Willow Springs Center
Reno, NV

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Chief Medical Officer Earns
Harvard Certificate in
"Global Mental Health:
Trauma and Recovery"

Of the more than 100 patients receiving psychiatric treatment at Willow Springs Center at any given time, it's safe to say 100% have experienced trauma in their young lives.

Treatment of trauma is complicated, complex and has life-long implications for health and healing. To ensure Willow Springs Center remains a leader in providing trauma-informed clinical interventions for each patient, Chief Medical Officer Dana Arlien, MD, recently completed an innovative Harvard Medical School certificate program in "Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery."

The certificate program drew 60 participants from 37 different countries, such as New Zealand, Afghanistan, Haiti, Liberia, Cambodia, Peru, Nepal, Lebanon and Rwanda. Attendees included psychiatrists, humanitarian aid workers, therapists, human rights lawyers, policy makers, internal medicine physicians, emergency doctors and journalists.

Focused on improving the treatment of survivors of trauma, the program consisted of two weeks of on-site lectures in Italy plus five months of web-based learning featuring intensive lecture-based discussions, case presentations, supervision and leadership development.

The international faculty included renowned leaders in the field of mental health and post-conflict (trauma) recovery from the United States, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Peru, the Middle East and Australia.

A board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Arlien sees the effects of trauma every day at Willow Springs - in her patients' struggles with psychiatric disorders, difficulties with emotional resilience, challenges in learning and concentrating, low frustration tolerance, poor impulse control and self-image, and difficulties forming meaningful relationships with others.
Experts at Helpguide.org say "children who have been traumatized see the world as a frightening and dangerous place. When childhood trauma is not resolved, this fundamental sense of fear and helplessness carries over into adulthood, setting the stage for further trauma."

Dr. Arlien said she participated in this program because she is very interested in trauma and in helping kids recover from its impact so they can build fulfilling lives.

"I wanted to gain in-depth experience and expertise, meet colleagues from all over the world from many different disciplines, and create a world wide network of contacts so that I can continue to learn the most effective ways to respond to and treat trauma."

Willow Springs Center is a 116-bed, locked psychiatric (and co-occurring substance abuse) residential treatment facility for children and teens, males and females, from ages five to 18, located in Reno, Nevada. Established 25 years ago, Willow Springs is Joint Commission-accredited and accepts most private insurance including TriCare for military-connected kids.