NAPLES, Fla. (Sept. 17, 2024) – David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC), Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit behavioral health provider, was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the Macchia Family Foundation to support its Veterans’ Services Program.

Funds from the grant will be used to offset the cost of providing lifesaving services to veterans and their families in need of inpatient, outpatient and community-based support. DLC’s veterans’ program, in partnership with Home Base Florida and Wounded Warriors of Collier County, offers clients access to care through effective, evidenced-based services including crisis intervention and stabilization, medication management, individual and group therapy, case management, inpatient treatment, and veteran’s court.

“We are grateful to receive this generous grant from the Macchia Family Foundation to ensure we can continue to provide these vital services for veterans and their families, ensuring that no veteran in Collier County is left behind,” said Kimberly Dye, vice president of advancement at DLC. “We understand the significant and ongoing challenges faced by veterans and military families that can lead to struggles with behavioral issues, mental health and overall wellness. Our Veterans’ Services Program is designed to build meaningful partnerships between veterans and their families to help them function better at home, in the community, on the job, in educational settings and throughout life.”

DLC’s dedicated case manager provides peer-to-peer support and helps veterans identify their goals related to medical, substance-use recovery, mental health, and housing, among other areas. Additionally, veterans receive access to DLC’s Veteran Peer Access Network, an industry best practice that prioritizes hiring veterans as system navigators to connect other veterans in need to resources that will help.

DLC continues to see a growing need for services to support veterans suffering from behavioral health issues, including post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and co-occurring substance use challenges that are common among combat veterans returning from deployment. Specialized case managers help veterans identify their goals related to medical, substance-use recovery, mental health, housing and more. In 2023, DLC served 134 individual veterans through 9,177 services.

For more than 50 years, DLC has been committed to ensuring behavioral health care is available to everyone in need through education, prevention, intervention and treatment. DLC delivers care throughout the community through six distinct centers of operation, including mental health, addiction recovery, emergency services, awareness and prevention, virtual care, and children and young adults.

To learn more about the lifesaving and life-changing services and programs offered by David Lawrence Centers, visit DLCenters.org

About David Lawrence Centers 

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 9,000 people through over 341,000 treatment sessions. To learn more, visit DLCenters.org or call 239-455-8500.

About Macchia Family Foundation

The Macchia Family Foundation distributes funds throughout Collier County, FL and Jackson County, MI for charitable purposes, primarily in support and encouragement of neglected children, widows, sexually abused and special needs. Established in 2016, the foundation aims to assist those who cannot assist themselves, or who are attempting to improve their own lives and/or the lives of their families. Through supporting social, educational and philanthropic programs, their mission is to better people’s lives and provide a helping hand to those in need. For more information, please visit themacchiafamilyfoundation.com.

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