Honoring the 25th Anniversary of 9/11: Reflections and Future Applications to Community Trauma Response
by Emily Engel, PsyD
2 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
BASE is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. BASE maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
DESCRIPTION
In recognition of the 25th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, this course honors the victims, survivors, and first responders impacted by this historical event. Designed for mental health practitioners with prior experience in CBT and trauma-informed care, it reviews mental health interventions utilized in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. The training integrates existing literature on common mental health sequelae among 9/11 survivors and moderators of these outcomes (Lowe, Haugen, Rosen, & Werth, 2023; Parcesepe, Sanborn, Sisti, & Metzler, 2026). We will also explore lessons from ineffective care and review evidence-supported best practices for future disaster mental health responses. We will discuss immediate, intermediate and long-term considerations in screening and intervention for trauma recovery (Liu, Li, Leon, Schwarzer, & Cone, 2022; Ko, Alper, Brackbill, & Jacobson, 2022; Seil, Takemoto, Farfel, Huynh, & Li, 2022). Finally, the course highlights cognitive-behavioral strategies with empirical effectiveness in reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms (American Psychological Association, 2025; Jacobson, Norman, Sadler, Petrsoric, & Brackbill, 2019) to further inform practitioners’ roles in preparation, response and recovery to future traumatic events.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Based on the content of this workshop, you will be able to:
Differentiate between the natural trauma recovery process and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among disaster survivors.
Identify two risk and two resiliency factors associated with developing a PTSD diagnosis.
Explain why Critical Incident Stress Debriefing was found to be potentially harmful following disaster exposure and describe how Psychological First Aid more effectively supports recovery in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
Summarize existing effectiveness research for long-term PTSD interventions (e.g., Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), to facilitate collaborative clinical treatment planning.
AUDIENCE
This program is appropriate for licensed psychologists and other mental health practitioners who utilize cognitive behavioral therapy approaches. Training is at an introductory level.
RESOURCES
American Psychological Association. (2025). APA clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/guideline-ptsd-in-adults.pdf
Jacobson, M. H., Norman, C., Sadler, P., Petrsoric, L. J., & Brackbill, R. M. (2019). Characterizing mental health treatment utilization among individuals exposed to the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks 14–15 years post-disaster. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(4), 626. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16040626
Ko, T. M., Alper, H. E., Brackbill, R. H., & Jacobson, M. H. (2022). Trajectories of psychological distress among individuals exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster. Psychological Medicine, 52(14), 3044–3052. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720004912
Liu, S. Y., Li, J., Leon, L. F., Schwarzer, R., & Cone, J. E. (2022). The bidirectional relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and social support in a 9/11-exposed cohort: A longitudinal cross-lagged analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2604. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052604
Lowe, S. M., Haugen, P. T., Rosen, R., & Werth, A. S. (2023). World Trade Center psychological exposures and trauma-related disorders: PTSD and adjustment disorders. Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 78(4), 216–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2023.2188153
Parcesepe, A. M., Sanborn, J., Sisti, J., & Metzler, J. (2026). Adverse childhood experiences, exposure to the World Trade Center attacks, and chronic symptoms of depression, PTSD, and unhealthy drinking. Journal of Affective Disorders, 395(Part A), 120671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120671
Seil, K., Takemoto, E., Farfel, M. R., Huynh, M., & Li, J. (2022). Exploratory case study of suicide among a sample of 9/11 survivors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010057
PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES
There is no commercial support for this CE program, instructor, content of instruction, or any other relationship that could be construed as a conflict of interest. There is no endorsement of products.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations will be accepted and payments refunded in full up to two (2) weeks prior to any training event. Following two weeks prior to the event, a credit for future trainings matching the amount already paid for that event’s registration will be given to registrants who cancel their registration, for whatever reason, up to two (2) days prior to the event date. This credit can only be applied to one future training, regardless of its cost. If the cost of the future training is less than the amount paid, the difference will be lost. If the cost of the future training is greater than the credit, then the balance will become due at registration time. If a registrant cancels or no-shows within two days of the event date, a refund will not be given.
LOCATION
This CE will be located at BASE Cognitive Behavioral at 1515 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 580, Charlotte, NC 28209.
ACCESSIBILITY
BASE strives to ensure that each CE program is accessible to all participants. If you would like any accommodations, please contact us at 704-910-8381.
QUESTIONS
Please contact us at info@findyourbase.com or 704-910-8381 if you have any questions or grievances about the program.
WAITLIST
If this program is full, please email us at info@findyourbase.com to indicate your interest. If someone cancels we will contact you.
