Get Involved with CTRS

The Center for Trauma and Resiliency Studies welcomes students, alumni, and interested community professionals who want to be equipped as mental health first responders in times of disaster and traumatic situations. There are several ways to engage.

Response team

CTRS is developing an ongoing Response Team of students, alumni, and community professionals capable of deploying anywhere in the United States during significant disaster or crisis. The team's goal is to assist recovery efforts with first responders, help prevent compassion fatigue in those serving on the ground, collaborate in working with survivors in the field, and provide counseling services in the aftermath of disaster.

The Response Team welcomes new members each year as students and community participants complete trauma trainings and certification levels through Green Cross Academy for Traumatology.

Trauma certifications

CTRS partners with Green Cross Academy for Traumatology to offer five levels of trauma certification — from Compassion Fatigue Educator through Master Traumatologist. See Trauma Certifications for the certification ladder, prerequisites, and workshop pathways.

Trauma workshops

Workshops are offered year-round, on-site at DMU's Sterling, VA campus and online via virtual classroom. They include:

• Compassion Stress Management
• Compassion Fatigue Practitioner
• Disaster Trauma
• Child and Adolescent Trauma
• Treating Traumatized Families
• Assessment and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Treatment and Intervention for Domestic Violence
• Treating Anxiety and Phobia (EMDR Level 1 and 2)
• Grief and Loss
• Psychological First Aid
• Understanding and Treating Sexual Trauma
• Gestalt / Experiential
• Healing Emotional / Affective Responses to Trauma (HEART Model)

Each workshop counts toward one or more certification levels — see Trauma Certifications for the mapping.

Mission trips & global work

CTRS organizes short-term mission trips and a summer immersion trip each year. Recent destinations include St. Louis, MO (the SEEK Conference with FOCUS), Tanzania (working with victims of human trafficking alongside Courage Worldwide), and more. See Global work for current trips, dates, and participation requirements.

Online classes with Green Cross

CTRS workshops are available online through the Green Cross learning platform. Some workshops (EMDR Level 1, HEART Model, Gestalt/Experiential) cannot be taken online due to supervision and experiential requirements.

Request information

Program Director: Dr. Benjamin Keyes, bkeyes@divinemercy.edu · (703) 416-1441

Request information to learn more about joining the Response Team, registering for a workshop, or pursuing a certification.