Training During a Pandemic: Successes, Challenges, and Practical Guidance From a Virtual Facilitated Learning Collaborative Training Program for Written Exposure Therapy

Abstract

Abstract In response to COVID‐19, continued workforce training is essential to ensure that evidence‐based treatments are available on the frontline to meet communities’ ongoing and emerging mental health needs. However, training during a pandemic imposes many new challenges. This paper describes a multisite training and implementation pilot program, facets of which allowed for continued training despite the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing guidelines. This virtual facilitated learning collaborative in Written Exposure Therapy, an evidence‐based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, included virtual workshop training, phone‐based clinical consultation, implementation‐focused video calls for program leadership, and program evaluation. Data are presented about program enrollees and patient impact following the onset of COVID‐19–related social distancing restrictions. Challenges, successes, and practical guidance are discussed to inform the field regarding training strategies likely to be durable in an uncertain, dynamic healthcare landscape.