Training and resources
VA has a variety of resources available for community providers to equip you with the knowledge needed to successfully provide care to Veterans. This page contains the latest education and training resources offered for VA community providers.
VHA TRAIN courses
VHA TRAIN provides a wealth of training and education resources for community providers. Per MISSION Act, Section 123, these offerings are no-cost, Veteran-focused, and accredited for continuing medical education. Courses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Important VHA TRAIN login information
- Before completing a VHA TRAIN course providers must create an account.
- Include your unique National Provider Identifier (NPI).
- Add group code VHACCP to your profile.
Required course
Community providers must complete the required opioid safety training course and submit the attestation form confirming course completion.
Opioid safety for Veterans with chronic pain
This course promotes evidence-based techniques to improve patient outcomes for Veterans with chronic pain and decrease complications associated with opioid prescribing. The web-based training is suitable for pharmacy professionals, physicians, and other clinicians.
Credit/hours: One (1)
Highly recommended course
It is also highly recommended community providers complete courses on suicide prevention, which fall under the VA Secretary’s top priorities.
Preventing Suicide Through Lethal Means Safety (MLS) Training
This course provides lethal means safety training and resources for mental health and suicide prevention clinicians and other mental health and suicide prevention clinicians. The web-based training is suitable for mental health professionals, physicians, and nurses.
Accreditations: APA, ACCME, ACCME-NP, ANCC, APA, NBCC, ASWB, NYSED SW
Credit/hours: One (1)
Additional educational resources
| Resource link | Description and additional resources |
|---|---|
| American Medical Association (AMA) Education Hub | The AMA Ed Hub offers a rich portfolio of education to address the needs and interests of clinicians and health care professionals and ultimately help improve health care delivery. |
| Center for Deployment Psychology | Interactive, web-based training to educate behavioral health professionals working with service members, veterans and their families including Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy, Military Culture, and Assessment and Treatment of Depression in Military Service. |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain | Chronic pain is common, multidimensional, and individualized, and treatment can be challenging for healthcare providers as well as patients. In response to the critical need for consistent and current opioid prescribing guidelines, the CDC released the Clinical Practice Guideline Partner Toolkit containing the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. |
| National Center for PTSD | Free resources from the the world’s leading research and educational center of excellence on PTSD and traumatic stress. ● Assessment Overview: Assessment tools and best practices. ● Monthly Lecture Series: Webinars with free continuing education credit (CEC). ● Patient Education: A variety of tools on how to engage patients in treatment and enhance the delivery of PTSD care. ● PTSD Consultation Program: Request a free consultation or ask a question about anything related to Veterans and PTSD. ● Treatment Essentials: A collection of articles about PTSD including diagnostic criteria, subtypes and related diagnoses, epidemiology, and a historical overview. ● Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of PTSD |
| VA Mental Health | Learn about mental health issues Veterans may face and access VA clinical training and resources that can enhance your delivery of health care and ultimately improve Veterans’ health and well-being. |
| VA Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) and Centers of Excellence (CoEs) Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program | MIRECC/CoEs Suicide Risk Management program offers free consultation, support, and resources that promote therapeutic best practices for providers working with Veterans at risk for suicide. Other resources available from MIRECC include: ● A Provider’s Guide to Brief Cognitive Behavior Therapy ● Get Moving and Get Well Manual ● Multi-Setting Peaceful Mind: A Manual to Aid in the Management of Anxiety in Veterans with Memory Impairment |
| VHA Pain Management, Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) | The first evidence-based guideline to be shared with our community partners, the VHA Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) is focused on building a collaborative relationship between VHA and its community partners to improve patient outcomes, ensure patient safety, and increase efficiency of our community-based services. |
| War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) Provider Training | Information and training on Veteran environmental and airborne health exposures including Agent Orange, Gulf War, Burn-Pits and PFAS; and the range of chronic multi-symptom, post-deployment illnesses including pain, PTSD, fatigue, respiratory, and many more to help providers and their care teams support Veteran health care. |