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Durham Center of Innovation to ADAPT

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Stephanie Y Wells, PhD, MS, BA

Dr. Stephanie Wells is a Clinical Research Psychologist at the Durham VA Health Services Research & Development (ADAPT), affiliate faculty at the VISN 6 MIRECC, and a psychologist in the Durham Trauma Recovery Program. Her research broadly focuses on improving the effectiveness of and engagement in evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She has studied how PTSD EBPs can be delivered through various modalities and formats to increase engagement and clinical outcomes. She is also interested in examining the effectiveness of complementary interventions, such as mind body interventions, for PTSD. Her HSR funded CDA-2 award is examining how to adapt the delivery of cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure therapy into an accelerated "massed format" (e.g., therapy provided at least three days a week and delivered within a month) within VA PTSD Outpatient Clinics. This study is also examining how to implement massed treatment in VA PTSD outpatient clinics. She hopes to improve PTSD treatment delivery to increase the number of Veterans that receive an adequate dose of PTSD EBPs and complete treatment. She also currently serves as a site PI for an NICCH funded multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the feasibility of group compassion meditation to group relaxation therapy for Veterans with PTSD. Dr. Wells also provides evidence-based PTSD treatments and evidence-based treatments for co-occurring issues (e.g., insomnia) to Veterans in the Durham VA Trauma Recovery Program.

WHY VA?

My main goal is to help improve the lives of Veterans who have experienced trauma and to help them recover. The VA’s commitment to implementing evidence-based PTSD treatments throughout VA clinics allows me to deliver these treatments in my clinical role and help people heal following trauma. In my research role, working in the VA provides an infrastructure that facilitates recruitment for studies and access to healthcare data so that we can advance the field of traumatic stress. I also value the interdisciplinary teamwork in VA and a commitment to science and evidence-based care.

EDUCATION:
  • PhD, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego, 2019
  • Clinical Internship, Durham VA Health Care System 

VA RESEARCH INTERESTS:
  • Effectiveness of, engagement in, and access to PTSD treatment and related treatments
  • Implementation of evidence-based PTSD interventions
  • Functional improvement and well-being among Veterans with PTSD 

Stephanie Wells on PubMed
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