Project Director Dr. Metzger is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist focused on consulting and supervising the delivery of evidence-based treatments to underserved individuals seeking treatment for problems related to trauma exposure, anxiety and mood, substance misuse, and risky sexual behaviors. Dr. Metzger is the lead on planning and executing tasks necessary to meet project goals and objectives in evidence-based trauma, HIV, and substance misuse prevention and treatment for racial/ethnic minorities in the community. Lead Navigator Luisa is our Lead Navigator in charge of daily project tasks including creating new partnerships, developing sustainable and culturally competent plans for substance use and HIV prevention, developing and implementing navigation services, and identifying and providing opportunities for screening and testing. She will be the main point of contact for all of our community partners. Research Coordinator Briana has expertise in examining the implications of cultural coping mechanisms on mental health outcomes for African American women, as well as interests in developing culturally-adapted interventions for African Americans. Briana will bring her experience as a community liaison with prevention and treatment for trauma exposed African Americans in community organizations, she assists the Project Director and Lead Navigator in all aspects of Project NaviGAte's program activities. Evaluator Our Evaluator, Dr. Carter has expertise in evaluating prevention programming for racial/ethnic minorities, specifically African Americans, in healthcare/community settings. Dr. Carter will take the lead on evaluating the project's navigation services. Technology-Based Prevention Expert Dr. Gilmore has expertise in evidence-based technology-based prevention for substance use and HIV, treatment of individuals living with HIV and/or misuse substances, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Dr. Gilmore with Co-Lead a Practicum experience for Project NaviGAte's Public Health Messaging Campaign. Substance Use Prevention Expert Dr. Leone brings her expertise in evidence-based substance use prevention and treatment, and culturally tailored prevention and treatment for substance use to the team. Dr. Leone will be Co-Leader of Project NaviGAte's Public Health Messaging Campaign Practicum. Consultant Expertise in mental health among trauma exposed Black women and Assistant Professor at Spelman College (a historically Black college for women).
Consultant Expertise in treatment of trauma exposed racial/ethnic minorities within Grady Hospital and other trauma centers in the greater Atlanta area.
Project NaviGAte will provide much needed navigation services to connect community based organizations and facilitate referrals to increase service utilization for underserved communities.
Project NaviGate will also conduct a Community Needs Assessment (CNA), develop and disseminate a public health messaging and awareness campaign, increase organizations' capacity to deliver culturally informed services, and provide HIV and substance misuse screenings to help facilitate prevention and treatment in 4 of the 48 federally-designated "hotspots" hardest hit by the HIV epidemic: Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties in Georgia. Project NaviGAte Goals 2021-2025:
Project NaviGAte Impact Area:
Project NaviGAte Community Needs Assessment: Excited about this Research? Help us! Project NaviGAte targets two pervasive public health concerns, HIV and substance misuse among at-risk and underserved communities, specifically trauma-exposed racial/ethnic minorities in 4 of the 48 federally-designated “hotspots” hardest hit by the HIV epidemic: Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties in GA.
If you are a community organization that serves ethnic minorities who are at risk for or experiencing trauma, HIV, or substance misuse, we need you to share our Community Needs Assessment form with your clients in these counties. If you are able to help share our flyer and place our survey posters, please email us!
Project NaviGAte has a fully funded five year mission to empower community services through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This grant allows for connecting community organizations and disseminating research to improve prevention and treatment of trauma, HIV, and substance misuse with a focus on increasing service awareness, access, and utilization for ethnic minority communities in Georgia, and is overseen by Dr. Isha Metzger, Director, The EMPOWER Lab. Special Thanks to our Community Partners:
The EMPOWER Lab aims to reduce mental health disparities through increasing engagement in mental health treatment, community outreach, education and training, and research focusing on the Black community.
We provide media to improve the lives and well-being of individuals through our social media platforms, which provide access to our ongoing Black and EMPOWERED Podcast episodes, public health messaging campaign, C.A.R.E. Package for Racial Healing, relevant news and policy updates, infographics and research summaries, as well as other psychoeducational materials and evidence-based coping strategies aimed at reducing mental health disparities among African American youth.
The Black and EMPOWERed Podcast On each episode of the Black and EMPOWERed Podcast we highlight Black excellence, talk about the science of physical, mental, and behavioral health, and interview experts in the field. Join the EMPOWER lab and friends by subscribing through Podbean or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Racial Trauma Guide
These guides were developed by the UGA Racial Trauma Task Force (Violeta Rodriguez, Dominique La Barrie, Miriam Zegarac, Lisa Bartolomeo, Tosin Adesogan, Kharine Jean, Kelly Rea, & Dr. Karen Smith), with substantial support from Dr. Isha Metzger, Latisha Swygert, Briana Spivey and the EMPOWER Lab.
Public Health Campaign
Below is a link to our Public Health Messaging Campaign that seeks to educate the community about the harmful effects of racial stressors and spread awareness about ways to cope with our friends, families, and neighbors! Contact us if you would like to display one of our posters or yard signs.
C.A.R.E. Package for Racial Healing The C.A.R.E. Package for Racial Healing focuses on "Cultivating Awareness, Resilience, and Empowerment" for Black youth to help Black teens explore racial identity, racial socialization, relaxation, emotion regulation, and behavioral strategies for coping with experiences with racial stressors.
Please let us know if you would like to help partner with us to expand the capacity and quality of trauma, mental heath, and substance abuse prevention and treatment practitioners and to reduce the health disparities among minorities and communities with the highest risks.
Racial Trauma can result from major experiences with racism such as hate crimes, or it can stem from an accumulation of many daily occurrences or vicariously witnessing police brutality online.
Online community conversations that spotlight the hashtag #RacialTrauma IsReal are helping raise awareness of mental health tools for survival and care specific to racial trauma. Follow us on social media to join in on these conversations and many others!
For us to begin addressing racial trauma, we must first learn to recognize its signs, both within ourselves and in those around us. Mental health effects of racial trauma include abrupt changes in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors... See More
It’s @samhsagov’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Prevention Week! The first step to reducing substance abuse and improving mental health care is to spread information and raise awareness. — @TheEMPOWERLab
Swipe left for this week's research spotlight. Drs. Kaitlin E. Bountress, Isha W. Metzger, Jessica L. Maples-Keller, and Amanda K. Gilmore found that their intervention was effective in reducing some, but not all, sexually... See More
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