Dear Trinity Families,

Trinity Area School District is proud to partner with the Stop the Judgment Project, an important initiative raising awareness about the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use disorders, especially among young people.

On October 20 and 21, Dr. Thomas Brophy and Mr. Thomas Bott will visit our high school and middle school to meet with students and lead powerful discussions on topics such as:

     - Understanding mental health and substance use disorders
     - How stigma and judgment prevent open conversations
     - Recognizing these challenges as medical issues, not moral failings
     - The importance of compassion, awareness, and support

We are excited to welcome Dr. Brophy and Mr. Bott to Trinity and to empower our students with knowledge and understanding. Please see their biographies below for more information about these presenters!

Warm regards,
Trinity Area School District

Dr. C. Thomas Brophy
Dr. Tom Brophy is a physician with many ties to our local community. He is a graduate of Shaler Area High School and studied neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. He also completed his medical residency at Allegheny General Hospital. He is board-certified in both Addiction Medicine and Emergency Medicine, and lives locally in Hampton Township.

Having grown up with a brother who battled heroin addiction, he witnessed firsthand what substance abuse does to a family, and has always had a passion for fighting the stigma and helping those struggling with addiction. He and his wife have opened and operated several outpatient treatment facilities over the past 10 years. He is currently serving as Medical Director for the Gaiser Center, and helped that facility grow from non-medical to a medically supportive center, which was recently awarded the coveted designation of Center of Excellence in April of 2022 by Governor Wolfe as a direct result of Dr. Brophy’s work.

His dedication to education has resulted in more than 125 Opioid Education Summits for the public. Dr. Brophy has also provided education seminars to dozens of local high schools on  addiction prevention. He is a regular contributor to KDKA (radio and TV), The Tribune Review, and is consulted frequently by peers and colleagues on topics related to addiction. He has received various honors and awards for this work, including a Proclamation Award from Allegheny County in 2017. In 2018 he was honored to be designated as a “Hampton Hero” due to his military background as well as his work on educating local Hampton youth on addiction prevention.

His knowledge of these topics combined with his skill in public speaking has earned him praise from many leaders in both education and healthcare. He and his wife have 3 children; ages 14, 9, and 6. As a local family they are dedicated to making the world a better place, starting right here in their home community.

Mr. Thomas Bott
Thomas Bott co-founded Stop the Judgment Project (STJP) with his wife, Sherry Jo Matt, in honor of their daughter Siena, who tragically died in September 2020 at the age of 21 from fentanyl poisoning. Siena battled mental health disorders throughout her middle and high school years and turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with her illness. The mission of STJP is to bring awareness to the stigma and judgment associated with mental health and substance use disorders
in adolescents and young adults.

Tom earned his law degree from the University of Buffalo Law School. He practiced corporate law in private practice and in-house with several national banking institutions for over 30 years. Tom is currently retired from the practice of law, but is actively involved with STJP. Tom also helps his wife run a successful home staging business.