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David Lawrence Centers is partnering with the new YMCA facility on Marco Island with an office and a clinician, taking their services to that part of the county.

As the new YMCA facility was being built on Marco Island, the team at David Lawrence Centers saw an opportunity to expand their services to that part of Collier County. Discussions began in early 2017 about partnering together so that DLC could provide services in the area.

“We knew there was a need to bring an outreach presence regarding behavioral health services to residents of the island and that area,” says Nancy Dauphinais, DLC’s Chief Operating Officer, noting the 20-mile distance from the DLC main campus. “Some of our current clients live in that area, and others who are not yet clients face transportation barriers accessing services. So we wanted to bring a clinical presence to the island.”

The Y’s new space opened in February, and DLC has been staffing an office there since mid-March. Cindy Gallo, a DLC clinician who happens to live on Marco Island, is filling that position temporarily until they hire someone permanent. Until then, Gallo provides outreach and triage services at no cost, and provides clinical assessments and individual and family therapy—services that are billable to insurance. A sliding fee scale is available for those without insurance and who qualify for a discount. DLC hopes to expand the services available to include telemedicine with a psychiatric professional, and possibly more services in the future. They intend to apply for a grant to help offset the costs of the new initiative.

Gallo is glad to get the ball rolling.

“Providing services on Marco Island extends our community-based mental health care programs and encompasses a wide range of services designed to meet local needs,” she says. “Accessibility is key to effective community-based services. The Marco YMCA has a mission to enhance accessibility to individuals and families who might otherwise forgo critical services.”

That mission is already playing out with clients who have visited the DLC campus. One woman in her early 50s said she regularly sees a counselor at her permanent home up North, but for her winters in Marco Island, she doesn’t have a counselor. When she learned that one would be available at the Y, through DLC, she was relieved, and plans to use the service.

“It’s all part of our C-HOPE Strategic Plan,” says Dauphinais, “to make services available when individuals need them, where they need them.”

The David Lawrence Centers Office at the Greater Marco Family YMCA is located at:
101 Sand Hill Street
Marco Island, FL 34145

Click here for directions.

Call 239-394-9622 for more information on services provided.