For The Better: Three Naples Doctors Blend Their Talents to Better Serve Children and Families in Need

Nearly half of the residents of Immokalee live below the poverty line and many struggle daily to access adequate healthcare. Dr. Maribel Rivera, David Lawrence Center’s board certified adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist sees children two days a week at the Immokalee satellite services office.

“This isn’t easy work,” she confessed. “The issues these people face are complex and their needs are vast. Immokalee isn’t like Naples.” Without access to adequate treatment, behavioral health problems go undiagnosed or untreated and can affect all aspects of life, be it school, work and/or family.

Recognizing that the most effective plan to foster and ensure the future health of any community is in the early identification and treatment of its most precious citizens, its children, a union was formed in 2013 by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival.  In this new program known as the Children’s Mental Health Initiative, DLC’s Dr. Rivera was teamed up with Immokalee based local mental health hero and PhD psychologist and professor  Dr. Javier Rosado, and board certified psychologist Dr. Emily Ptaszek  in an effort to design a holistic system of care for children.

Through a special NCEF grant, a team of talented professionals from David Lawrence Center, Florida State University College of Medicine and Healthcare Network of SW Florida were brought together to fill a significant void for the purpose of creating better overall access to mental health care. This program integrates mental health treatment with local pediatric practices and other primary care professionals and strengthens the links among providers such as the school system, social service agencies, health care and community mental health professionals.

Rivera, Rosado and Ptaszek utilize a team to identify and treat specific varied physical and mental health issues.  Beginning in the local pediatrician’s office, where screening occurs, to treatment planning and ultimately carrying out the plan, families are treated to the best of care in a holistic and often bi or tri-lingual environment.  Services can include clinical evaluations, comprehensive psychiatric assessments, medical management, outpatient counseling, family therapy, community-based therapeutic services, case management and crisis stabilization depending on the severity and complexity of the child’s case.

This effort is unique and offers early detection and treatment for the poorest, underserved children in Collier County. The symbiotic effect of combining resources can only serve to exponentially help these families in need.

This exceptional program is one of several inventive County-wide initiatives offered in partnership with the David Lawrence Center that blend the talents of other professionals and providers to increase the value and effectiveness of treatment.  Through the initiative, the partners have worked closely with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to reduce and eliminate duplication of services, maximize resources and increase the availability of high quality best practice approaches. The Center also pairs with schools, sheriff’s departments, hospitals and other intervention programs to effectively treat our local and extended community.    

For more information about the Children’s Mental Health Initiative or other services provided by the David Lawrence Center, call 239-455-8500 or visit DavidLawrenceCenter.org.

Caryn Hacker-Buechel, ACSW, DCSW, is a mental health advocate, freelance writer and David Lawrence Center board member. She worked as a children’s psychotherapist for more than 25 years and is the author of a children’s book and parent/teacher guide about bullying called "A Bully Grows Up: Erik Meets the Wizard."