Approximately one in every four to five youths in America meets the criteria for a mental health disorder, and the rate of mental illness is more than twice as high for those ages 18 to 25. To help shed light on the issue and empower athletic training students and athletic trainers with knowledge, Chris Carr, PhD, HSPP, CMPC, will present the webinar "Mental Health and the Role of the Athletic Trainer in Recognition and Referrals" March 27.
The webinar, which is hosted by the NATA Student Leadership Committee, will touch on important and necessary topics, such as the psychological issues related to an injured athlete, athletic training mental health scope of practice, tips and tricks for early recognition of a potential mental health problem, effective referral to a mental health system and eating disorder management.
The webinar will also discuss the importance of being actively prepared by developing a plan to address psychological concerns, such as effectively referring athletes with psychological concerns while minimizing legal risks to the athletic department or other members of the team.
Carr is the sport and performance psychologist and coordinator at St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis. Carr has been the team performance psychologist for the Indiana Pacers since 2011 and the consulting performance psychologist for the Green Bay Packers since 2018. He was the consulting sport psychologist for the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008-11 and is currently serving at the college level as well as working as the consulting sport psychologist for the Butler University and Ball State University athletic departments.
Carr has served on several committees and made significant contributions to literature. He was the first psychologist on the NCAA Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport Committee and served on the first NCAA Student Athlete Mental Health Task Force Meeting held in November 2013. From 2007-19, he coordinated and directed the Big Sky Sport Psychology Conference, an annual meeting of sport psychology professionals.
“Carr is one of the most knowledgeable mental health professionals in this country and has international recognition on sports psychology,” said SLC Chair Midge Peterson. “He has a lot of experience in a wide variety of settings and has worked very closely with athletic trainers at all levels. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees in counseling psychology with an emphasis in sport psychology from Ball State University. He served as the previous president of Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology) of the American Psychological Association and served on the executive committee from 2007-09. Currently, he is serving on the U.S. Olympic Committee Registry of Sport Psychology Providers based at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.”
The SLC-hosted webinar is at noon CST March 27. For more information and details about attending this webinar, visit the student resource page.
The webinar is free and available for all students and athletic training programs throughout the country. There is a limit of 99 guests who are able to enter the conference room to watch the webinar. We suggest that peers and classes watch the webinar together to optimize the amount of people who can tune in.
If you have any questions, reach out to your SLC representative, or visit the Student Professional Interest page. Also make sure to follow the SLC on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To chat with a current SLC member, reach out on social media or email slcoutreachcom@gmail.com.
