David Lawrence Center (DLC), Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit mental health and addiction treatment facility serving children, adults and families, hosted more than 300 people at the annual Recovery Month Awards Dinner.
Guests enjoyed a community resource awareness reception, dinner, a raffle and an awards ceremony that honored outstanding individuals who share their voices to advocate, educate, mentor and help others with mental health and addiction.
Banyan Tree Planting
Every year, DLC joins voices of recovery from across the nation to observe National Recovery Month to promote the message that behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover.
The 2018 theme “Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community” explores how integrated care, a strong community, sense of purpose, and leadership contribute to effective treatments that sustain the recovery of individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.
Robert Crowe was honored for being an active leader in the recovery community and proudly sharing his 26-year sobriety journey with others. He coordinates groups of volunteers who visit local treatment centers, detox units and jails to spread hope and encouragement that recovery works. He also sponsors and mentors individuals through their recovery process.
President and CEO of the NCH Healthcare System, Allen Weiss, MD, was honored for his work leading the Blue Zones initiative and helping to make Collier County the healthiest and happiest region with the longest life expectancy in America. In addition to advocating for how to prevent illness, Dr. Weiss is a dedicated treatment partner, working closely with DLC to save the lives of those in crisis.
Captain Beth Jones with the Collier County Sheriff ’s Office Youth Prevention and Delinquency Services Division was honored for dedicating her 28-year career to helping troubled kids and teens. She works alongside DLC on a variety of youth-oriented programs and trainings and is a strong advocate for mental health interventions in the schools.
Laurie Lyons, a yoga and meditation instructor and co-founder of Open Mind Zen Naples, was honored as a holistic treatment volunteer for providing meditation services for individuals in the DLC Crossroads residential treatment program and in-kind services as prizes to events.
Support from people like these five very special honorees is what makes life in Naples so great. We come from a strong community that cares about its neighbors. If you want to join DLC and #StandUp for mental health and addiction, there are a variety of ways to get involved.
Attend an upcoming event, advocate, make a donation, fundraise for hope, or follow them on social media! Learn more at DavidLawrenceCenter.org..com
Nancy Scheffer Given Special Lifetime Achievement Award
Nancy Scheffer
A very special, heartfelt lifetime achievement award was presented by the DLC Alumni Association to Nancy Scheffer, who retired in 2018 as a Behavioral Health Technician.
For most of her 29-year career with DLC, Scheffer provided clinical services to adult residents in the DLC Crossroads Addiction Recovery Treatment program.
During her career, Scheffer touched thousands of families battling addiction and left a lasting impression on all who had the pleasure of feeling her positivity and unconditional love and support.
In addition to her work, she selflessly volunteers to help people in recovery and children affected by addiction in their families. A well-deserved honor for a very special hero and recovery advocate.
