The Spring/Summer Sports Medicine Legal Digest features a Q&A with NATA Mental Health America liaison Timothy Neal, LLMSW, ATC, CCISM, about mental health, substance abuse and the AT’s responsibility. The following is a continuation of this Q&A.

Q. What's the best way to start a discussion with an athlete that an AT suspects as a mental health or substance abuse issue?

The 76th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, set to take place June 24-27 in Orlando, is bringing an enhanced student experience like never before. With the retirement of the Athletic Training Student Seminar, this year’s programming is designed to provide athletic training students with a fully integrated convention experience that bridges the gap between education and real-world practice. Here are three key takeaways from the March/April NATA News article “Student Convention Experience Enhanced,” p.

Since the NATA restructure was announced in November 2024, staff has been evaluating projects, initiatives and workload to ensure the national office is still meeting the members’ needs as we right-size.

As a result of this evaluation process, the NATA Marketing & Communications Department has made the decision to take NATA News from a monthly publication to a bimonthly publication.

The NATA Timely Topics Series has brought athletic training thought leaders and sports medicine practitioners together in an informative virtual forum since 2020. This member-focused resource has fostered discussion to help ATs grow their clinical practice and understanding of hot topics in health care. Each event gives attendees the chance to connect in real time to thought leaders who have anecdotal success within these areas of interest, as well as access to a library of related resources.

The NATA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Council is made up of individuals with one goal – to develop and recommend efforts ensuring the implementation and integration of NATA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) commitments.

Since it was established in 2023, the DEIA Council has pursued this goal by supporting the strategic alignment of all of NATA’s DEIA-related committees and panels. This includes the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee, NATA LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee and NATA Accessibility Panel, the council’s newest addition.

Since 2005, the NATA Political Action Committee (NATAPAC) has been the voice of the athletic training profession, seeking better working conditions, fair access and the right to practice for all athletic trainers across America.

Over the past year, NATAPAC garnered more than $64,000 from 921 contributors between November 2023 and October 2024. View a complete list of the 2023-24 contributing members.

As reported in the article, “AT Burnout Addressed,” on p. 52 of the August/September NATA News, it’s important for ATs to prevent burnout because they are the drivers of their patients’ complete care.

To help athletic trainers navigate burnout, here are some NATA resources for members to support themselves and their peers.
 

The Journal of Athletic Training is pleased to announce a forthcoming thematic issue focused on health information technology (HIT) and health care economics (HCE) in sports medicine. The journal welcomes original research and clinical practice reports that will advance knowledge in the areas of HIT and HCE and impact clinical practice, patient care and outcomes.