FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kelsi.Gulig@lakeview-center.org
850-503-8164
$76,000 Opioid Abatement Grant to support pregnant women and mothers in residential addiction treatment
DeFuniak Springs, Fla. (Sept. 15, 2025) – Lakeview Center has been awarded $76,000 in opioid abatement funding from Walton County’s Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Grants Committee. The grant will provide essential support to Lakeview Center’s JoAnn Birge Women and Children’s Center—particularly for the infants and young children who stay with their mothers during residential addiction treatment at the DeFuniak Springs facility.
The Women and Children’s Center provides a safe, supportive environment for mothers recovering from substance use disorders to receive residential treatment while remaining with their young children. This family-centered approach strengthens bonds, promotes stability and helps break the cycle of addiction.
“This funding will make a significant difference for our families,” said Tia Guidry, director for Lakeview Center of Walton County. “Our Level 2 residential license covers essential treatment services for women, but many everyday necessities—like diapers, clothing and food—are not reimbursed. Support from grants like this allows us to meet critical needs, ensuring that mothers can focus on recovery, so families have the support and resources they need to succeed together.”
Lakeview Center remains committed to helping individuals and families affected by opioid and substance use disorders find hope, healing and long-term recovery.
To donate in support of pregnant women and mothers undergoing addiction treatment at Lakeview Center’s [elakeviewcenter.org/joann-birge-women-and-childrens-center]JoAnn Birge Women and Children’s Center, visit eLakeviewCenter.org/donate.
About Lakeview Center
Lakeview Center is Northwest Florida's most comprehensive behavioral health care provider, with more than 60 programs ranging from outpatient counseling and psychiatry to residential treatments for substance misuse, plus 24/7 crisis support. Specialized team members help adults and children with mental illnesses, drug and alcohol dependencies and intellectual disabilities, offering a continuum of care with solutions personalized for each person's needs. Faced with a rising need for mental health and substance misuse treatment, Lakeview Center is here to serve, growing with the community since 1954. Learn more at eLakeviewCenter.org.
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