Traumatic stress studies Certificate Program Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program work?

This virtual program can be taken from anywhere. Each week approximately 2.5 hours of online lectures and course materials are released into your PESI account for you to complete at your own pace. Monthly, live Q&As with experienced senior faculty members are offered and recorded to access later. These meetings normally happen during the day, ET, and are recorded.

What are the qualifications to enroll? Are there any prerequisites?

Anyone can enroll; there are no prerequisites. The Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program is presented at the post-graduate level, but anyone with an interest in treating trauma is invited to participate.

What is the cost?

The current price of the Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program is $699, and there is a payment plan option available. Please note, we are unable to alter the amount of each installment.

The program price will increase to $999 on November 12.

Payment questions are handled through PESI. Contact PESI Customer Support with any payment-related questions:

Phone: (800) 844-8260

Email: [email protected]

How much time does this course take per week?

We have canvassed several students and people say that it requires around 5 hours/week to listen to the recorded lecture and process any learning and notes you may take during the lecture.

Are there extra quizzes, papers, or reading assigned?

Each recorded module is accompanied by a multiple-choice quiz and an evaluation afterwards.

In order to receive a TRF Certificate of Completion, you must pass at least 80% of the module quizzes. A score of 80% or higher on each quiz is considered passing. If you do not pass a quiz, you may retake it as many times as you need in order to pass.

After you view each recorded module, please select the orange “CE Certificate” button under the module title. Complete the quiz (and retake as needed, until you pass with at least an 80%), complete the evaluation, and then you can receive your CE certificate.

Please note that you are still required to complete the CE quizzes and obtain your CE certificate if you wish to obtain a TRF Certificate of Completion for the course, whether or not you are seeking CE.

How long do I have to complete the coursework?

The course runs for 7 months, but you are welcome to take as much time as you need to complete it. Once registered, you will never lose access to the course. 

Pre-recorded videos are released weekly and can be viewed upon release or at a later date. Each video requires the completion of  an evaluation and a quiz. These are necessary to receive a TRF Certificate of Completion and/or a CE Certificate. Please note that must pass the quizzes with a score of 80% of higher to receive the CE Certificate for each module. CE Certificates must be earned in order to receive a TRF Certificate of Completion.

What is the Live Q&A schedule? Am I required to attend Q&As live in order to receive my Certificate of Completion?

We are still finalizing the Live Q&A schedule for the cohort that will begin on November 12, 2024.

Below is a list of confirmed Q&A calls. We will update this list as we finalize the schedule with our presenters.

Please note that this schedule is subject to change. All enrolled participants will have access to a current schedule via their course portal on PESI.com.

  • Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm Eastern Time with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
  • Wednesday, January 15, 2025 – 1:00 to 2:30 pm Eastern Time with Gary Bailey, MSW, ACS
  • Monday, February 3, 2025 – 1:00 to 2:30 pm Eastern Time with Alexandra Cook, PhD
  • Tuesday, March 11 – 1:00 to 2:30 pm Eastern Time with Margaret Blaustein, PhD
  • Monday, April 7, 2025 – 12:00 – 1:30 pm Eastern Time with Elizabeth Warner, PsyD and Alexandra Cook, PhD
  • Monday, April 28, 2025 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm Eastern Time with Deborah Korn, PsyD
  • Monday, June 2, 2025 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm Eastern Time with Ruth Lanius, PhD, MD
  • Tuesday, July 1, 2025 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm Eastern Time with Bessel van der Kolk, MD

Below is the Live Q&A schedule for the current cohort that began on February 26, 2024.

Please note that this schedule is subject to change. All enrolled participants will have access to a current schedule via their course portal on PESI.com.

  • Wednesday 2/28/24 – 3-4:30 pm Eastern Time with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
  • Thursday 4/18/24 – 12-1:30 pm Eastern Time with Gary Bailey, MSW, ACSW
  • Tuesday 5/14/24 – 3-4:30 pm Eastern Time with Alexandra Cook, PhD
  • Monday 6/10/24 – 1-2:30 pm Eastern Time with Margaret Blaustein, PhD
  • Tuesday 7/23/24 – 1-2:30 pm Eastern Time with Elizabeth Warner, PsyD and Alexandra Cook, PhD
  • Monday 9/9/24 – 1-2:30 pm Eastern Time with Deborah Korn, PsyD
  • Monday 9/16/24 – 1-2:30 pm Eastern Time with Ruth Lanius, PhD, MD
  • Tuesday 10/15/24 – 3:30-5 pm Eastern Time with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
If you are unable to tune in live for a Q&A call, it will be recorded and available for review in the portal. You are not required to view the Q&A live in order to receive your Certificate of Completion in Traumatic Stress Studies from the Trauma Research Foundation and PESI, however the live calls provide you with a unique opportunity to engage with our faculty. We recommend you attend live if your schedule permits.-

Is CE offered?

  • Yes, CE is offered
  • Obtaining CE involves taking quizzes throughout the course
  • Upon completion of the course, students will also be eligible for up to 71.5 CE hours. 
  • Detailed information on CE can be found on PESI’s website
  • For more help, contact 1-800-844-8260 or [email protected] for details open Mon-Fri 6:30am-6pm central time

After completing TSS, can I enroll in the Group Supervision and Consultation Program, and can I be listed in the TRF Directory?

After receiving your certificate, qualified licensed clinicians are eligible to apply to the Group Supervision and Consultation Program, which is facilitated by one of our faculty members.

At this point, the TRF Professional Directory is currently on hold while the foundation evaluates how to offer it in the most thoughtful and effective way for TRF and our community.  We appreciate your patience in this process and hope to have an update in the near future.

What is the enrollment cut-off date?

At this time, enrollment for the course that began in February 2024 is still open. We do not yet have plans to close enrollment, but will update our website if we do.

I’ve paid, how do I access the course?

Since we partner with PESI to administer this course, you should have received an email directly from PESI with directions on how to access the course portal. Please check your spam in case it went there and ensure future communications from them can be found. In the meantime, to access your program, please log into your PESI account using this link:

You will be prompted to enter your username and password after you follow the link below. If you have forgotten your password or someone created this account for you, please click on the Forgot Password link to reset/create your password.

Additional Questions and Support

You can find commonly asked questions at www.pesi.com/faq 

If you have a question not covered on this page, don’t hesitate to contact PESI by using the information below. Please allow one business day for email responses.

CONTACT INFORMATION

PESI Account Support: (800) 844-8260; [email protected]

Any other questions?

We’re here to help! If you don’t see your question answered above, please email us at [email protected]

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