; you do not have to register or identify yourself in any way to log onto the site. 

For more information contact Vince Roca

jvroca82@yahoo.com

 

 

Other resources on the ACBS Website:

ACT in the US Department of VA

Veterans Affairs (VA) ACT Special Interest Group

ACT for Military Special Interest Group

Steven Hayes

Veterans Health Administration ACT Video Series

Veterans Health Administration ACT Video Series

Veterans Health Administration ACT Video Series (created by Matthew Boone)

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