Founded in 1972, Tarzana Treatment Centers Inc. (TTC) has integrated behavioral health care with substance abuse, mental health, and physical health treatments in Tarzana, CA. TTC has combined typical alcohol and drug treatment services with medical care, housing, case management, and HIV/AIDS services to form a comprehensive system in delivering professional healthcare. Most recently, TTC has expanded their reach to provide training to future service providers through the Tarzana Treatment Centers College (TTCC).
TTCC is deeply committed to addressing the drug and alcohol epidemic, which has disproportionately impacted the African American community, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Academic Officer and Co-Founder Dr. James B. Golden is using his background and expertise in literature, creative writing, and Black history to reimagine how to help underrepresented areas in Los Angeles and South Central.
Although the college and treatment centers are based in Tarzana, Golden believes that focusing on their two primary goals: improving the quality of care provided to patients and expanding the number of patients who receive that care, deserve proper placement in the areas that directly reflect the need.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, Dr. Golden discusses the impact of his idols and those who have inspired him, his passion for service and what he hopes to leave behind as his legacy, and how members of the community can get involved with TTCC.
Salinas, CA native Dr. James B. Golden, is a Learning and Development Specialist with over ten years of experience in training methodology, design, executive coaching, systems improvement, motivation, cultural competence, and inclusion. He won the 2012 NAACP Image Award for his second volume of poetry entitled “Afro Clouds & Nappy Rain” and the Jesse Redmon Fauset Award for his latest book “Bull: The Journey of a Freedom Icon.”
Dr. Golden earned a Doctor of Psychology degree from Phillips Graduate University, a Master’s of Humanities from Tiffin University, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Cal State Northridge. He has worked as a curriculum advocate, K-12 teacher, and developer of educational programs throughout Los Angeles.
After being recruited by TTC to develop a training program for their 1500 employees, Dr. Golden was called into treatment due to his extensive knowledge and experience in professional training. When asked about the start of TTCC, he shared, “The blend of these two fields was kind of perfect. I didn’t think I would be opening a college, I thought I would onboard as a consultant for a year but right but right before the end of my first year, I’ve now been there for six years, TTC asked if I would be able to open a school specifically to train counselors and better infuse our principals in L.A. and that was the beginning. My parents were bot community activists and they both held the title of NAACP President.”
The Inaugural Salinas Poet Laureate has a passion for activism and equal rights. His writing has been recognized by the National Steinbeck Center as a “phenomenal work of art.” During National Poetry Month (April 2014), Dr. Golden unveiled the historical official city Poem for Salinas entitled “Wave to Salinas.”
He has been an active participant and speaker at the National Hip-Hop Political Convention, Hip-Hop Think Tank Academic Conference, and The National Council for Black Studies Conference. Dr. Golden’s books are currently being used on high school and college campuses around the country as proactive and provocative literature.
“My biggest inspirations have been James Baldwin, Nikki Geovanni, Langston Hughes, and Audre Lorde. I love this idea of being able to impact Black and Brown communities with a school that would greatly impact our world,” he noted.
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“We went through all the State approvals and through the Office of Education to make something that could leave a legacy in our community similar to the work that Charles Drew has done, the work that has been done around putting arms around Black and Brown people and giving them a place that is properly and professionally developed and created on this UCLA level without the high costs to students.”
When discussing TTCC Dr. Golden explains, “I started developing and writing all the curriculum in 2019, for all our programs. We have eight different programs that we offer along with substance abuse counseling programs for people who want to assist in drug counseling. I wrote the first medical peer support program in that state and that program is now being taught in multiple jails and prisons in California. As an activist and a writer, if I’m asked to create a college and the classes, we are going to tell the truth.
“We will not solely listen to Western voices or uplift white supremacy in our curriculum, we are going to give students a wide variety of people who look like them to study to ultimately become these amazing drug counselors. We bring in videos, articles, guest speakers, and data that has been collected by Black and Brown bodies so we can understand that we are also a part of the solution aside from the learning. I want my students to be proud and to know that we’re not doing what other schools are doing. When I went through my doctoral program, we studied White men that passed away; Sigmund Freud, Abraham Maslow, etc. who had great ideas but never lived in South Central, never lived in Watts.
“Relation and relatability are key. How can we discuss the opioid epidemic through the lens of rappers today who are dying from opioid overdoses as no one is talking about it in that perspective? We wrote the curriculum for students to be approachable so when they do go in the field to Nickerson Gardens, they can easily relate to the community they serve. Prince died of an opioid overdose, that’s very different from using clinical language to explain the potential outcome of substance abuse.
“In their first month of class, the students have to complete a critical analysis and comparison between the opioid epidemic and the crack epidemic, specifically how people who used crack in the 80s and 90s were treated and seen in the media, and how the response from the government. It’s alarming for the students to learn that terms like crack head, crack baby, or crack mother was a form of racism and directly meant to wear down our community.”
In the pursuit of improving the quality of care to minority patients, this selfless profession requires consistent attention to students, patients, and removing barriers to accessing services, broadening these services to ensure comprehensive care, and providing staff with the infrastructure they need to do their job effectively. In addition to their efforts in combating substance abuse, TTCC also actively engages in supporting the unhoused population, along with those needing assistance with job placement and employment, and individuals who have been justice-impacted in L.A. Their outreach team prioritizes working in the field to connect with real people who experience real hardship.
With the help of his staff and students, Dr. Golden has committed his life to raising awareness about the urgent issues that have plagued the Black community for decades. He encourages the community to get involved to advance this mission of comprehensive and inclusive healthcare.
“We need students from every demographic and background in every corner of L.A. We need all races and people who speak different languages because this is a social movement. We need our college to reflect our community if we’re going to heal. If you can come and get trained and go back to your community, they’re more likely to listen and feel more comfortable speaking,” he said.
“We have written so many programs where we can almost subsidize all our students. I don’t think people should have to pay to go to school to help the community. I want the community to know that we need you and we need Black and Brown counselors.”
Learn more about the Tarzana Treatment Centers College and how to get involved at www.ttccollege.org/.
