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Stories

Faced with a rising need for mental health and substance misuse care, Lakeview Center has grown with our community since 1954. Each year, we serve more than 29,000 adults and children in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Some of these stories of growth and success – for our team members and those we serve – are below.

All interview requests must be made through the Marketing and Communications department. For assistance, please call 850-503-8164 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].

older woman smiling for the future
Professional growth journey: Joseph Sanchez

Professional growth journey: Joseph Sanchez

For Joseph Sanchez, a developmental court forensic specialist with Lakeview Center’s Special Populations Network (SPN), service has always been at the heart of his work. While still employed by the Department of Corrections (DOC) as a probation officer, Joseph began working part-time as a site technician at Lakeview Center’s Cabot Heights, a 24/7 residential facility for […]

LifeView Group earns CARF’s highest accreditation

LifeView Group earns CARF’s highest accreditation

Pensacola, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2025) – LifeView Group—parent company of Lakeview Center, FamiliesFirst Network, and Global Connections to Employment—has earned a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), the highest level of achievement awarded by the organization. This milestone reflects LifeView Group’s unwavering commitment to quality, person-centered care and continuous improvement […]

Heather landry headshot

Professional growth journey: Heather Landry

Compassion has always been at the heart of Heather Landry’s career. With a bachelor’s degree in special education and a passion for helping vulnerable populations, Heather joined Lakeview Center nearly three years ago, beginning her work in children’s residential services. “I’ve always kind of had a heart for community service,” she said. “I used to […]

Opioid Abatement Grant to support pregnant women and mothers in residential addiction treatment

$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 […]

Finding hope at Lakeview Center: Rikaylah’s story

Finding hope at Lakeview Center: Rikaylah’s story

When 20-year-old Rikaylah began showing signs of bipolar disorder—something she had seen her father struggle with—her mother knew just what to do. She called 911, and Rikaylah was taken to Lakeview Center, the Central Receiving Facility for Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Individuals in mental health crisis come to Lakeview Center’s downtown Pensacola campus for […]

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Professional growth journey: Joyce Scott

For Joyce Scott, serving as an administrative coordinator at LifeView Group—parent company of Lakeview Center, FamiliesFirst Network and Global Connections to Employments—is more than a job, it’s a calling. Stationed at the front desk of LifeView Group’s administrative building in Pensacola, she is the first welcoming face many clients see and the first reassuring voice […]

Behavioral Health Technician Manager Jen McDonald TMOQ

Jen McDonald named Lakeview Center Team Member of the Quarter

Jen McDonald, Behavioral Health technician manager, manages Cabot Heights – Lakeview Center’s foster care group home for teenage boys – but has also stepped in over the past three months to support the girls’ home, Arcadia Place. Jen is fully invested in the children of both homes, often working evenings and weekends to celebrate their […]

Cover photo of jasmin white

Growing professionally: Jasmin White

When Jasmin White first started at Lakeview Center in 2014, she thought it would be a short-term job. Instead, what started as “just a job” quickly grew into a calling. “I actually enjoyed the work and showing up every day,” Jasmin said. “When clients come back months later to check in and thank me, it’s […]

shannon span

Shannon Spann named director of Central Access at Lakeview Center

Pensacola, Fla. (July 30, 2025) – Lakeview Center has named Shannon Spann, LCSW, as the new director of Central Access. With more than a decade of experience in behavioral health and a strong record of leadership in child and family services, Spann will oversee a vital program that connects individuals and families to the mental […]