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Naples, Fl – David Lawrence Centers, Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit mental health and addiction recovery treatment center serving children, adults and families, is pleased to announce that the 6th Annual Sound Minds Mental Health Symposium is set for March 23, 2019 at Moorings Presbyterian Church (791 Harbour Dr, Naples). The symposium will be held from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. and will be followed by a VIP Meet the Speaker luncheon that will include live music.

The symposium will feature keynote speaker Austin Eubanks, an injured survivor of the Columbine shooting and an expert in the addiction treatment industry. Eubanks’s traumatic experience as a teen was the catalyst to his painful, decade-long journey through addiction. It will conclude with a moderated Q&A with Eubanks. CEUs are available for Florida state licensed nurses and clinicians (LMHC, LCSW, and LMFT).

Eubanks said, “Less than an hour after scrambling out the back door of the Columbine High School library, I was lying in a hospital bed, medicated on a variety of substances intended to relieve my pain.”

Now in long-term recovery, Eubanks has devoted his career to helping those who have turned to substances as a result of trauma. Eubanks will share with attendees his personal journey as well as strategies for addressing the issues of substance use plaguing the nation.

Eubanks adds, “We have to reform a broken healthcare system that is slowly coming to terms with the fact that they are responsible for this pandemic. I had to learn to lean into the pain and stop looking for the fast road to relief. We have to teach people to do the emotional work needed no matter how much it hurts.”

About the Keynote Speaker

Austin Eubanks is an expert in the addiction treatment industry and a nationally recognized speaker and media contributor on topics surrounding behavioral health and addiction recovery. As the Chief Operations Officer for Foundry Treatment Center, Austin directs a multi-phase, nationally accredited treatment program. In his non-profit board roles, Austin helps to advance the objectives of Stout Street Foundation, a 180-bed therapeutic community serving primarily an indigent population, and 5280 High School, a 400-student Denver Public Charter School focused on prevention and addiction recovery in adolescents.

Ticket and Sponsorship Information

There is a $10 suggested donation per person for the symposium. The cost for the VIP Meet the Speaker Lunch is $125. Proceeds benefit David Lawrence Center’s lifesaving mental health and addiction treatment services for children, adults and families in need. Tickets will go on sale in January 2019.

Scott Burgess, David Lawrence Centers President and CEO, said, “Funds raised at the symposium invest in our innovative mental health and addiction treatment services, which are designed to address unresolved trauma. Our new, highly-specialized trauma incident reduction therapy has proven to be very effective and this care needs to expand. Mental health is a community issue and one we must solve together.”

For sponsorship and ticket information, visit DLCSoundMinds.org or contact David Lawrence Centers at 239-354-1445 or donorcare@dlcmhc.com.

Southwest Florida nonprofit David Lawrence Centers is a national leader in providing world-class mental health and addiction recovery solutions for children, adolescents and adults. The Center’s innovative, integrated treatment includes inpatient, outpatient, residential, and community-based services – a comprehensive system of care funded by community and government support. Each year, David Lawrence Centers creates life-changing wellness for more than 9,600 people through over 266,000 treatment sessions. To learn more, please call (239) 491-7602.