frequently asked questions -- All Questions
How was Seeking Safety developed?
The model was developed over a ten-year period beginning in the early 1990’s under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Clinical experience and research studies informed revisions of the manual, resulting in the final published version in 2002.
What are the key principles?
Seeking Safety is based on five central ideas: (1) Safety as the priority of treatment. (2) Integrated treatment.(3) A focus on ideals. (4) Four content areas: cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, and case management. (5) Attention to clinician processes. You can read more about these ideas if desired.
Additional features include simple, human language and themes (i.e., accessible language that avoids jargon); treatment methods based on educational strategies to increase learning; a focus on potential; emphasis on practical solutions; and an urgent approach to time. See also chapters that describe the model. The Seeking Safety book describes how it differs from existing treatments, such as dialectical behavior therapy, relapse prevention, and other therapies.
Who is it designed for?
Seeking Safety can be used with any client. It has been successfully implemented with adults and adolescents (ages 13 and up); diverse ethnicities and cultures; all types of trauma, all types of addiction; and for clients who many have neither trauma or addiction, but need help to improve their coping skills. It was designed for all genders-- the first study was on women, but by the time the book was published it had been written and evaluated on males, females, and across gender identities. Clients can be in any level of care (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential) and do not have to meet criteria for PTSD or substance abuse. Seeking Safety is known for its relevance in particular to vulnerable populations including homeless, criminal justice, domestic violence, people living with HIV, severe and persistent mental illness, veterans, military, and others.
Who can conduct Seeking Safety?
Anyone can conduct Seeking Safety. It does not require any specific degree, licensure, or certification (unless a research study is being conducted; if that is the case, please contact [email protected]). Seeing Safety is an extremely safe model that teaches present-focused coping skills. It has been successfully implemented by professionals of all sorts, paraprofessionals, advocates, and peers. We are happy to report that we have never heard of adverse events related to Seeking Safety in the over 20 years of its having been used in settings all over the U.S. and internationally. Moreover, training and certification are available in many forms, but is not required (unless research is being conducted on it). We take a very strong public health approach to treatment and strive to create models that can be widely used, at low cost, and with few obstacles to implementation. [Read here about Guilford Press statement, if needed.]
Is Seeking Safety evidence-based?
Yes. In fact, it is the only model for co-occurring PTSD and substance abuse currently classified as "strongly supported by research." See the summary of research. The evidence base includes pilot studies, controlled trials, multisite trials, and dissemination studies. The studies address various populations and formats (both group and individual treatment), and are notable for including highly complex populations that are typically excluded from PTSD studies (e.g., people with homelessness, domestic violence, substance dependence, drug use disorders). Other research is underway. Note: if you hear someone say Seeking Safety is not evidence-based, please have them contact us-- they are not current on the state of the evidence. We are happy to help provide them with up-to-date information.
What is the content?
Seeking Safety offers 25 treatment topics, each with a clinician guide and client handouts. But you don't have to do all 25 (see next FAQ). Also, you can conduct each topic in a session or more than one (e.g., spread over two sessions). The seven interpersonal topics are Asking for Help, Honesty, Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Healthy Relationships, Community Resources, Healing from Anger, and Getting Others to Support Your Recovery. The seven behavioral topics are Detaching from Emotional Pain: Grounding, Taking Good Care of Yourself, Red and Green Flags, Commitment, Coping with Triggers, Respecting Your Time, and Self-Nurturing. The seven cognitive topics are PTSD: Taking Back Your Power, Compassion, When Substances Control You, Recovery Thinking, Integrating the Split Self, Creating Meaning, and Discovery. The four combination topics are Introduction to Treatment / Case Management, Safety, The Life Choices Game (Review) and Termination. You can read a brief description of each topic; and examples of the full topics Asking For Help, Compassion, and Red and Green Flags.
Do I have to do all 25 topics?
No. The model was designed so that you can do as many or as few as time allow. Each of the 25 topics is independent of the others so you can decide which ones to conduct, in any order and any number. The model was designed for a very high level of flexibility as clients with trauma and/or substance abuse appear in so many different settings, with varied lengths of stay. You can also decide to do Seeking Safety in segments, such as offering the first 4 topics (or 8 or 12), then clients decide if they want to do the next 4 (or 8 or 12), etc.
If I have time for only a few topics, which would be best?
Any that you select are fine. It time is limited, some of the key topics are: Safety; Detaching from Emotional Pain (Grounding); Asking for Help; Honesty; Taking Good Care of Yourself; Compassion; Recovery Thinking; and Healing From Anger. Depending on the client, PTSD: Taking Back Your Power or When Substances Control You may also be key topics. For a brief treatment, try to choose topics that the client is not receiving elsewhere. For example, Coping with Triggers can be helpful, but if the client has other substance abuse treatment, triggers may be covered there.
Can it be conducted in large groups?
Yes, any group size is possible. For very large groups (too many to do the check-in and check-out with all of the clients), use this procedure: ask the first check-in question and then say, "Who would like to answer?" and allow just 2-3 people to respond. Then ask the second check-in question, and now have several other clients respond, and so on with all check-in questions. This keeps the check-in and check-out present so clients will still focus on these important questions, but without having everyone have to answer.
Is it a stand-alone treatment?
It can be used alone or in combination with any other treatments. The Case Management and Community Resource topics help refer clients to additional treatments that may be beneficial.
Is the goal abstinence from substances?
Seeking Safety provides various options for reducing use, in keeping with current research and understanding about addiction. You can use an abstinence approach (clients give up all substances), harm reduction (decreasing use, perhaps with an ultimate goal of abstinence), or controlled use (decreasing use to a safe level). Your approach will depend on your and your program's philosophy, the client’s needs, and other factors. See the topic When Substances Control You.
Is Seeking Safety encouraging people to avoid the past?
No. Seeking Safety focuses on the present but this does not mean it encourages avoidance of the past. Clients name their traumas as part of Seeking Safety and explore in depth how it impacts them in the present. The key principle is “headlines not details”—they are simply asked not to go into detailed exploration of it, as that would be a different type of therapy that is not part of Seeking Safety. Seeking Safety can be used with any other therapy or treatment the client needs or wants, including past-focused models (e.g., exposure therapy or EMDR for PTSD). Many clinicians find that Seeking Safety helps client tolerate past-focused models as it strengthens their ability to cope. One study in fact successfully combined Seeking Safety and Exposure Therapy (Najavits et al., 2005_); and another combined it with EMDR (Susan Brown, unpublished).
The model was developed over a ten-year period beginning in the early 1990’s under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Clinical experience and research studies informed revisions of the manual, resulting in the final published version in 2002.
What are the key principles?
Seeking Safety is based on five central ideas: (1) Safety as the priority of treatment. (2) Integrated treatment.(3) A focus on ideals. (4) Four content areas: cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, and case management. (5) Attention to clinician processes. You can read more about these ideas if desired.
Additional features include simple, human language and themes (i.e., accessible language that avoids jargon); treatment methods based on educational strategies to increase learning; a focus on potential; emphasis on practical solutions; and an urgent approach to time. See also chapters that describe the model. The Seeking Safety book describes how it differs from existing treatments, such as dialectical behavior therapy, relapse prevention, and other therapies.
Who is it designed for?
Seeking Safety can be used with any client. It has been successfully implemented with adults and adolescents (ages 13 and up); diverse ethnicities and cultures; all types of trauma, all types of addiction; and for clients who many have neither trauma or addiction, but need help to improve their coping skills. It was designed for all genders-- the first study was on women, but by the time the book was published it had been written and evaluated on males, females, and across gender identities. Clients can be in any level of care (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential) and do not have to meet criteria for PTSD or substance abuse. Seeking Safety is known for its relevance in particular to vulnerable populations including homeless, criminal justice, domestic violence, people living with HIV, severe and persistent mental illness, veterans, military, and others.
Who can conduct Seeking Safety?
Anyone can conduct Seeking Safety. It does not require any specific degree, licensure, or certification (unless a research study is being conducted; if that is the case, please contact [email protected]). Seeing Safety is an extremely safe model that teaches present-focused coping skills. It has been successfully implemented by professionals of all sorts, paraprofessionals, advocates, and peers. We are happy to report that we have never heard of adverse events related to Seeking Safety in the over 20 years of its having been used in settings all over the U.S. and internationally. Moreover, training and certification are available in many forms, but is not required (unless research is being conducted on it). We take a very strong public health approach to treatment and strive to create models that can be widely used, at low cost, and with few obstacles to implementation. [Read here about Guilford Press statement, if needed.]
Is Seeking Safety evidence-based?
Yes. In fact, it is the only model for co-occurring PTSD and substance abuse currently classified as "strongly supported by research." See the summary of research. The evidence base includes pilot studies, controlled trials, multisite trials, and dissemination studies. The studies address various populations and formats (both group and individual treatment), and are notable for including highly complex populations that are typically excluded from PTSD studies (e.g., people with homelessness, domestic violence, substance dependence, drug use disorders). Other research is underway. Note: if you hear someone say Seeking Safety is not evidence-based, please have them contact us-- they are not current on the state of the evidence. We are happy to help provide them with up-to-date information.
What is the content?
Seeking Safety offers 25 treatment topics, each with a clinician guide and client handouts. But you don't have to do all 25 (see next FAQ). Also, you can conduct each topic in a session or more than one (e.g., spread over two sessions). The seven interpersonal topics are Asking for Help, Honesty, Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Healthy Relationships, Community Resources, Healing from Anger, and Getting Others to Support Your Recovery. The seven behavioral topics are Detaching from Emotional Pain: Grounding, Taking Good Care of Yourself, Red and Green Flags, Commitment, Coping with Triggers, Respecting Your Time, and Self-Nurturing. The seven cognitive topics are PTSD: Taking Back Your Power, Compassion, When Substances Control You, Recovery Thinking, Integrating the Split Self, Creating Meaning, and Discovery. The four combination topics are Introduction to Treatment / Case Management, Safety, The Life Choices Game (Review) and Termination. You can read a brief description of each topic; and examples of the full topics Asking For Help, Compassion, and Red and Green Flags.
Do I have to do all 25 topics?
No. The model was designed so that you can do as many or as few as time allow. Each of the 25 topics is independent of the others so you can decide which ones to conduct, in any order and any number. The model was designed for a very high level of flexibility as clients with trauma and/or substance abuse appear in so many different settings, with varied lengths of stay. You can also decide to do Seeking Safety in segments, such as offering the first 4 topics (or 8 or 12), then clients decide if they want to do the next 4 (or 8 or 12), etc.
If I have time for only a few topics, which would be best?
Any that you select are fine. It time is limited, some of the key topics are: Safety; Detaching from Emotional Pain (Grounding); Asking for Help; Honesty; Taking Good Care of Yourself; Compassion; Recovery Thinking; and Healing From Anger. Depending on the client, PTSD: Taking Back Your Power or When Substances Control You may also be key topics. For a brief treatment, try to choose topics that the client is not receiving elsewhere. For example, Coping with Triggers can be helpful, but if the client has other substance abuse treatment, triggers may be covered there.
Can it be conducted in large groups?
Yes, any group size is possible. For very large groups (too many to do the check-in and check-out with all of the clients), use this procedure: ask the first check-in question and then say, "Who would like to answer?" and allow just 2-3 people to respond. Then ask the second check-in question, and now have several other clients respond, and so on with all check-in questions. This keeps the check-in and check-out present so clients will still focus on these important questions, but without having everyone have to answer.
Is it a stand-alone treatment?
It can be used alone or in combination with any other treatments. The Case Management and Community Resource topics help refer clients to additional treatments that may be beneficial.
Is the goal abstinence from substances?
Seeking Safety provides various options for reducing use, in keeping with current research and understanding about addiction. You can use an abstinence approach (clients give up all substances), harm reduction (decreasing use, perhaps with an ultimate goal of abstinence), or controlled use (decreasing use to a safe level). Your approach will depend on your and your program's philosophy, the client’s needs, and other factors. See the topic When Substances Control You.
Is Seeking Safety encouraging people to avoid the past?
No. Seeking Safety focuses on the present but this does not mean it encourages avoidance of the past. Clients name their traumas as part of Seeking Safety and explore in depth how it impacts them in the present. The key principle is “headlines not details”—they are simply asked not to go into detailed exploration of it, as that would be a different type of therapy that is not part of Seeking Safety. Seeking Safety can be used with any other therapy or treatment the client needs or wants, including past-focused models (e.g., exposure therapy or EMDR for PTSD). Many clinicians find that Seeking Safety helps client tolerate past-focused models as it strengthens their ability to cope. One study in fact successfully combined Seeking Safety and Exposure Therapy (Najavits et al., 2005_); and another combined it with EMDR (Susan Brown, unpublished).
What training is available?
We are happy to provide various training topics and training formats, which can be flexibly combined to suit your goals. Our training topics include Seeking Safety, fidelity rating, supervisor training, gender-based recovery, trauma-informed care, and more. Our training formats include on-site training, DVD training, fidelity training, supervisor training, theme-based consultation calls, and general phone consultation. We also provide three levels of certification for programs, which are optional for general implementation but this is required for research studies. You can also attend an upcoming training listed in our calendar, obtain a Teaching Guide to help introduce Seeking Safety to your agency, read from our library about implementation.
Who can attend a training?
Anyone can attend. Seeking Safety, for example, has been found to be an extremely safe model. No specific degree, license, or experience is required to conduct Seeking Safety or to attend a training on it. Training can also be helpful to administrators, policy makers, and others who may be interested in learning but may not be planning to conduct the model. Such people may want to attend just the first part of the training (day 1, morning) and then others who will conduct the model would attend the full length of the training. As there is no limit on the number who can attend a training, the more the better-- helping everyone in an agency become trauma-informed and learn about Seeking Safety can be a wonderful way to build sustainability.
Is certification required?
Our goal is to create as few obstacles as possible for implementation, and thus far we have never heard of adverse events with Seeking Safety (it is a very safe model). Thus, certification is not a requirement for typical clinician implementation. However, it can be very helpful to verify and improve the quality of delivery of Seeking Safety. We offer three levels of certification. Note that certification is required for research studies where the results will be published or made publicly available.
Is training and/or fidelity required?
It depends on the goal. To achieve fidelity in the model, training and review of actual session tapes and/or consultation calls is needed to verify the quality of work being conducted. As stated above, this is required for research studies. However, for clinical implementation (outside of research), training and fidelity are optional. Indeed, clinicians who simply want to use the model on their own, without formal training, have done so successfully for over 20 years and we have not heard of any adverse events when done in this way. Training can also be helpful to help introduce the model, to inspire confidence in using it, and to discuss specific implementation issues. Training is offered in various ways; see next FAQ.
What are training options?
Training options include the following. See also our Fact Sheet on Training for more detail on costs of setting up on-site training and phone consultation.
For more on training in general, see training.
Where can I find an existing Seeking Safety training?
See the calendar.
Can I get into a training that is listed as "closed"?
Thanks for your interest. Unfortunately, any training listed as "closed" does not allow people outside the agency to attend. Please keep checking our Training page calendar as new trainings are being set up all the time, and there may be one set up in your area that is open to the public.
What does training cost?
If you would like to organize a training at your site, the cost will depend on factors such as length and which of our associates provides it. Please see our Fact Sheet on Training for costs (they are listed in section 6 of that document). If you would like to find out the cost to attend an open training listed on the training calendar, please contact the organizer listed.
Who conducts training?
We have a training team of experts certified to conduct training on Seeking Safety and other topics; Lisa Najavits also conducts training. All of our team can conduct webinars and travel to other locations. All have been trained by Lisa to conduct the same training she does, using the same slides, videos, and exercises, and are directly supervised by her. We do not provide train-the-trainer as there is no way to determine the quality of that. However, we are happy to offer a Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency and also a Teaching Guide to Introduce A Woman's Path to Recovery. These guides can be used by staff people to provide training within their own agency (but you not to charge people to attend or to provide it outside their own agency unless there is advance written permission; please email [email protected] regarding setting up a written agreement if you are interested in that). We also welcome inquiries from people who are interested in joining our training team as certified trainers; Note that the Seeking Safety training is trademarked and only our team provides the certified training. This is kept in place because we don't actually require training (see elsewhere in the FAQ section), so when training is provided we want to ensure it's high quality.
Is a train-the-trainer option available?
We strongly value options to help improve access. We have created a Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency and also a Teaching Guide to Introduce A Woman's Path to Recovery. This is an excellent option to help your staff learn about Seeking Safety and/or to create sustainability if you have new staff that have not attended a prior training. The facilitator can be anyone in your agency, but ideally will be someone who is already experienced at conducting Seeking Safety. Note that the facilitator cannot call themselves a "trainer," nor charge people to attend, nor provide the teaching to anyone outside their own agency unless you have advance written permission (please contact [email protected]; we're happy to help figure out what would best fit your needs). We set these parameters as it is not possible for us to verify the quality of their work. We do have certified trainers (see the About Us section of our website) if you want a regular training..We also currently offer many other options on training, including onsite training, DVD training series, online training, webinars, and consultation calls that can be used alone or with any of those other options. Finally, please note that if you are interested in becoming one of our certified trainers, we would be happy to set up a time to speak with you. See next FAQ.
How to become a new trainer?
We welcome new trainers! There are a lot of opportunities and our training team is outstanding. Please note that 'trainer' here refers to certified trainers. If you become a certified trainer, you will be paid for each training and have all travel costs covered. We are looking for people who already have experience conducting Seeking Safety. Note that there are no required number of days you need to travel. All of our trainers have other jobs. We offer them training opportunities and they can decide to accept them or not, as fits their schedule. Read more on how to become a trainer for us.
Do you provide fidelity monitoring?
Yes. We provide fidelity monitoring and training, which can be done via phone or onsite. Fidelity monitoring or training is required for research that will be published or made publicly available; and it is an often desired by non-research programs to determine that clinicians are conducting the model with high quality. The clinicians would tape one or more sessions or do a role-play with one of our team, and this work sample would be rated on the Seeking Safety Adherence Scale (also known as a fidelity scale). The clinician receives feedback over the phone and the clinician and/or program can receive the completed adherence scale. Our goal with this certification process is to provide clinically-useful feedback based on real samples of sessions. Once clinicians achieve strong fidelity, they can be identified as “certified.” Note too that we can train others to do fidelity monitoring, which is the lowest-cost way to do it. This involves having a designated person(s) at your location, who receive training on how to use the fidelity scale and then co-rate tapes with one of our associates to verify equivalent ratings. It is generally a quick process. Contact us to learn more about our fidelity options..
We are happy to provide various training topics and training formats, which can be flexibly combined to suit your goals. Our training topics include Seeking Safety, fidelity rating, supervisor training, gender-based recovery, trauma-informed care, and more. Our training formats include on-site training, DVD training, fidelity training, supervisor training, theme-based consultation calls, and general phone consultation. We also provide three levels of certification for programs, which are optional for general implementation but this is required for research studies. You can also attend an upcoming training listed in our calendar, obtain a Teaching Guide to help introduce Seeking Safety to your agency, read from our library about implementation.
Who can attend a training?
Anyone can attend. Seeking Safety, for example, has been found to be an extremely safe model. No specific degree, license, or experience is required to conduct Seeking Safety or to attend a training on it. Training can also be helpful to administrators, policy makers, and others who may be interested in learning but may not be planning to conduct the model. Such people may want to attend just the first part of the training (day 1, morning) and then others who will conduct the model would attend the full length of the training. As there is no limit on the number who can attend a training, the more the better-- helping everyone in an agency become trauma-informed and learn about Seeking Safety can be a wonderful way to build sustainability.
Is certification required?
Our goal is to create as few obstacles as possible for implementation, and thus far we have never heard of adverse events with Seeking Safety (it is a very safe model). Thus, certification is not a requirement for typical clinician implementation. However, it can be very helpful to verify and improve the quality of delivery of Seeking Safety. We offer three levels of certification. Note that certification is required for research studies where the results will be published or made publicly available.
Is training and/or fidelity required?
It depends on the goal. To achieve fidelity in the model, training and review of actual session tapes and/or consultation calls is needed to verify the quality of work being conducted. As stated above, this is required for research studies. However, for clinical implementation (outside of research), training and fidelity are optional. Indeed, clinicians who simply want to use the model on their own, without formal training, have done so successfully for over 20 years and we have not heard of any adverse events when done in this way. Training can also be helpful to help introduce the model, to inspire confidence in using it, and to discuss specific implementation issues. Training is offered in various ways; see next FAQ.
What are training options?
Training options include the following. See also our Fact Sheet on Training for more detail on costs of setting up on-site training and phone consultation.
- On-site training by Lisa and associates. You can attend an existing training (see the calendar) or book one for your agency or co-host one with us. It can be conducted in any length. Typically it ranges from one day to two days, and offers the following topics: background; in-depth description of the model; clinical demonstration of a session; implementation ideas; and experiential exercises (small-group conduct of a session; grounding exercise; role-play of “tough cases”, etc.). The training can be adapted to focus on particular client populations (adolescents, military or veterans, prisoners, women or men, domestic violence, etc.). There is ample time for question-and-answer, and discussion is encouraged. There is no limit on the number of people who can attend a training. Presentations at professional conferences are often shorter, such as a panel or workshop. We provide trainings all over the US and internationally.
- Video training. Four and a half hours of training videos are available.
- Phone consultation can be used either after a training or on its own. It provides support for clinicians who are implementing Seeking Safety, for as few or many phone sessions as desired.
- Certification is also available for programs or researchers who want to determine that clinicians are conducting the model with strong fidelity. There is also Fidelity Rater Training and Certification available, as well as Supervisory Training and Certification available. However, none of these are required to conduct or offer Seeking Safety. It is a very safe model even when conducted without any certification. It is an extremely safe model to conduct, even without any certification, and we strongly value a public health goal of providing easy access to Seeking Safety (i.e., making it easy to use and implement at very low cost). For further information on all types of certification available, please see our Fact Sheet on Training
- Training facilitation guide. The Seeking Safety Training Facilitation Guide is designed for a training facilitator– someone who wants to help staff within an agency to learn about Seeking Safety, but who is not a formal trainer. Please note that to conduct Seeking Safety, you will need the Seeking Safety book (which includes the clinician materials and client handouts). The Seeking Safety Training Facilitation Guide is used in conjunction with the Seeking Safety Training DVDs. You will need to have or order those DVDs to use the Seeking Safety Training Facilitation Guide. Who can be a training facilitator? Anyone in the agency who has at least some clinical background. Click on the link for the Seeking Safety Training Facilitation Guide.
- Note: There is also a Training Facilitation Guide for A Woman's Path to Recovery (the clinician-led model that uses A Woman's Addiction Workbook). You will need to have or order the A Woman's Addiction Workbook to use the Training Facilitation Guide for A Woman's Path to Recovery.
- HIV guide. This guide was written to help HIV/AIDS clients and clinicians in their use of Seeking Safety. The HIV guide is 41 single-spaced pages. It was written by Lisa Najavits as part of a project for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Health, Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. For each topic of Seeking Safety, it provides several pages of client handouts that can be used in conjunction with the regular Seeking Safety book handouts. Pages can be copied for your clinical work with your own clients. It also includes resources for clinicians and background on the intersection between HIV/AIDS, trauma, and substance abuse. Click on the link to obtain the HIV guide. This guide is designed to be used with the Seeking Safety book. You can obtain the Seeking Safety book here.
- Online training. Thank you for your interest in online training related to Seeking Safety. We have 6 courses: 4 are related to the Seeking Safety DVDs, and 2 are related to the Seeking Safety book. Click here for more information.
For more on training in general, see training.
Where can I find an existing Seeking Safety training?
See the calendar.
Can I get into a training that is listed as "closed"?
Thanks for your interest. Unfortunately, any training listed as "closed" does not allow people outside the agency to attend. Please keep checking our Training page calendar as new trainings are being set up all the time, and there may be one set up in your area that is open to the public.
What does training cost?
If you would like to organize a training at your site, the cost will depend on factors such as length and which of our associates provides it. Please see our Fact Sheet on Training for costs (they are listed in section 6 of that document). If you would like to find out the cost to attend an open training listed on the training calendar, please contact the organizer listed.
Who conducts training?
We have a training team of experts certified to conduct training on Seeking Safety and other topics; Lisa Najavits also conducts training. All of our team can conduct webinars and travel to other locations. All have been trained by Lisa to conduct the same training she does, using the same slides, videos, and exercises, and are directly supervised by her. We do not provide train-the-trainer as there is no way to determine the quality of that. However, we are happy to offer a Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency and also a Teaching Guide to Introduce A Woman's Path to Recovery. These guides can be used by staff people to provide training within their own agency (but you not to charge people to attend or to provide it outside their own agency unless there is advance written permission; please email [email protected] regarding setting up a written agreement if you are interested in that). We also welcome inquiries from people who are interested in joining our training team as certified trainers; Note that the Seeking Safety training is trademarked and only our team provides the certified training. This is kept in place because we don't actually require training (see elsewhere in the FAQ section), so when training is provided we want to ensure it's high quality.
Is a train-the-trainer option available?
We strongly value options to help improve access. We have created a Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency and also a Teaching Guide to Introduce A Woman's Path to Recovery. This is an excellent option to help your staff learn about Seeking Safety and/or to create sustainability if you have new staff that have not attended a prior training. The facilitator can be anyone in your agency, but ideally will be someone who is already experienced at conducting Seeking Safety. Note that the facilitator cannot call themselves a "trainer," nor charge people to attend, nor provide the teaching to anyone outside their own agency unless you have advance written permission (please contact [email protected]; we're happy to help figure out what would best fit your needs). We set these parameters as it is not possible for us to verify the quality of their work. We do have certified trainers (see the About Us section of our website) if you want a regular training..We also currently offer many other options on training, including onsite training, DVD training series, online training, webinars, and consultation calls that can be used alone or with any of those other options. Finally, please note that if you are interested in becoming one of our certified trainers, we would be happy to set up a time to speak with you. See next FAQ.
How to become a new trainer?
We welcome new trainers! There are a lot of opportunities and our training team is outstanding. Please note that 'trainer' here refers to certified trainers. If you become a certified trainer, you will be paid for each training and have all travel costs covered. We are looking for people who already have experience conducting Seeking Safety. Note that there are no required number of days you need to travel. All of our trainers have other jobs. We offer them training opportunities and they can decide to accept them or not, as fits their schedule. Read more on how to become a trainer for us.
Do you provide fidelity monitoring?
Yes. We provide fidelity monitoring and training, which can be done via phone or onsite. Fidelity monitoring or training is required for research that will be published or made publicly available; and it is an often desired by non-research programs to determine that clinicians are conducting the model with high quality. The clinicians would tape one or more sessions or do a role-play with one of our team, and this work sample would be rated on the Seeking Safety Adherence Scale (also known as a fidelity scale). The clinician receives feedback over the phone and the clinician and/or program can receive the completed adherence scale. Our goal with this certification process is to provide clinically-useful feedback based on real samples of sessions. Once clinicians achieve strong fidelity, they can be identified as “certified.” Note too that we can train others to do fidelity monitoring, which is the lowest-cost way to do it. This involves having a designated person(s) at your location, who receive training on how to use the fidelity scale and then co-rate tapes with one of our associates to verify equivalent ratings. It is generally a quick process. Contact us to learn more about our fidelity options..
1. What materials are required to implement Seeking Safety?
For clinical use, only the Seeking Safety book is required and all else is optional. The Seeking Safety book includes all of the counselor instructions as well as all of the client handouts that are needed to conduct the model. All counselors need their own book, from they can photocopy the client handouts for their own clients. You can order the book from our store or on amazon.com (although all other Seeking Safety materials can only be ordered from us). Optional materials include Seeking Safety translations, card deck, poster, training videos; on-site training; phone consultation; HIV guide, etc. All of these were developed based on feedback from clinicians who indicated that these would be helpful. See the Store for information.
Seeking Safety was designed to help meet the public health need for a low-cost treatment. Lisa's goal was to create an easy-to-implement model that is sensitive to the often-limited resources of many clients and programs. It has been shown in over 20 years of implementation that it is an extremely safe model even when just the book is used. However, if Seeking Safety is being conducted for research purposes, additional requirements exist for fidelity monitoring and formal training. See Frequently Asked Questions About Research.
2. Are the Seeking Safety materials public domain (free)?
Sorry, no-- they are copyrighted and the copyright is owned by Guilford Press. However, they are quite low cost; for pricing, visit our Store or amazon.com (or in Canda, amazon.ca).
3. Can I copy the handouts?
The short version: each counselor (or other facilitator) using Seeking Safety needs her/his own copy of the book, from which copies can be made for that person's clients. Guilford Press also has a licensing option (see below).
The long version: Guilford Press, which owns the Seeking Safety book copyright, offers the following description of how the book handouts can be copied: "An individual (1 person) can use the handouts without writing for permission. However, a clinic (or agency, program, institution) does not qualify as the 'individual purchaser.' The Limited Duplication License of the publisher (which is also printed inside the Seeking Safety book) is quite specific about what can and can not be done. For clinics or multiple users we ask that they write for permission and tell us how many clinicians would use how many books. If it's only 2 or 3 we might approve this at no charge; otherwise we assess a small licensing fee or ask that they purchase additional copies of the book for multiple users. Part of the reasoning is we want clinicians to have all the necessary background information included in the text when using the handouts." For inquiries on this, contact [email protected] or 800-365-7006. If you do not get a reply, contact us for assistance.
4. Is there an electronic version of the handouts or separate workbook version?
Not at this time. Guilford Press, which owns the copyright, does not provide nor allow these other formats. They believe that the handouts need to be used in conjunction with the clinician guidelines and thus do not want to separate them. The only electronic version is for the blind, for qualified individuals (www.rfbd.org).
5. Can I adapt the Seeking Safety book?
Please note that Seeking Safety is very flexible and thus adaptation is part of the model. Read the Frequently Asked Questions on Implementation for more on this. If, however, you are referring to publishing, researching, or distributing a changed version of Seeking Safety or parts of it (specific handouts), you will need to obtain advance written permission from Guilford Press (800-365-7006, ext. 245; or www.guilford.com and click "permissions"). Also, please contact us as well. It can be very helpful to discuss this with Lisa to hear about options and prior adaptation issues.
6. What languages has the book been translated into?
See our Translations page-- the book has been translated into many languages including Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Polish, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Swedish (handouts only), Vietnamese (a few topics and handouts only), and Portuguese (a few topics and handouts only). Japanese and Arabic are underway. See the Store for information. If you are interested in translating the book, please contact us. We can be helpful in describing the options. However, note that you will need advance written permission from Guilford Press, which we can help facilitate.
7. Is the book updated for DSM-5?
Although the book is not currently updated for DSM-5 criteria, this impact just 2 pages of the 400-page book: the top half of page 118 (PTSD criteria) and page 151 (substance use disorder criteria). You can simply replace these with updated criteria for PTSD and for substance use disorder.
For clinical use, only the Seeking Safety book is required and all else is optional. The Seeking Safety book includes all of the counselor instructions as well as all of the client handouts that are needed to conduct the model. All counselors need their own book, from they can photocopy the client handouts for their own clients. You can order the book from our store or on amazon.com (although all other Seeking Safety materials can only be ordered from us). Optional materials include Seeking Safety translations, card deck, poster, training videos; on-site training; phone consultation; HIV guide, etc. All of these were developed based on feedback from clinicians who indicated that these would be helpful. See the Store for information.
Seeking Safety was designed to help meet the public health need for a low-cost treatment. Lisa's goal was to create an easy-to-implement model that is sensitive to the often-limited resources of many clients and programs. It has been shown in over 20 years of implementation that it is an extremely safe model even when just the book is used. However, if Seeking Safety is being conducted for research purposes, additional requirements exist for fidelity monitoring and formal training. See Frequently Asked Questions About Research.
2. Are the Seeking Safety materials public domain (free)?
Sorry, no-- they are copyrighted and the copyright is owned by Guilford Press. However, they are quite low cost; for pricing, visit our Store or amazon.com (or in Canda, amazon.ca).
3. Can I copy the handouts?
The short version: each counselor (or other facilitator) using Seeking Safety needs her/his own copy of the book, from which copies can be made for that person's clients. Guilford Press also has a licensing option (see below).
The long version: Guilford Press, which owns the Seeking Safety book copyright, offers the following description of how the book handouts can be copied: "An individual (1 person) can use the handouts without writing for permission. However, a clinic (or agency, program, institution) does not qualify as the 'individual purchaser.' The Limited Duplication License of the publisher (which is also printed inside the Seeking Safety book) is quite specific about what can and can not be done. For clinics or multiple users we ask that they write for permission and tell us how many clinicians would use how many books. If it's only 2 or 3 we might approve this at no charge; otherwise we assess a small licensing fee or ask that they purchase additional copies of the book for multiple users. Part of the reasoning is we want clinicians to have all the necessary background information included in the text when using the handouts." For inquiries on this, contact [email protected] or 800-365-7006. If you do not get a reply, contact us for assistance.
4. Is there an electronic version of the handouts or separate workbook version?
Not at this time. Guilford Press, which owns the copyright, does not provide nor allow these other formats. They believe that the handouts need to be used in conjunction with the clinician guidelines and thus do not want to separate them. The only electronic version is for the blind, for qualified individuals (www.rfbd.org).
5. Can I adapt the Seeking Safety book?
Please note that Seeking Safety is very flexible and thus adaptation is part of the model. Read the Frequently Asked Questions on Implementation for more on this. If, however, you are referring to publishing, researching, or distributing a changed version of Seeking Safety or parts of it (specific handouts), you will need to obtain advance written permission from Guilford Press (800-365-7006, ext. 245; or www.guilford.com and click "permissions"). Also, please contact us as well. It can be very helpful to discuss this with Lisa to hear about options and prior adaptation issues.
6. What languages has the book been translated into?
See our Translations page-- the book has been translated into many languages including Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Polish, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Swedish (handouts only), Vietnamese (a few topics and handouts only), and Portuguese (a few topics and handouts only). Japanese and Arabic are underway. See the Store for information. If you are interested in translating the book, please contact us. We can be helpful in describing the options. However, note that you will need advance written permission from Guilford Press, which we can help facilitate.
7. Is the book updated for DSM-5?
Although the book is not currently updated for DSM-5 criteria, this impact just 2 pages of the 400-page book: the top half of page 118 (PTSD criteria) and page 151 (substance use disorder criteria). You can simply replace these with updated criteria for PTSD and for substance use disorder.
1. Is a fidelity scale available?
Yes. There is a free fidelity scale for each model. They can be useful for both clinical and research purposes.
2. What assessments are available?
Our section assessment provides several scales, including fidelity scales (see question above). Ideas for other assessments are in the chapter on assessment. You can also read published research studies to see the assessments others have used.
3. What assessments are recommended?
Assessments can be selected to fit your goals. See the section assessment for suggestions. No particular assessments are necessary to implement Seeking Safety, but assessments can be useful if you want to evaluate outcomes, monitor fidelity, assess quality control, or study your client population.
4. Do you provide consultation on assessments?
Yes. Typically that is done as part of formal consultation.
Yes. There is a free fidelity scale for each model. They can be useful for both clinical and research purposes.
- Seeking Safety fidelity scales (both brief and long versions);
- Woman’s Path to Recovery fidelity scale.(coming soon)
- Creating Change fidelity scale (coming soon)
2. What assessments are available?
Our section assessment provides several scales, including fidelity scales (see question above). Ideas for other assessments are in the chapter on assessment. You can also read published research studies to see the assessments others have used.
3. What assessments are recommended?
Assessments can be selected to fit your goals. See the section assessment for suggestions. No particular assessments are necessary to implement Seeking Safety, but assessments can be useful if you want to evaluate outcomes, monitor fidelity, assess quality control, or study your client population.
4. Do you provide consultation on assessments?
Yes. Typically that is done as part of formal consultation.
1. Is Seeking Safety evidence-based?
Yes. See the website section evidence for more on this.
2. Can I conduct a study on Seeking Safety?
Yes, studies of all kinds are welcome. But be aware that you need to follow our developer-approved standards for that if you will be publishing your results. Here are some suggestions, especially if you do not have experience conducting research::
3. What is necessary for research on Seeking Safety?
If the research will be published, such as a randomized controlled trial, it is essential to obtain training on the model and certification. These are required to assure the quality of delivery of the model. However, if your research is solely for internal use but not for publication, then these are suggested but not required.
4. Do you consult on research studies?
Yes. We are happy to collaborate or consult on studies. We have extensive experience conducting outcome research. We can provide consultation on research design and measures, train you to conduct fidelity monitoring, conduct the evaluation portion of a project, and if desired, can analyze your data and write it up for publication.
5. Can you write a letter of support for our grant?
Yes. Please contact us to discuss what involvement would be helpful if you were to receive the grant (e.g., training? research consultation? evaluation? fidelity monitoring?). Also, please draft the exact letter you would like and specify the deadline.
Yes. See the website section evidence for more on this.
2. Can I conduct a study on Seeking Safety?
Yes, studies of all kinds are welcome. But be aware that you need to follow our developer-approved standards for that if you will be publishing your results. Here are some suggestions, especially if you do not have experience conducting research::
- See the website section evidence for published studies, which can serve as models for research design, assessment, and statistics.
- Be aware that if you plan to publish results of your study, you would need an Internal Review Board.
- Read a basic article to learn what it takes to conduct outcome studies.
- Consider collaborating with a local university academic.
- Consider obtaining consultation from us (see below).
3. What is necessary for research on Seeking Safety?
If the research will be published, such as a randomized controlled trial, it is essential to obtain training on the model and certification. These are required to assure the quality of delivery of the model. However, if your research is solely for internal use but not for publication, then these are suggested but not required.
4. Do you consult on research studies?
Yes. We are happy to collaborate or consult on studies. We have extensive experience conducting outcome research. We can provide consultation on research design and measures, train you to conduct fidelity monitoring, conduct the evaluation portion of a project, and if desired, can analyze your data and write it up for publication.
5. Can you write a letter of support for our grant?
Yes. Please contact us to discuss what involvement would be helpful if you were to receive the grant (e.g., training? research consultation? evaluation? fidelity monitoring?). Also, please draft the exact letter you would like and specify the deadline.