Ascend PTSD program

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or traumatic event. 

At first, it may be hard to do normal daily activities, like work, school or spend time with people you care about. But most people start to feel better after a few weeks or months. If it’s been longer than a few months and you’re still having symptoms, you may have PTSD. For some people, PTSD symptoms may start later on, or they may come and go over time.  

Remember, as a Veteran, you’ve already shown incredible strength and resilience. By reaching out for help, you’re taking a step toward healing and reclaiming your life. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Change is possible, and the Ascend PTSD Program can help you. We aim to help you break free from habits and patterns that limit you, especially those related to PTSD. Trauma can have a significant impact on your life, but it doesn’t have to control you.  

There are ways to reconnect with yourself and the world around you. In this six-week program, you can find support from staff and other Veterans who understand your experiences. Here, you can work together with your care team to break down barriers and rediscover joy. You will learn to reconnect with yourself, your body and your community. 

• Average program duration: Approximately 6 weeks.
• Capacity: 20 beds (15 for men, 5 for women, 1 flexible to accommodate gender-diverse and non-binary Veterans) in a mix of shared and single rooms.
• Facility maximizes natural light and eliminates TVs in patient rooms to encourage social engagement among residents and staff. 
• Voluntary level of care, with the expectation that you attend scheduled programming. When programming isn't happening, you can move freely across campus, in lounges, outside, etc.
• Support for co-occurring treatment needs, which means addressing multiple health issues at the same time, including substance use or depression.
• Group psychotherapy and education where you'll learn and practice coping skills.
• Building healthy leisure through community integration and recreation therapy.
• Emphasis on Whole Health, including trauma-informed yoga, battlefield acupuncture, and other complementary approaches to recovery.

• Experience PTSD symptoms that disrupt your daily life (and haven’t improved with outpatient treatment), including nightmares, flashbacks, severe anxiety in public, difficulty in jobs or relationships and substance use.  

• Can take care of your essential personal needs by yourself, like bathing, getting dressed, using the bathroom, preparing simple meals, taking your medications as directed and moving around safely.  

• Are stable enough not to require constant medical or psychiatric supervision.

CPT teaches you how to change the upsetting thoughts and feelings you have had since your trauma.

• What Type of Treatment Is This?

  Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is one specific type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is a 12-session psychotherapy for PTSD. CPT teaches you how to evaluate and change the upsetting thoughts you have had since your trauma. By changing your thoughts, you can change how you feel.

• How Does It Work? 

  Trauma can change the way you think about yourself and the world. You may believe you are to blame for what happened or that the world is dangerous. These kinds of thoughts keep you stuck in your PTSD and cause you to miss out on things you used to enjoy. CPT teaches you a new way to handle these upsetting thoughts. In CPT, you will learn skills that can help you decide whether there are more helpful ways to think about your trauma. You will learn how to examine whether the facts support your thought or do not support your thought. And ultimately, you can decide whether or not it makes sense to take a new perspective.

• What Can I Expect?

  Your provider will start by giving you an overview of the treatment. Together, you will review some information about PTSD to help you better understand your symptoms. Your provider probably will ask about the type of trauma you experienced, but you will not need to go into great detail right away. Your provider will also ask you to do some writing about how your trauma has affected you. Over the several sessions, you will talk about any negative or unhelpful thoughts you have been having about the trauma, and you will work together to learn to consider other ways of thinking about the situation. You will use worksheets in session and at home to help you learn this strategy. CPT can also include writing about the details of your trauma (although sometimes this can be skipped). This may sound difficult at first, but you may be more able to cope with emotions like anger, sadness and guilt by talking it over with your therapist. Toward the end of therapy, you and your therapist will focus on some specific areas of your life that may have been affected by the trauma, including your sense of safety, trust, control, self-esteem and intimacy.

• Is It Effective?

  Yes, trauma-focused psychotherapy (including Cognitive Processing Therapy) is one of the most effective types of treatment for PTSD.

PE teaches you to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations that you have been avoiding since your trauma.

• What Type of Treatment Is This?  

  Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a psychotherapy—or talk therapy— for PTSD. It is one specific type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. PE teaches you to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations that you have been avoiding since your trauma. By confronting these challenges, you can decrease your PTSD symptoms.

• How Does It Work?

  People with PTSD often try to avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma. This can help you feel better in the moment, but not for long. Avoiding these feelings and situations keeps you from recovering from PTSD. PE works by allowing you to face your fears. By talking about the details of the trauma and confronting safe situations that you have been avoiding, you can decrease your PTSD symptoms and regain more control of your life.

• What Can I Expect?

  Your provider will start by giving you an overview of treatment and learning more about your past experiences. You will also learn a breathing technique to help you manage anxiety. Around your second session, you will work with your provider to make a list of people, places or activities that you have stayed away from since your trauma. Throughout therapy, you will work through your list step-by-step, practicing in vivo exposure. This means that you will gradually confront these situations. With time, you will find that you can feel comfortable in these situations and will not need to avoid them anymore. After a few sessions, you will begin to talk through the details of your trauma with your provider. This is called imaginal exposure. Talking about the trauma can help with emotions like fear, anger and sadness. You will listen to recordings of your imaginal exposure between sessions. By confronting the details of the trauma in therapy, you will find that you have fewer unwanted memories at other times.

• Is It Effective?

  Yes, trauma-focused psychotherapy (including Prolonged Exposure) is one of the most effective types of treatment for PTSD.  

Certain medications can be used to treat PTSD symptoms and restore the balance of chemicals in your brain.

There are three medications recommended to treat PTSD symptoms. These medications can reduce PTSD symptoms. It can take a few weeks to notice changes, and your provider will work with you to manage side effects and doses. Learn more about the recommended medications for PTSD.  

There are 2 SSRIs and 1 SNRI that are recommended for PTSD:  

• Sertraline (Zoloft) - SSRI  

• Paroxetine (Paxil) - SSRI  

• Venlafaxine (Effexor) - SNR

• How does it work?

  PTSD may be related to changes in the brain that are linked to our ability to manage stress. People with PTSD appear to have different amounts of certain chemicals (called neurotransmitters) in the brain than people without PTSD. SSRIs and SNRIs are believed to treat PTSD by putting these brain chemicals back in balance.

• What can I expect?

  To receive medications for PTSD, you will need to meet with a provider who can prescribe these medications to you. Many different types of providers, including your family provider and even some nurses and physician assistants, can prescribe antidepressant medications for PTSD. You and your provider can work together to decide which antidepressant medicines may be best for you.  It may take a few weeks before you notice the effects of the medication. It is essential to continue taking it even if you do not see changes immediately. You will meet with your provider every few months or so. Your provider will monitor your response to the medication (including side effects) and change your dose if needed.  

• You will have access to a psychiatrist and clinical pharmacist to discuss medication and potential side effects. All these treatment options have been proven effective in treating PTSD.

The following questions are a list of problems and complaints that veterans sometimes have in response to stressful military experiences. Please read each question carefully, then select the answer that indicates how much you have been bothered by that problem in the past month. This entire screening is processed on this local computer. No information is collected, stored or sent over the Internet. To ensure complete privacy, exit your web browser after completing this screening.

• PTSD Screening
• If you have problems accessing this tool, there is also text-only version.

• CPT Coach is for people who are participating in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) with a professional mental healthcare provider. This app contains support materials for a complete course of CPT to help patients manage their treatment, including between session assignments, mobile versions of CPT worksheets, readings, and PTSD symptom monitoring.
• PE Coach is designed to be used during therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a health professional who is trained in Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy. The app will guide you through the exercises assigned by your therapist and allows you to track and record your progress.