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Naples, Fl – David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC), Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit behavioral health treatment center serving children, adults and families, has promoted 10-year DLC veteran, Jessica Liria, MS, to Prevention and Education Manager.

Liria joined DLC in 2013 as a Behavioral Health Technician in the Crisis Stabilization Unit and was quickly promoted to Discharge Planning Clinician. In December 2014, she transitioned to a role in Prevention Services and was promoted a few months later to the department’s supervisor, where she spent the next five years further advancing DLC’s prevention and education programs provided throughout local schools and the community on topics such as substance use, conflict resolution, emotion management, parenting skills, behavioral challenges, and more.

In 2019, Liria began to solely focus on education and outreach in a newly created position as Children’s Community Outreach Specialist which later expanded to Community Outreach Specialist providing education on adults as well as children. In this capacity, Liria greatly expanded DLC’s training and community-based education opportunities, provided articles and video content for the DLC Mind Your Mind digital awareness campaign and helped launch and present on topics through the Mind Your Mind Speaker Series. She also represents DLC on a variety of committees for organizations such as Collier Coalition for Healthy Minds, BlueZones Southwest Florida, Healthy Minds Lee, Naples Children & Education Foundation, Youth Resource Coalition, and the Community Health Improvement Plan through the Department of Health.

As the need for mental health and substance use awareness grew, DLC and its funders strategically decided to invest more in education services as a proven harm reduction strategy and method to promote early intervention, reduce the demand for inpatient crisis care and save lives. Through this effort, DLC expanded Liria’s role in 2023, to Prevention and Education Manager, which now includes the management and oversight of Prevention Services and the supervision of a Community Education Specialist.

In this expanded role, Liria and her team will be responsible for advancing DLC’s education, awareness, outreach and evidenced-based training programs, including Mental Health First Aid and QPR Suicide Prevention Training.

Liria earned her Bachelor of Science from Florida Gulf Coast University with a double major in Criminal Forensic Studies and Criminal Justice, and she later earned her Master of Science in Forensic Studies with a concentration in Forensic Behavior Analysis. She is a certified instructor in both Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid as well as QPR Suicide Prevention Training.

DLC Vice President of Advancement Kimberly Dye will supervise Prevention and Education Services. “Jessica has been an invaluable asset to the DLC team for more than 10 years formalizing, developing and advancing DLC’s education and outreach services,” said Dye. “Her expertise in this critical and expanding role will greatly impact DLC’s strategic initiatives to expand its care to address the growing demand for mental health and addiction treatment in the region.”

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, please call 239-455-8500 or visit www.DLCenters.org.