August CBH-Houston Meeting

Andrea J Yatsco, PhD, CADC, LCDC, is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and a Certified Clinical Supervisor. Dr. Yatsco received her PhD in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State and wrote her dissertation on the impact of military service on delinquency and substance use over the life course. Dr. Yatsco is an Assistant Professor at UT Health Houston working as the Director of Operations at the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research, handling clinical research and oversight of direct patient care and community facing initiatives.

This presentation highlights how stigma—from both within and outside the healthcare system—creates barriers to treatment and recovery. Discussion will focus on challenging the misconceptions surrounding substance use disorders and approaches to treatment and explores how stigma affects care, recovery, and community perception. Attendees will learn to recognize bias, reshape language, and implement trauma-informed, person-centered strategies that truly support…