Advancing Skills Through Consultation, Education, and Novel Technologies (ASCENT)

Increasing the Reach of Evidence-Based PTSD Treatment: Development and Clinical Trial of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Facilitated, Web-Based Written Exposure Therapy Training

This research study tests strategies to train behavioral health providers in Written Exposure Therapy (WET), an evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are a number of evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, most behavioral health providers have not received training in these PTSD treatments and do not offer them regularly to their patients.

The researchers hope to learn about the optimal way to train behavioral providers in this type of treatment. This study is designed to determine the comparative effectiveness of different training strategies on key outcomes such as how much competency providers develop in the therapy and to how many patients they deliver the therapy. This study will help the researchers understand if we can help more providers learn to competently delivery Written Exposure Therapy by using strategies that are more convenient and cost less money, including web-based and AI-facilitated training supports. This study will also help us learn which training strategies work best for which providers so that in the future we can make personalized training recommendations.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Live workshop; Behavioral: Consultation video calls; Behavioral: TherapyTrainer; Behavioral: AI-enhanced Web-based training

Detailed Description

This study will enroll behavioral health providers (i.e., professional therapists) and test a training program for Written Exposure Therapy that includes

1. an enhanced, web-based foundational training (web-based training plus integrated TherapyTrainer components) and
2. an AI training support tool for competency development (TherapyTrainer).

This randomized clinical trial will compare web/AI training, among providers who serve Veterans and Service Members, to standard Written Exposure Therapy training (i.e., human-delivered live workshop and consultation calls) on provider, patient, and cost-effectiveness outcomes. There is no cross-over of conditions. Providers in both conditions will be eligible to earn continuing education credits and approval as Written Exposure Therapy Providers who have completed competency based training and two training cases.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 300
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Stefanie Losavio, PhD; Phone Number: (210) 562-6714; Email: ASCENT@uthscsa.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78229
      • University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
      • Contact: Stefanie LoSavio, PhD; Phone Number: (210) 562-6714; Email: losavio@uthscsa.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. mental health provider;
2. serves veterans and/or service members with PTSD (by self-report);
3. willing to participate in either live or web-based training.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. has already completed formal training in Written Exposure Therapy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Workshop + Consultation Calls; 10-hour, live workshop over 2 days with a live trainer via video conferencing. There will also be twelve 1 hour calls with a live therapy consultant .	Behavioral: Live workshop; Approximately 10 hours (excluding breaks) over 2 days with a live trainer via video conferencing (e.g., Zoom); Behavioral: Consultation video calls; Twelve 1-hour calls with a live therapy consultant via videoconferencing (e.g., Zoom)
Active Comparator: Workshop + TherapyTrainer; 10-hour, live workshop over 2 days with a live trainer via video conferencing.There will also be approximately 12 hours of engagement with the AI training support tool (TherapyTrainer)	Behavioral: Live workshop; Approximately 10 hours (excluding breaks) over 2 days with a live trainer via video conferencing (e.g., Zoom); Behavioral: TherapyTrainer; No live meetings, but approximately 12 hours of engaging with the AI training support tool (TherapyTrainer); Other Names: AI Training Tool
Active Comparator: Web-Based Training + Consultation Calls; AI enhanced Web-based training with no live meetings, but approximately 8-10 hours of asynchronous, self-paced training. There will also be twelve 1 hour calls with a live therapy consultant .	Behavioral: Consultation video calls; Twelve 1-hour calls with a live therapy consultant via videoconferencing (e.g., Zoom); Behavioral: AI-enhanced Web-based training; No live meetings, but approximately 8-10 hours of asynchronous training at the learner's pace over about 1 month.
Active Comparator: Web-based Training + TherapyTrainer; AI enhanced Web-based training with no live meetings, but approximately 8-10 hours of asynchronous, self-paced training. There will also be approximately 12 hours of engagement with the AI training support tool (TherapyTrainer)	Behavioral: TherapyTrainer; No live meetings, but approximately 12 hours of engaging with the AI training support tool (TherapyTrainer); Other Names: AI Training Tool; Behavioral: AI-enhanced Web-based training; No live meetings, but approximately 8-10 hours of asynchronous training at the learner's pace over about 1 month.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Provider WET Competency	A 20-item multiple choice treatment knowledge assessment. Higher scores indicate greater knowledge of WET.	Baseline to 7 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Completion of Practice Cases	Number of participants that complete practice cases	4 months
Time to complete Practice Cases	Number of days to complete two training cases (real or simulated)	4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• Collaborators: Boston University; Medical University of South Carolina; Rush University Medical Center; Stanford University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Stefanie LoSavio, PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): August 3, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 10, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Written Exposure Therapy; AI-facilitated training
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Combat Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00002482; HT9425-25-1-0585 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Department of Defense)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The PI will ensure all mechanisms used to share data will include proper plans and safeguards for the protection of privacy, confidentiality, and security for data dissemination and reuse (e.g., all data will be de-identified and will not be traceable to a specific study participant).
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: At study completion and after data analysis is complete
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No