The David Lawrence Centre has been awarded a $250,000 grant to address the growing mental health needs of local children.
Officials at David Lawrence, Collier County’s main mental health provider off the Golden Gate Parkway, said the grant will allow an estimated 500 children to receive services.
The funding was provided by the Richard M. Schultz Family Foundation, founded by Naples resident and Best Buy founder Dick Schultz, which has a strong philanthropic presence in Southwest Florida.
Due to population growth and increasing demand, the need for mental health services for local children is an ongoing issue.
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According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an estimated one in five children in the United States has a diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral disorder that can significantly affect their ability to learn.
This state ranks 13thNumber The percentage of children who experience major depression at least once a year is about 16% among children ages 12 to 17.
According to the Naples Children’s Education Foundation, sponsor of the annual Naples Winter Wine Festival, which raises millions of dollars to address children’s needs, 14 percent of Collier children live in poverty, which leads to poorer early learning experiences and a higher risk of mental health problems. Ultimately, children are at higher risk of underachieving in school.
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The Schultz Foundation recognizes the needs of the local community.
“This award will provide local children and families with access to high-quality, comprehensive behavioral health care,” Mary Beth Geyer, Florida chapter president of the Schultz Foundation, said in a news release. “We value our longstanding partnership with the David Lawrence Center and are honored to support their ongoing efforts to give children the best chance for a healthy, vibrant future.”
Where is that money going?
David Lawrence CEO Scott Burgess said in an email that the money will be used to cover the costs of providing partial hospitalization programs and other services to hospitalized children.
Core services will be enhanced, including crisis intervention for children who present to crisis stabilization units and for children brought in for evaluation under the Baker Act when they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, severe depression, anxiety or threatening behavior.
“These services are part of the continuum of care and remove barriers that prevent children and their families from receiving care, giving them the best chance for recovery and a healthy, vibrant future,” Burgess said. “The grant will support clinicians in our children’s inpatient and partial hospitalization programs. It will also help nursing staff educate and support families with medication education and reconciliation.”
Additionally, a portion of the funds will be used for translation services and transportation to community-based programs.
What are David Lawrence’s figures?
David Lawrence hopes the grant will enable them to serve at least 500 children. Children will be assessed and their progress monitored by clinicians upon admission and during their stay in the crisis unit. Once discharged, follow-up care to community-based services will be planned.
“Children and teens with behavioral health issues will have access to comprehensive medical care to improve their well-being and quality of life,” Burgess said. “The continuum of care provided through child-centered programs and services will help parents and guardians find treatment that meets their child’s needs.”
Last year, the center served 670 children and young people in its Crisis Stabilization Unit.
As of the end of April this year, 462 children and adolescents had been treated at the facility, and it is projected that 693 children and adolescents will be treated by the end of the year.
In January, David Lawrence announced it had received a $10 million donation, its largest single donation to date, which will be used to build a new children’s center with 30 emergency beds, doubling its current capacity.
The donation comes from the Bill and Julia Van Domelen Foundation, which has longstanding ties to Collier County through its philanthropic efforts.
The project involves demolishing the modular facilities currently used for children’s programs on campus and constructing a two-story, 25,000-square-foot building that will consolidate all children’s services in one location, including a 30-bed crisis stabilization unit, doubling the current 15 beds.
