1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation: Implications for Mood, Behavior, Cognition, and Physical Health is presented by Jerrod Brown, PhD, as part of the Integrated Behavioral Health Certificate.

This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards the Integrated Behavioral Health Certificate and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues.

Designed specifically for professionals navigating the realms of integrated behavioral health, this program offers an overview of the intricate mechanisms behind inflammation. This biological response shields the body against infections, toxins, and injuries. While this process is crucial for survival, persistent low-grade inflammation can become detrimental. Indeed, chronic inflammation is implicated in a myriad of adverse health outcomes, such as obesity, accelerated aging, the emergence of a plethora of diseases, and even psychological distress.

This program's primary focus is chronic inflammation's role in mood, behavior, cognition, and physical health. It offers an in-depth look at the interplay between stress and our bodies, illuminating the effects on our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Furthermore, it provides valuable insights into toxic stress exposure, trauma, and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, critical factors in understanding chronic inflammation. Empirically based research findings are highlighted throughout this program.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe and distinguish inflammation and chronic low-grade inflammation
  • 2 Describe the causes and red flag indicators of chronic low-grade inflammation
  • 3 Describe the consequences of chronic low-grade inflammation on mood, behavior, cognition, and physical health
  • 4 Describe possible treatment and intervention options to address chronic low-grade inflammation through a behavioral health lens
  • 5 Describe relevant and up-to-date research findings

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for early- to mid-career behavioral health professionals seeking to expand their knowledge of the biological foundations of mental and physical health. The program is particularly relevant for those specializing in integrated behavioral health and working in settings that prioritize holistic, interdisciplinary care, such as primary care clinics, community health centers, and behavioral health practices.

  • Experience Level

    This training is applicable for all early and mid career professionals. This training is not intended for advanced or highly specialized professionals in biological psychiatry or neuroscience.

  • Practice Setting

    • Psychologists, social workers, and counselors

    • Professionals working in integrated behavioral health settings

    • Those employed in primary care clinics, community health centers, or holistic behavioral health practices

    • Individuals interested in interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to patient care

Presented By

Jerrod Brown, PhD

Jerrod Brown, PhD, is the Treatment Director for Pathways Counseling Center, Inc., the lead developer of an online Master of Arts degree in Human Services with an emphasis in Forensic Behavioral Health from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota, the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS), and the Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Scholars Today (FST) and the Journal of Special Populations (JSP).

View More Programs from this Presenter
Jerrod Brown, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Inflammation

  • Red flag indicators of chronic low grade inflammation

  • Consequences of low grade inflammation

  • Treatment and intervention observations

Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
View Certificates

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.