How to Get Involved with ISTSS

There are many ways for ISTSS members to participate actively in the life of the Society and many reasons to get involved including: develop relationships and network with colleagues with shared interests, build a domain of expertise, contribute to the field of traumatic stress studies, and enrich your professional career through involvement in ISTSS.

"ISTSS is my professional home. I love connecting with others who 'get it' about trauma and traumatic stress"

"The chance to engage with clinicians who work in other parts of the world, or with people who have experienced different types of trauma, has been so valuable to my own clinical work."

"At the first ISTSS meeting I ever attended, I struck up a conversation with someone who was presenting a poster--that conversation turned into a long-term collaboration and friendship!"

Join and participate actively in a Special Interest Group (SIG) that relates to your work
ISTSS members work together in SIGs addressing a wide variety of topics and interests in the trauma field, such as Complex Trauma, Child Trauma, Military Trauma, Early Intervention, or Trauma and Substance Use. SIGs convene during the Annual Meeting and interact throughout the year via online discussion groups that are open exclusively to ISTSS members. Members are encouraged to join existing SIGs and to create SIGs in new, unexplored areas.
Volunteer to serve on a committee
ISTSS activities and programs depend on the work of an array of standing committees and time-limited task forces. Serving on a committee or task force requires regular commitment of time and energy, and offers a chance to be of assistance to the Society while getting to know other ISTSS members.
Submit an article to Traumatic StressPoints, the ISTSS newsletter
Traumatic StressPoints is a vehicle for rapid dissemination of news, recent advances, issues, controversies, concerns, or innovations in research or applied contexts. The newsletter is published on the Web six times/year, and reaches the entire ISTSS membership and other interested professionals.
Be an active participant in the next Annual Meeting
Before the meeting:
- Submit an abstract for a poster or an oral presentation to share your work
- Reach out to colleagues you would like to see at the meeting and make sure they register to attend

At the meeting:
- Attend the ISTSS Business Meeting to learn more about the Society
- Participate in a Special Interest Group meeting
- Attend at least one program session in an area that is totally new to you
- Attend a workshop, pre-meeting institute, or Learning Collaborative to develop treatment skills
- Come to the poster sessions and chat with presenters
- Actively reach out to meet new colleagues
If you're a student or a trainee, participate in the ISTSS Student Section.
The ISTSS Student Section helps student members increase their involvement in trauma-related training and research by sponsoring programs and activities with special relevance for those in training.
Search the member directory to find colleagues near you, or colleagues with shared interests
Learn more about how ISTSS is organized and how we get things done.