Dollie Costa, Clark family Foundation Director, Secretary and Treasurer, said, “Clark Family Foundation is concerned with the mental and emotional effects the pandemic will have on children who have had their daily routines disrupted by schools being postponed or held virtually, athletics canceled, family job insecurity, etc.”

Due to the long-term financial struggles and lasting mental health challenges that will loom in the coming months, DLC believes the full impact this pandemic will have on admissions has yet to come. DLC is on the front lines working with those most affected by the mental health impacts of COVID-19, including depression, anxiety, substance use and post-traumatic stress. Those who already struggle with mental health conditions, financial insecurities, or have a prior history of trauma are at increased risk of more ongoing distress.

DLC’s inpatient crisis stabilization and detoxification units, residential, outpatient and community-based care have remained fully operational during the pandemic. To protect the health and safety of clients and staff, DLC quickly mobilized more than 200 clinicians to provide telehealth services, and currently most counseling and medication management services have moved to remote web-based virtual care. However, inpatient, residential and emergency services have remained open. The implementation of CDC guidelines and safety procedures for those programs, including safety equipment, cleaning services and related supplies, have placed increased financial pressures on DLC’s operating budget.

“This generous grant will help offset the increased demand for services and expenses needed to keep clients and staff safe, stable and well,” said Scott Burgess DLC President and CEO. “For our most vulnerable clients, those who are economically disadvantaged with serious mental health challenges, donations such as this are helping DLC address basic needs to assist with families’ overall well-being and alleviate stress so they can focus on their mental health and recovery. We feel blessed and grateful to have this urgent support from the Clark Family Foundation during these trying times.”

About David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health

Southwest Florida nonprofit David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC) is a national leader providing compassionate, advanced, and exceptional mental health, substance use, and integrated healthcare solutions, available for children, adolescents and adults. DLC’s innovative treatment includes inpatient, outpatient, residential, and community-based services – a comprehensive system of care funded by community and government support. Each year, DLC serves more than 9,000 people through over 290,000 treatment sessions. To learn more, please call 239-455-8500 or visit www.DavidLawrenceCenter.org.

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Life has never been more stressful for children and teenagers than it is today.

They’re struggling with school shootings, bullying, pressure to succeed, broken families, self-worth struggles, and more, often leading to anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies. To cope, many kids turn to alcohol and drugs, self-destructive activity, or even suicide.

Many of these issues are addressed in the popular Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, which was just renewed for a third season, coming in 2019. (Also see our story, What You Need to Know About 13 Reasons.)

As part of David Lawrence Center’s #StandUp movement to help struggling youth, we’ve put together two important lists: The first is a list of mental health issues that many kids deal with, and the second is a list of ways DLC can help today.

13 Issues Youth are Facing Today:

1. Suicide
2. Bullying
3. Cutting / Self-Harm
4. Substance Use / Abuse
5. School Violence
6. Anxiety
7. Depression
8. Rape / Sexual Assault
9. Social Problems
10. Sexual Identification/Orientation
11. Social Outcast / Social Rejection
12. Homelessness
13. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

13 Solutions We Can Offer Today:

1. Inpatient Crisis Stabilization
2. Individual Therapy
3. Family Therapy
4. Psychiatric Medical Services
5. Dialectic Behavioral Therapy
6. Partial Hospitalization
7. Community Services
8. Case Management
9. Court-Related Services
10. Art Therapy
11. Equine Assisted Therapy
12. TeleHealth Services
13. Prevention Programs

This is just a sampling of the services and solutions you can find at David Lawrence Centers . We treat hundreds of children and teens every year, and help them find hope and healing.

If you or someone you know is struggling with any of these issues and may need our services, please #StandUp by contacting David Lawrence Centers . We can help!

The post 13 Reasons Why We Can Help appeared first on David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health.

A Master’s Level Certified Addiction Professional designation is a professional substance use disorder credential for those who hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in a related field and have demonstrated competency through training, experience and clinical supervision in the performance domains of clinical evaluation, treatment planning, counseling, case management and referral, client, family and community education, documentation, ethical and professional responsibilities, and supervision.

Morame joined David Lawrence Centers in 2014 as an Acute Care Clinical Supervisor and was later named a clinician where she provides therapy services in both the Children’s Partial Hospitalization Program and Adult Outpatient Services. Prior to joining David Lawrence Centers, she worked at Cotler Health Care & Development, Inc. where she provided clinical services for older adults in long-term care communities.

Morame earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Calvin College and her Master of Social Work from Western Michigan University both in Michigan. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Florida.

Morame speaks English, Creole and French.

Southwest Florida nonprofit David Lawrence Centers is a national leader in providing world-class mental health and substance use solutions for children, adolescents and adults. The Center’s innovative, integrated treatment includes inpatient, outpatient, residential, and community-based services – a comprehensive system of care funded by community and government support. Each year, David Lawrence Centers creates life-changing wellness for more than 9,000 people through over 220,000 treatment sessions. To learn more, please call (239) 491-7602 or visit www.DavidLawrenceCenter.org.

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In the series — based on the book of the same name — a girl named Hannah, who has recently taken her own life, leaves behind a series of tapes explaining the thirteen reasons she committed suicide. Turns out that each of those reasons is a person, someone who said and/or did something that hurt Hannah deeply enough to make her want to kill herself.

I first read the book Thirteen Reasons (on which the series is based) several years ago. With the recent media attention surrounding the TV series, I reread the book and watched the series. The series portrays, in graphic detail, painful events experienced by the main character and issues related to suicide, bullying, sexual assault, and other social issues.

Teenagers I talk to are saying, “It sounds like my school. This is what high school is like.” Maybe so, but mental health experts, including me, have concerns about the potential risks posed by the depiction of youth suicide. The series also highlights the main character’s struggles and the consequences of her decisions, including unintended consequences. It also depicts other characters’ life issues and struggles, and the impact of their decisions — on themselves and other people.

The central concern is that the series may be perceived as romanticizing suicide, while offering no alternatives to struggling children and teens. Children and teen viewers need support from adults to process the events and experiences depicted, and thoughts and emotions that may arise.

For children and teens who are vulnerable due to mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, or other trauma, I would urge them to not watch the show. That said, many have watched it — at home or at a friend’s — without their parents’ knowledge.

I urge parents to initiate open, nonjudgmental conversations with your kids about 13 Reasons Why. These can provide opportunities to discuss issues they may be facing, and to explore decision-making options and the consequences of choices. If needed, such conversations can lead to support and intervention. Help is available.

This is an opportunity for parents to truly listen, to take your child seriously and be willing to offer support and seek help. If your child has watched the show, here are some issues you may want to discuss:

• The importance of treating people with kindness
• Who students can talk to about emotional issues and suicide
• The importance of talking to an adult when things occur that are difficult to handle

Most teens who are thinking about suicide will tell at least one other person about their distress or plans. These communications are not always direct and may be hard to recognize, so it is vital to know some of the key warning signs of suicide:

• Suicidal threats, which can be direct (“I am going to kill myself”) or indirect (“I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up”). They can be either spoken or expressed through some other form of communication, often in online posts.
• Giving away possessions, especially if they hold special meaning.
• Preoccupation with death in conversation, art, or on social media.
• Changes in behavior, appearance, hygiene, sleep, mood, or feelings.
• Loss of or major changes in relationships and social activity.

Emotional distress — feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, or of being a burden to others.

If you or someone you know are considering suicide, please get help immediately. Call 911 if it’s an emergency. Or contact our 24-Hour Emergency Services at (239) 491-7602.

The post What You Need to Know About 13 Reasons appeared first on David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health.

Continual change is one of many commonalities between the psychiatric recovery process and music. These parallels make music therapy especially beneficial to David Lawrence Centers clients as they heal from mental health issues.

The Center’s new music therapy program is developed and implemented in partnership with the Music Therapy Department at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), where I serve as Head of Music Therapy.

What is music therapy? Why is it so powerful for DLC clients, both teens and adults? Most basically, music therapists like myself design music activities that benefit people with disabilities.  We look at the difficulties a person is having, and ask:  How can we design a sequence of music activities that will benefit them?

Musical responses are widely distributed throughout our brain. The ability to play music originates in one area, singing in another, moving to music in yet another.  Music is able to access healthy dimensions of the brain as a starting point for therapeutic change.

Consider the rhythmic aspects of music. Behavior can be organized around the beat, helping clients focus their attention from moment to moment. And music has form, with a beginning, middle and end: order. Such attributes of music help guide clients toward positive thinking strategies and emotional expression in an organized way, in direct contrast to expressions of disability.

Picture this: As a client gets the beat going by drumming or singing, it can refocus them from struggles they’re having. The piece can turn playful; it can be self-expression; it can reflect curiosity. As their piece progresses, the person is no longer identifying as someone with a disability. Instead:  “I’m rewriting a song!” Or, “I’m jamming on drums!”

Because of music’s high degree of repetition, a client can keep repeating a drumming pattern. So now we have the reinforcing element of not just “This is who I am,” but “This is REALLY who I am!”  When another player throws in a little change – a new rhythm or accent — clients learn to cope with the play of continuity and change that life presents. A client might drum a steady rhythm, another adds blues on the guitar, a third adds a lyric.  Each is creating yet also collaborating – just like in real life.  And there are many levels of participation. For a withdrawn teenager, we might simply say, “Hit that cymbal! Give the song a good ending!”

With adults at DLC, we focus on stress-reduction strategies through music. We teach them to move from a stressed to a highly-relaxed state by shifting from a fast-paced to a slower song. The take-away: You can slow yourself down.

I’m supervising FGSU music therapy practicum students in conducting sessions alongside DLC staff. So not only is the program helping clients, it’s helping prepare the next generation of music therapists. Making music brings people with mental health challenges into the world of normalization. “Let’s hit a beat. Let’s sing a song!” When they get into expressing themselves, they realize, “Wow, this feels normal. This feels good!” That reinforces their sense of their own potential for normalcy and health with strengths to take into their day.

The post Music Therapy’s Unique Power to Promote Healing appeared first on David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health.

Being that music and dancing is at the forefront of this signature gala, to be held in the beautiful main ballroom at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Beach Resort on January 13, the gala committee scoured the globe for the best band for the job – the highly sought-after, 13-piece band Big Swing and the Ballroom Blasters.

Nationally acclaimed, Atlanta-based Big Swing and the Ballroom Blasters is well-known for bringing a fresh and distinct style to a traditional swing band performance. With five vocalists, four horns, and a four piece rhythm section, the group combines swing, motown, soul, rock, and current dance music into a powerful and energetic non-stop “decades” show. This exhilarating performance pushes live music to another level— taking no breaks to keep the momentum of the party going.

Band Leader and Grammy Award Winning Artist Jerry Freeman started his career playing with big-band greats such as Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie. Jerry launched Big Swing and the Ballroom Blasters to bring back the big band and sound of swing and jazz, but in contemporary glory. Jerry wanted to recreate the excitement The Cotton Club had back in the 20’s-30’s in New York, when only affluent white audiences could go see African American greats like Count Basie, Duke Ellington and the likes. He envisioned a concept that had never been orchestrated before – a band that could play the classic big band hits with the same authenticity as today’s mega dance hits. Hence, Big Swing!

“Magical Musical Tour – Dancing Through the Decades” promises a memorable evening of dining, dancing, live music and entertainment inspired by the 1960s to today brought to you by Big Swing and the Ballroom Blasters. In addition to amazing music that includes blasts from the past and today’s best party music, attendees can expect decade-inspired surprises throughout the evening during this fun and interactive experience. To learn more about the 2017 gala, please visit DLCgala.org.

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The 2017 Recovery Month theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Our Families, Our Stories, Our Recovery!” highlights the importance of families, communities, and individuals sharing stories of recovery to encourage others to seek treatment, share their stories, and make a personal connection with the recovery movement.

David Lawrence Centers will honor the observance by celebrating individuals and organizations in our community for their outstanding contributions to support those in recovery at the Annual Recovery Month Awards Ceremony. The event will be emceed by WINK news anchor Therese O’Shea and will be held on Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. at the New Hope Community Center located at 7676 Davis Boulevard in Naples.

At the Recovery Month Awards Ceremony, David Lawrence Centers will honor the following outstanding individuals and organizations for sharing their voices to advocate, educate, mentor and help others in need of mental health and substance use services:

Polly Whiting is being honored as a Youth Prevention Volunteer. She is a teacher at Lely High School where she helps guide more than 50 children to commit to a substance free lifestyle in her role as a Drug Free Collier CORE Club Advisor. She also actively volunteers in the recovery community spreading hope to individuals in the Collier County jail, local hospitals and treatment centers.

Sergeant Leslie Weidenhammer is being honored as a Crisis Intervention Referral Partner. She currently serves as a Crisis Intervention Team Trainer and Coordinator of the Mental Health Unit for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. She is also a member of the Collier County Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Veterans Court Teams. In these capacities she tirelessly and passionately invests her time to support individuals in crisis with a mental illness and/or substance use problem who intercept with law enforcement. In addition, she serves as a volunteer board member for National Alliance on Mental Illness were she also works in their youth programs. She is as a steadfast mental health advocate and conveys the message of help, hope and recovery in all that she does.

Retired EMS Chief Walter Kopka is being honored as an Outreach, Referral and Treatment Partner. Prior to his recent retirement after an accomplished 30-year career with Emergency Medical Services, he was dedicated to helping individuals who experience emergencies related to substance use impairment and overdose. He actively partnered with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and David Lawrence Centers to help individuals find substance use treatment in the wake of narcotics-related arrests and was a staunch supporter of Drug Free Collier’s task force on heroin overdose.

David Lawrence Centers Young Executives is being honored as an Outreach and Fundraising Partner. Since they formed in 2010, the younger generation of mental health and substance use advocates has hosted many annual fundraising events, volunteered their time to help with campus improvements, and collected wish list items such as art therapy supplies, hygiene products and clothing for clients. Through these efforts, they have made significant financial contributions, spread awareness, and made a positive, noticeable impact in our community and those we serve.

Terry Cox is being honored as a Recovery Community Volunteer. With more than 10 years of sobriety, he has invested countless hours being a positive influence to others who face addictions and spreading the message that recovery is possible. He is a member of the David Lawrence Centers Alumni Association and past participant in the Collier County Drug Court program. He volunteers in a variety of local and district leadership capacities throughout the 12-step recovery community. Cox will also share his personal journey through recovery at the dinner.

The evening includes education and awareness community partner tables during the reception, entertainment, dinner, a raffle and the awards ceremony. Confirmed education and awareness community partner tables to date include: National Alliance on Mental Illness, Shelter for Abused Women and Children, Drug Free Collier, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Sovereign Health, Hazelden Betty Ford, St. Matthew’s House, Justin’s Place, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida, Valerie’s House, Max Flex Fitness, and Gulf Coast Runners.

Sponsors to date include the David Lawrence Centers Alumni Association, St. Matthew’s House, Hazelden Betty Ford, Genoa and Sovereign Health.

Sponsorships and donations help ensure the event is able to remain free to attend. Donations are appreciated and will be accepted at the event or in advance by calling 239-354-1434 or donating online at DavidLawrenceCenter.org. To make a reservation, visit DavidLawrenceCenter.org or e-mail the names of your guests to Sue Weber at SueW@dlcmhc.com.

David Lawrence Centers is the Southwest Florida-based, not-for-profit leading provider of behavioral health solutions dedicated to inspiring and creating life-changing wellness for every individual. The Center provides innovative, comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, residential and community based prevention and treatment services for the one in four local children and adults who experience mental health, emotional, psychological and substance use challenges. David Lawrence Centers has eight locations in Collier County and touches the lives of more than 50,000 people each year. For more information about David Lawrence Centers call (239) 491-7602 or visit www.DavidLawrenceCenter.org.

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