Purpose

The CAPS (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale) is the PTSD assessment and diagnostic gold standard for use with active duty, Veteran, and civilian trauma survivors. Recently, the CAPS was updated (CAPS-5) to correlate with the revised PTSD diagnostic criteria in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) and to streamline administration and scoring. A psychometric study has shown that the CAPS-5 is both reliable and valid. A detailed administration protocol has been developed by the NCPTSD. To accommodate the overwhelming number of requests from the field for CAPS-5 training, staff members at the VA's Executive and Behavioral Science Divisions developed this online CAPS-5 training course.

Target Audience

This course is intended for mental health providers treating trauma patients and conducting PTSD compensation and pension examinations.

Objectives

After completing this web training, you should be able to use the CAPS-5 to assess for a PTSD diagnosis, including being able to do the following tasks:

1. Describe the current and full diagnostic criteria for PTSD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).
2. Describe the purpose, benefits, and key features of the CAPS-5.
3. Describe how to orient a client to the CAPS interview and assess for trauma exposure.
4. Identify the interview principles required for administering the CAPS-5.
5. Describe the symptom ratings used in the CAPS-5.
6. Identify the techniques for addressing discrepancies and response bias in a respondent's answers during a CAPS-5 interview.
7. Recognize potential comorbid conditions that may accompany or share PTSD symptoms
8. Assess a patient for PTSD using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5).
9. Apply advanced interviewing skills when using the CAPS-5 in complex and challenging clinical situations.