Dr. Laurel Franklin, Assistant Chief, Psychology Service, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health  Care System and Clinical Associate Professor, in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral  Sciences at Tulane University School of Medicine was recently honored with the Louisiana Psychological Association’s 2021 award for Contributions in Psychological Science.

“This award is given to an individual who has significantly increased knowledge of psychological  concepts via research and dissemination of research findings,” said program officials. “This year we are recognizing Dr. Laurel Franklin.

“Dr. Franklin’s program of research focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of trauma- and stressor-related disorders, namely posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as  the extension of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD to veterans living in rural and underserved areas throughout Louisiana.

She has published over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts, books, and book chapters and received  over 1.2 million in grant funding throughout her career.”

Dr. Franklin is also the Site Lead, for South Central VA Healthcare Network Mental Illness  Research, Education, and Clinical Center.

Her first author contributions include “The overlap between OCD or PTSD: Examining self- reported symptom differentiation,” published in Psychiatry Research;

“No trauma, no problem:  Symptoms of posttraumatic stress in the absence of a Criterion A stressor,” published in Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment;

“Using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 to examine overlap of PTSD criteria D  and E,” published in Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease;

“Examining various subthreshold definitions of PTSD using the Clinician-Administered PTSD  Scale for DSM-5,” published in Journal of Affective Disorders; and

“27 ways to meet PTSD: Using the PTSDChecklist for DSM-5 to examine PTSD core criteria,”  published in Psychiatry Research.

Dr. Franklin has joined with colleagues to investigate and many other areas of her major topics,  including “Examining the relationships between perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive  symptom dimensions among rural Veterans,” published in Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy;  Anxiety sensitivity and posttraumatic stress symptoms: Associations among female veterans  with a history of military sexual trauma, in Military Psychology, and “Anxiety sensitivity and  substance use: Differential levels across individuals primarily using opioids, cannabis, or  stimulants,” in Addictive Behaviors.

Franklin and Dr. G. Manguno-Mire coauthored the book chapter, “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,” In R. A. Carlstedt (Ed.) Integrative Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry and Behavioral  Medicine: Perspectives, Practices and Research, by Springer Publications.

Along with K. E. Thompson, Franklin authored the book, The Post-Traumatic Insomnia  Workbook: A Step-by-Step Program for Overcoming Sleep Problems After Trauma, by New  Harbinger Publications.

She and Drs. Raines, Boffa, Goodson, and Schmidt, have this year authored a treatment manual, An All-Encompassing Approach to Treating Affective Disorders Via Identification and  Elimination of Safety Aids: A Therapist Guide, a South Central VA Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center publication.

Dr. Franklin, along with Drs. Corrigan, Chambliss, Repasky, Uddo, Walton, and Thompson,  authored another treatment manual, with a 2019 second edition, Stress Less: Relaxation  Enhancement Group Veteran and Therapist Manual, a South Central VA Mental Illness  Research, Education and Clinical Center Publication.

She and Drs. Thompson and Hubbard, authored PTSD Sleep Therapy Group: Training Your Mind and Body for Better Sleep, a South Central VA Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical  Center Publication.

She has been awarded numerous research grants including:

Local Site Investigator (PI: Kehle- Forbes, S.) Comparative effectiveness of trauma-focused and non-trauma-focused treatment strategies for PTSD among those with cooccurring SUD  COMPASS). PCORI Award.

$4,997,116. 2019 Co-Investigator (PI: Ennis, C.). Evaluating the utility of a group-based brief  cognitive-behavioral therapy for suicide prevention. Central MIRECC Pilot Study Program Award: $50,620.

2019 Co-Investigator: (PI: Boffa, J.) All about PTSD: A guide to understanding, managing, and  treating symptoms of traumatic stress. South Central MIRECC Clinical Educator Award: $2,600.

2018 Co-Investigator: (PI: Raines, A.M.) An All-Encompassing Approach to Treating Multiple  Affective Disorders via Identification and Elimination of Safety Aids. South Central MIRECC  Clinical Educator Award: $3,750.

2018 Clinical Consultant: (PI: Raines, A.M.) Evaluating the Utility of a Brief Computerized Anxiety  Sensitivity Intervention for Opioid Use Disorders: A Pilot Investigation. South Central MIRECC  Pilot Study Program Award: $38,161.

2017 Co-Investigator: (PI: Raines, A.M.) Improving Access to Evidence Based Care Among Rural  Veterans using a Transdiagnostic Treatment Approach. VA South Central MIRECC Pilot Study  Program Award: $35,911.

Her editorial appointments include the Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and Journal of Psychological Trauma (formerly Journal of  Trauma Practice).

She is an invited reviewer for many journals including: The American Journal of Psychiatry,  Anxiety and Depression, Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, Cognitive Therapy & Research, Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, and Crisis: Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention.

Dr. Franklin has not only contributed to building scientific evidence, she has many specialized  professional experiences including: VA Certified Cognitive Processing Therapist (CPT), VA  Evidence Based Psychotherapy Initiative; VA Certified Prolonged Exposure Therapist (PE), VA Evidence Based Psychotherapy Initiative; Prolonged Exposure Consultant, National Center for PTSD, Evidence Based Psychotherapy Initiative; Submission Reviewer, Division 56 (Trauma  Psychology), American Psychological Association Conference; Forensic Examiner, New Orleans  Criminal Court; Psychological Examiner, Military Entrance Processing Station (M.E.P.S.), as just a  few examples.