The short answer
VA's National Center for PTSD and VHA TRAIN offer free online courses and continuing education credits for community providers, covering PTSD treatment, suicide risk, military sexual trauma, TBI, and military culture. Create a free TRAIN account, take the course, and complete the post-test to get credit.
Where can therapists get free CE on Veteran mental health?
From VA. Two sources cover most of it:
- VA's National Center for PTSD offers online courses and lectures. VA says there's no fee for its courses or for the CE credit. See How to get CE credits.
- VHA TRAIN hosts VA's no-cost, accredited courses for community providers. See VA Community Care training and resources.
Which courses are most useful for therapists?
VA recommends these for community providers, each with CE credit:
| Course | Credit |
|---|---|
| Psychotherapy for PTSD: Recommendations from the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline | 1 |
| Military Sexual Trauma for Community Mental Health Providers | 1.5 |
| Skills Training for Evaluation and Management of Suicide | 1 |
| Veterans' Health Initiative: Traumatic Brain Injury | 1 |
The National Center for PTSD also has courses on moral injury, assessment, and specific treatments. Its PTSD Consultation Program runs a lecture series; subscribe to its newsletter for registration links.
How do you get credit?
- Create a free account on TRAIN.
- If you're a community care provider, VA asks you to add your NPI and the group code VHACCP to your profile.
- Take the course.
- Complete the post-test to receive your certificate.
VA's Employee Education System accredits the courses for several professions, including psychologists, social workers, and counselors. Check each course page for the credit types it offers, and confirm your state board accepts them.
Is any VA course required?
For VA Community Care providers, VA requires an opioid safety course and an attestation that you completed it. If you're contracting with VA Community Care, confirm current training requirements with your regional administrator.
How ValorWell handles this
ValorWell offers opportunities for continuing education credits, case by case. ValorWell may also pay for additional state licenses for therapists, depending on need in those states. Ask about both when you talk with the team.
ValorWell therapists also have free access to every VA resource on this page, like any community provider.
Important limits
- Board rules vary. Not every state board accepts every provider's CE for every requirement. Check before you rely on a course.
- Free courses don't certify you in a treatment. Becoming trained in CPT, PE, or EMDR takes formal training and case consultation.
- Offerings change. VA adds and retires courses; check the current catalog.
- ValorWell's CE support isn't automatic. It's offered case by case.