Why Smith Community Mental Health Matters
“Smith programs really changed my life for the better.”
Academic achievement is strongly linked to emotional and behavioral health, and for students who struggle with behavioral and emotional challenges, their academic performance can suffer. Some studies suggest that 12 to 30 percent of U.S. school-age children and youth experience at least moderate behavioral, social, or emotional problems. These challenges can lead to a decline in relationships with peers, family and community.
Behavior and emotional problems can also lead to significant academic challenges causing youth to fall behind in school, have gaps in their learning and later intellectual deficiencies. Parents and teachers often feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to help.
For youth to lead happy productive lives and become healthy contributing members of their community, they and their families need access to youth empowerment programs as well as academic, behavior and emotional supports.
That’s where Smith Community Mental Health steps in. Smith Community Mental Health is a community mental health center committed to creating mental health and substance abuse programs and services designed by the needs of our Broward County client’s and the community with which we collaborate. As a service oriented agency, our community focus guides the creation of specialty programs and allows the agency to enhance the spectrum of services delivered to special needs youth and families in Broward.
What We do
Started in 1999, Smith Community Mental Health bridges individual empowerment and quality services in various strength-based programs focused on individual strengths couple with natural supports and compassionate care.
Smith Community Mental Health was named after co-worker and friend, Dr. Christina Smith, a dedicated young psychiatrist who lost her life tragically and prematurely. Dr. Smith’s values and ethics as a mental health provider were the hallmark of her practice. The founders of this agency, Joanne Correia-Kent and Donna Lavalle, each having worked extensively in the field of children’s mental health, were of the same mind as Dr. Smith regarding the emphasis that must be placed on the dignity and value of each individual and family seeking mental health treatment.
