Emory / Psychiatry

GTP Grady Trauma Project

Counseling/Clinical

Traumatic Stress Disorders Clinic at Grady

Fulton County Mental Health Clinic

Rebekah Bradley, PhD, Ann Schwartz, MD, Kerry Ressler, MD, PhD

Clinical Aims:
The aim of the Trauma Clinic is to identify and treat patients with primary diagnosis of Acute or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), using symptom-focused pharmacotherapy coupled with short-term supportive, psychoeducational group therapies.

We hypothesize that focused pharmacotherapy combined with supportive group psychotherapy specifically focused on PTSD issueswill provide more effective treatment to this currently under-identified subpopulation within the outpatient mental health system. By identifying patients based on Acute vs. Chronic PTSD and determining their level of psychiatric co-morbidity, we plan to enter patients into one of several different specific psychotherapy groups.

Research Aims:
We hope to establish a clinic focused on improved efficacy through focused care. However, by designing this clinic with clinical outcomes in mind, we also aim to gather a database of pre- and post- treatment data on the clinic patients. This will be possible through the implementation of a structured, reproducible treatment protocol.

Clinic Structure:
The clinic will function one day per week (Fridays) at Florida Hall. Group therapies may take place on other days depending on resident and psychology intern availability.

The treatment team will consist of:
-- Psychiatry attendings and residents, responsible for clinical and research organization, co-leading group therapy, and intake and diagnostic evaluations. In addition, the psychiatrists will be responsible for medication management.

-- Psychology interns and postdocs, to co-lead group therapy, intake and diagnostic evaluations, and liaison between clinician case managers and our clinic.

-- Psychology postdocs, primarily responsible for initial screening interviews, follow-up detailed interviews, including SCID, and data analysis.

Interaction with existing adult outpatient services at Florida Hall:
The aim of the clinic is to augment, not replace existing Florida Hall services. Our goal is to provide time-limited services that would not entail case management. Current patients referred to our clinic will keep their assigned clinician or case manager during the more intensive treatment in our clinic, though they may see that clinician at lesser intervals during that time. Upon reaching criterion for termination from the clinic groups or medication management services, the patients will return to their primary clinicians within the traditional Florida Hall system. Clinicians in the specialized clinic would communicate any changes in the patient’s medication to ensure continuity of care. In addition, patients will have continued assess to specialized services for PTSD in the form of a monthly drop-in group.

New patients referred to the clinic with the diagnosis of Acute Stress Disorder will initially be treated by the clinicians in the specialized clinic, with the aim of prevention of the development of PTSD, and termination from the clinic after 4-6 sessions. Patients with newly diagnosed PTSD will be initially assigned a clinician within the specialty clinic. Those patients requiring ongoing treatment (>12 months) may be assigned a clinician within the traditional Florida Hall system.

Education
Co-leading a PTSD group and/or doing weekly individual psychotherapy with PTSD patients will allow for additional PTSD-focused supervision and participation in weekly group meetings and readings of the PTSD literature if interested.

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Home News Project Overview Research Staff and links Staff Communication Counseling/Clinical Updates Links to related sites Contact Information	GTP Grady Trauma Project Counseling/Clinical Traumatic Stress Disorders Clinic at Grady Fulton County Mental Health Clinic Rebekah Bradley, PhD, Ann Schwartz, MD, Kerry Ressler, MD, PhD *Clinical Aims:* The aim of the Trauma Clinic is to identify and treat patients with primary diagnosis of Acute or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), using symptom-focused pharmacotherapy coupled with short-term supportive, psychoeducational group therapies. We hypothesize that focused pharmacotherapy combined with supportive group psychotherapy specifically focused on PTSD issueswill provide more effective treatment to this currently under-identified subpopulation within the outpatient mental health system. By identifying patients based on Acute vs. Chronic PTSD and determining their level of psychiatric co-morbidity, we plan to enter patients into one of several different specific psychotherapy groups. *Research Aims:* We hope to establish a clinic focused on improved efficacy through focused care. However, by designing this clinic with clinical outcomes in mind, we also aim to gather a database of pre- and post- treatment data on the clinic patients. This will be possible through the implementation of a structured, reproducible treatment protocol. *Clinic Structure:* The clinic will function one day per week (Fridays) at Florida Hall. Group therapies may take place on other days depending on resident and psychology intern availability. The treatment team will consist of: -- Psychiatry attendings and residents, responsible for clinical and research organization, co-leading group therapy, and intake and diagnostic evaluations. In addition, the psychiatrists will be responsible for medication management. -- Psychology interns and postdocs, to co-lead group therapy, intake and diagnostic evaluations, and liaison between clinician case managers and our clinic. -- Psychology postdocs, primarily responsible for initial screening interviews, follow-up detailed interviews, including SCID, and data analysis. *Interaction with existing adult outpatient services at Florida Hall:* The aim of the clinic is to augment, not replace existing Florida Hall services. Our goal is to provide time-limited services that would not entail case management. Current patients referred to our clinic will keep their assigned clinician or case manager during the more intensive treatment in our clinic, though they may see that clinician at lesser intervals during that time. Upon reaching criterion for termination from the clinic groups or medication management services, the patients will return to their primary clinicians within the traditional Florida Hall system. Clinicians in the specialized clinic would communicate any changes in the patient’s medication to ensure continuity of care. In addition, patients will have continued assess to specialized services for PTSD in the form of a monthly drop-in group. New patients referred to the clinic with the diagnosis of Acute Stress Disorder will initially be treated by the clinicians in the specialized clinic, with the aim of prevention of the development of PTSD, and termination from the clinic after 4-6 sessions. Patients with newly diagnosed PTSD will be initially assigned a clinician within the specialty clinic. Those patients requiring ongoing treatment (>12 months) may be assigned a clinician within the traditional Florida Hall system. *Education* Co-leading a PTSD group and/or doing weekly individual psychotherapy with PTSD patients will allow for additional PTSD-focused supervision and participation in weekly group meetings and readings of the PTSD literature if interested. See Flyer General Information Education Faculty Research Clinical Sites Programs Home WebCT What's New