Coffman-Crothers Training Program
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Clinical Center
625 Wham Drive Mailcode 4602
Wham Building Room 141
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
618-453-2361 | F: 618-453-6130
ClinicalCenter@SIU.edu
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Mission Statement
The Coffman-Crothers Training Program for Trauma and Psychological Health based at the Clinical Center at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale is dedicated to establishing and funding a psychological training program focused on treating adults with complex trauma and dissociation. Future trainings may focus on additional psychological health issues.
National and international Trauma and Dissociation experts are consulted by Coffman-Crothers to ensure that the trauma and dissociation training opportunities provided meets the evidenced-based professional standards and best practices established by the American Psychological Association
Coffman-Crothers is committed to giving SIU graduate students opportunities for training in complex trauma and dissociation for them to develop the unique skills necessary to provide appropriate counseling services to survivors of trauma and dissociation.
In addition, Coffman-Crothers will include University faculty and staff and community licensed or certified psychologists and counselors in training opportunities that are designed to equip them with the unique therapeutic skills necessary to provide treatment to adult survivors of complex trauma or dissociation.
The training may include workshops, seminars, symposium, or a conference.
About
Martha C. Crothers, Ph.D. founder of the Coffman-Crothers Training Program for Trauma and Psychological Health is a three-degree alumnus of SIUC. She received her B.S. in Recreation for Special Populations in 1973 working with the consulting founder of the Special Olympics, Dr. Bill Freeberg. She began her counseling career working for the South Carolina Department of Mental Health as a Behavioral Counselor at a residential treatment summer camp for children with behavioral disorders. She worked as a Special State Consultant for the HeadStart Training Center at Kentucky State University. While working for KSU she provided consultant services to teachers in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian school systems, helping to mainstream children with disabilities into HeadStart classrooms. She returned to SIU to complete her Masters degree and worked as the Clinical Director of Aeon Alternatives Program, Inc. Aeon specialized in using group therapy to provide drug abuse treatment and early intervention services to the residents of Carbondale, Illinois. She completed her M.S. degree in Educational Psychology in 1980. While studying for her Ph.D. she worked in adult literacy and helped establish several local not-for-profit agencies. She taught psychology and sociology courses at John A. Logan College. She completed her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision in 1998. She began working at SIUC in the Dept. of Educational Psychology and Special Education teaching education and counseling classes in 2003 retiring as a Senior Lecturer in 2014. She was a Licensed Professional Counselor.
Janet M. Coffman, Ph.D. retired from Southern Illinois University in 2007 as the Director of the Counseling Center. She was a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in private practice in Carbondale, Illinois for many years. She began her career at SIU as the Director of Career Counseling in 1980. She was appointed the Director of SIU Counseling Center in 1985. She received SIUC Women of Distinction award in 1990. She received her B.A. from McMurry University in Abilene, Tx and her M.S.in 1978 and Ph.D.in 1980 in Counseling and Personnel Services from Purdue University. During her career Dr. Coffman was a Visiting Assistant Professor in Dept of Psychology and Counseling at Pittsburg State University, and a Medical Sociologist Research Assistant, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
Who Should Participate?
Licensed psychologists, professional counselors, and other clinical practitioners from southern Illinois, the region or the nation and SIU faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to participate.
Decisions regarding training content are made in consultation with SIU programs including but not limited to the Clinical Center, Counseling and Psychological Services. SIU School of Medicine, and the College of Health and Human Sciences. Community licensed or certified psychologists and counselors are consulted as well.
Continuing Education credits are offered for all training through the approval of the American Psychological Association, Illinois Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, National Board of Certified Counselors and/or Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation licensure requirements for psychologists and professional counselors.
History
Dr, Crothers began her association with SIUC as a high school theater intern in the summer of 1968. She returned to SIU as a freshman in 1969. In addition to being a 3-degree graduate, Dr. Crothers also worked as a student worker, civil service, extra help, administrative professional, and faculty employee. She clearly has demonstrated her longtime commitment to SIUC and southern Illinois.
Dr. Crothers is a survivor of complex trauma and dissociation. Searching for a professional therapist, she was fortunate to be referred to Dr. Coffman. While complex trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder were rarely mentioned in the professional literature at the time, Dr. Coffman diligently provided compassionate and caring treatment to Dr. Crothers. Dr. Coffman searched out and participated in as much training as she could to effectively treat Dr. Crothers and other clients. With Dr. Coffman’s support, Dr. Crothers entered a trauma in-patient hospital unit and was diagnosed with PTSD and dissociation. After she returned home, she continued treatment with Dr. Coffman until they agreed that Dr. Crothers was stable and could be discharged. This Training Program is named in her honor in recognition of the Dr. Coffman’s dedication and compassionate care and treatment to Dr. Crothers and other trauma survivors. Treatment options for complex trauma and dissociation have grown in the last few years; however, comprehensive training for licensed or certified psychologists and counselors especially in rural areas is lacking. This Program intends to change that.
Strategic Plan
Goal 1: To provide the highest quality clinical training opportunities in complex trauma and dissociation to graduate students at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Goal 2: To provide the highest quality clinical training opportunities in adult complex trauma and disassociation to the licensed or certified psychology and counselor faculty and staff at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Goal 3: To provide the highest quality clinical training opportunities in complex trauma and dissociation to licensed or certified psychologists and counselors serving the residents of southern Illinois, the region, or nation.
Goal 4: The best practices clinical training in complex trauma and dissociation provided by Coffman-Crothers to SIUC and southern Illinois licensed or certified psychologists and counselors will give clients and patients at SIUC and in southern Illinois with access to the highest quality client services available to improve their overall psychological health and well-being.
Clinical Training provided by the Coffman-Crothers Training Program will give access to best practice treatments by assisting clinicians to:
- Learn evidenced based strategies for treating adults with complex trauma.
- Learn evidenced based strategies for treating adults with dissociation.
- Learn ethical practices for treating adults with complex trauma and/or dissociation.
- Learn strategies for clinician self-care.
- Learn alternative experiential treatment strategies.