University of Georgia Athletics
Dr. Dylan Firsick with the Georgia soccer team during a game against Kennesaw State at the Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, Georgia on August 24, 2025.
Photo by: Adison Marsh/UGAAA
Bulldogs Leading Charge on Mental Health Emergency Action Plans
September 15, 2026 | General
ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia Athletic Association Mental Health and Performance team recently collaborated with the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) to promote Mental Health Emergency Action Play Development among student-athletes.
UGAAA's Director of Mental Health and Performance, Dr. Dylan Firsick, was a co-author of a consensus statement by the NATA with an objective to provide athletic trainers, team physicians and mental health professionals working with college athletes with updated information on responding to mental health emergencies. Previous guidelines on mental health emergency response had not been published since 2013.
The lead author on the statement is Tim Neal, a certified athletic trainer, NATA Hall of Fame member and licensed social worker who has spent time working with the UGAAA Mental Health and Performance team in curating careful guidelines surrounding mental health emergencies.
"I'm grateful to Tim Neal, our lead author, and all the other contributors on the consensus statement," shared Dr. Firsick. "Mental health emergency response is something we talk about regularly within our sports medicine and mental health and performance departments here at UGA. I'm fortunate to work with a great staff of mental health professionals, and it is encouraging to know that many of our own policies and procedures are reflected in this paper as a recommended standard for emergency response."
The focus of the new guidelines was to create a mental health emergency action plan, with the UGAAA's current medical emergency action plan as a model. The new guidelines help medical professionals to identity and recognize collegiate student athletes with psychological concerns, as well as laying out antecedents and expanded circumstances that may challenge the mental health and wellbeing of a student athlete. Further, the new guidelines provide mental health assessment tactics and referral plans for student athletes in need.
With September being National Suicide Prevention Month, Dr. Firsick and other UGAAA Mental Health and Performance team, which includes Charlotte Warren, Dr. Brad Hambric and Dr. Jenna Tomalski, emphasized the importance of critical response to mental health emergencies. On October 3rd, Georgia football players will take part in Student Athlete Mental Health Week organized nationally by the Hilinski's Hope Foundation by donning 'Mental Health Matters' shirt during pregame warmups before the game against Vanderbilt. Further, UGAAA Sports Medicine professionals will take part in nationwide awareness campaigns and promote open conversations.
During the 2025-26 athletic season, Dr. Firsick sat down with senior tight end Lawson Luckie and fifth year inside linebacker Terrell Foster to highlight resiliency, mental toughness and the importance of open conversations regarding mental health while also encouraging student athletes to take advantage of available mental health resources.
For more information regarding the Dr. Firsick's and the University of Georgia Athletic Association's promotion of mental health emergency plans, visit the full consensus statement available in the latest issue of the National Athletic Trainers' Association Journal of Athletic Training. For more information on Student Athlete Mental Health Week, visit HilinskisHope.org.
UGAAA's Director of Mental Health and Performance, Dr. Dylan Firsick, was a co-author of a consensus statement by the NATA with an objective to provide athletic trainers, team physicians and mental health professionals working with college athletes with updated information on responding to mental health emergencies. Previous guidelines on mental health emergency response had not been published since 2013.
The lead author on the statement is Tim Neal, a certified athletic trainer, NATA Hall of Fame member and licensed social worker who has spent time working with the UGAAA Mental Health and Performance team in curating careful guidelines surrounding mental health emergencies.
"I'm grateful to Tim Neal, our lead author, and all the other contributors on the consensus statement," shared Dr. Firsick. "Mental health emergency response is something we talk about regularly within our sports medicine and mental health and performance departments here at UGA. I'm fortunate to work with a great staff of mental health professionals, and it is encouraging to know that many of our own policies and procedures are reflected in this paper as a recommended standard for emergency response."
The focus of the new guidelines was to create a mental health emergency action plan, with the UGAAA's current medical emergency action plan as a model. The new guidelines help medical professionals to identity and recognize collegiate student athletes with psychological concerns, as well as laying out antecedents and expanded circumstances that may challenge the mental health and wellbeing of a student athlete. Further, the new guidelines provide mental health assessment tactics and referral plans for student athletes in need.
With September being National Suicide Prevention Month, Dr. Firsick and other UGAAA Mental Health and Performance team, which includes Charlotte Warren, Dr. Brad Hambric and Dr. Jenna Tomalski, emphasized the importance of critical response to mental health emergencies. On October 3rd, Georgia football players will take part in Student Athlete Mental Health Week organized nationally by the Hilinski's Hope Foundation by donning 'Mental Health Matters' shirt during pregame warmups before the game against Vanderbilt. Further, UGAAA Sports Medicine professionals will take part in nationwide awareness campaigns and promote open conversations.
During the 2025-26 athletic season, Dr. Firsick sat down with senior tight end Lawson Luckie and fifth year inside linebacker Terrell Foster to highlight resiliency, mental toughness and the importance of open conversations regarding mental health while also encouraging student athletes to take advantage of available mental health resources.
For more information regarding the Dr. Firsick's and the University of Georgia Athletic Association's promotion of mental health emergency plans, visit the full consensus statement available in the latest issue of the National Athletic Trainers' Association Journal of Athletic Training. For more information on Student Athlete Mental Health Week, visit HilinskisHope.org.
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