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Fina, Brooke A

School of Medicine
Psychiatry
254-288-5908
fina@uthscsa.edu

Brooke A. Fina, MSW, LCSW, BCD, is an Assistant Professor and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She is a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (BCD) the by American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work. She provides clinical services for the South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience (STRONG STAR) Research Consortium, and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP) at the Fort Hood military installation in Killeen, Texas. The Health Science Center?s STRONG STAR Consortium involves over 150 of the nation?s leading experts conducting multiple clinical trials to determine the most effective treatments for PTSD, sleep disorders, suicidality, and related conditions in active duty military personnel, with over 65 million dollars in federal funding supporting clinical trials at STRONG STAR`s Fort Hood site. Her primary duties are as a Research Psychotherapist, Clinical Trainer and Supervisor, as well as the Suicide Risk Advisor for the STRONG STAR Consortium and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. Ms. Fina earned her Master of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. She completed a 2-year trauma fellowship in the Health Science Center?s Department of Psychiatry. She specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy for combat-related PTSD, has extensive training and is nationally certified as a Master Clinician and Clinical Supervisor in PE. Additionally, she completed national certification programs in Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi), and in the assessment and diagnosis of PTSD. Her primary professional interests are in training and service delivery of military culturally competent, evidence-based assessment and treatment for PTSD, suicide, and related conditions. She is actively involved in conducting national workshops and trainings for providers treating military-connected populations.

Appointments Education Expertise Publications Grants

9/2017 - Present

Associate Professor/Research

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Psychiatry, San Antonio, TX

Certified Prolonged Exposure Therapy Supervisor

- National certification by Edna Foa, PhD at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA to provide supervision to clinicians in Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for PTSD. Selected for this certification by CTSA and developer of PE and completed an intensive certification program involving training course (32 hours). 1 of 16 social workers nation-wide to receive this certification.

Certified in CBT for Insomnia

- National certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) by Daniel Taylor, PhD at the University of North Texas, Denton, TX. Completed an intensive certification program involving didactic training (8 hours), supervision of cases (6 hours) with sessions videotaped, reviewed, and discussed for three supervised clinical cases (18 hours), and ongoing video review for monitoring of treatment fidelity (10 sessions).

Certified in Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy

- National certification in Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (CBCT) by Candice Monson, PhD at Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed an intensive certification program involving didactic training (24 hours), supervision (20 hours) of 2 cases (30 hours).

Certified in Present Centered Therapy

- National Certification in Present Centered Therapy (PCT) by Tracie Shea, PhD at the VA National Center for PTSD, Boston, MA. Completed an intensive certification program including training course (12 hours), supervision (15 hours) of two cases (30 hours), with ongoing video review for monitoring treatment fidelity (60 sessions).

Master Prolonged Exposure Therapy Clinican

- Exceptional designation by the developer of Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy for PTSD, Edna Foa, PhD at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA for excellent skills in the use of Prolonged Exposure Therapy. This designation has been given to three PE clinicians nation-wide. This highlights my position as one of the most experienced therapist using Prolonged Exposure Therapy within the Department of Defense.

PTSD Symptom Scale Interview Evaluator

- National certification in the PTSD Symptom Scale Interview (PSS-I) by the STRONG STAR Assessment Core (Brett Litz, PhD at the VA National Center for PTSD, Boston, MA and Elizabeth Hembree, PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA). Completed an intensive certification program involving training course (8 hours), qualifying interview cases (15 hours), with audio review of cases for fidelity.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy Clinician

- National certification in Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) for 1) treatment delivered in weekly sessions (10 sessions in 8 weeks) and 2) treatment delivered in daily sessions (10 sessions in 10 days) by Edna Foa, PhD at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Completed an intensive certification program involving didactic training (32 hours), supervision (40 hours) of four cases with sessions videotaped, reviewed, and discussed (60 hours), with ongoing video review for monitoring fidelity to treatment (160 sessions).

The following highlight an intensive level of certification training, and regular examination of treatment fidelity through video and audio review. This level of training and certification is recognized at a national level and is required to provide clinical intervention as a part of the largest randomized clinical trials for the treatment of combat-related PTSD and insomnia with service members.

Federal
Funding Agency	Consortium to Alleviate PTSD
Title	CAP: A Novel Brief PTSD Treatment for Student Veterans: Written Exposure Therapy
Status	Active
Period	9/2016 - 9/2020
Role	Co-Investigator
Grant Detail	The study will use a hybrid efficacy-effectiveness design to test WET for Student Veterans with PTSD and subthreshold PTSD in real-world university counseling centers. The long-term aim of this research is to improve transition to higher education settings and academic success of Student Veterans who are struggling with symptoms of PTSD. PI: Sandra B. Morissette, Ph.D. University of Texas at San Antonio
Funding Agency	DoD/VA
Title	The STRONG STAR Consortium to Alleviate PTSD
Status	Active
Period	9/2013 - 9/2018
Role	Contributor
Grant Detail	The overarching goals of the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP) are to improve the psychological and physical health and well-being of Service Members (Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve) and Veterans who have deployed in support of OEF/OIF/OND by developing and evaluating the most effective diagnostic, prognostic, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative strategies for combat-related PTSD and comorbid conditions.
Funding Agency	Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
Title	Supporting Military Families with Young Children Throughout the Deployment Lifecycle (PI: DeVoe)
Status	Active
Period	9/2014 - 9/2018
Role	Contributor
Grant Detail	The purpose of this research is to adapt and test the efficacy of a preventive intervention program (Strong Families) to promote resilience in Active Duty military families with children throughout the deployment cycle. This research will include a randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of Strong Families compared to Case Management (CM) condition in a sample of Active Duty families at Ft. Hood Army Base in Killeen, TX, and a cost-effectiveness analysis conducted by RAND.
Funding Agency	Department of Defense
Title	Comparing Internet and In-Person Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Insomnia
Status	Complete
Period	9/2010 - 8/2016
Role	Contributor
Grant Detail	Knowing that sleeplessness is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in military personnel, this study aims to recruit ~200 military personnel with chronic insomnia into a clinical trial comparing 3-sessions Internet Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Insomnia (ICBTi) to 3-sessions of in-person CBTi to a wait-list-control.
Funding Agency	Psychological Health and TBI Research Program, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program
Title	The STRONG STAR Multidisciplinary PTSD Research Consortium
Status	Complete
Period	9/2008 - 8/2015
Role	Contributor
Grant Detail	This is a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional proposal to establish a PTSD research consortium in San Antonio focused on the development and evaluation of prevention and treatment programs for combat-related PTSD in active-duty military personnel and recently discharged military veterans.

Year	Degree	Discipline	Institution
2009		Social Work	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia , PA
2003	BA	Political Science	The George Washington University Washington , DC

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