Care Resource Medical and Behavioral Health Directors to be Honored with an EPIC Award from Mental Health America of Southeast Florida.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIAMI, FLORIDA, APRIL 2022 – Dr. Thomas Smith and Dr. Sheryl Zayas of Care Resource Community Health Centers Inc. are being honored by Mental Health America of Southeast Florida for their positive impact on the mental wellness of others in South Florida during their 26th Annual Epic Awards on Wednesday, May 25. The Exceptional People Impacting the Community (EPIC) awards are presented to members of the community who have exhibited exceptional service through their actions, advocacy, leadership or service delivery to the most vulnerable in our community.
Mental Health America of Southeast Florida was founded in Broward County in 1955 and works to promote mental health and victory over mental illness and related challenges through education, prevention, advocacy, research, and empowerment. For more information on Mental Health America of Southeast Florida or to purchase event tickets, please
visit mhasefl.org.
According to Mental Health America of Southeast Florida, “Dr. Thomas Smith and Dr. Sheryl Zayas in their work with Care Resource, have championed the Special Purpose Outreach Team (SPOT) Mobile Clinic which is a proven harm reduction model. The SPOT team addresses the current opioid crisis by taking used needles off the streets and providing clean needles along with education and recovery support services available to people who are using. They have also provided over 140 Narcan reversals in the short time they have been in operation. They travel to the areas where there is known drug use to provide immediate and direct intervention.”
About The SPOT
The SPOT mobile medical clinic is the only Syringe Services Program (SSP) approved by Broward County and authorized under the Florida Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA). Validated by the CDC, SSPs take used needles off the streets and prevent overdoses by providing education, medical care, and linkage to substance use disorder treatment programs. In addition to harm reduction services, The SPOT also provides medical services such as HIV, HCV, STI, infectious disease screening, COVID-19 vaccination, and more. The mobile medical clinic links those ready for care, based on their level of need, to community partners or to Care Resource’s comprehensive outpatient services like our Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program. The SPOT focuses on areas of the county that lack ready access to affordable healthcare and support services. It is dedicated to ending health disparities in historically underserved communities. For more information, please visit, TheSpotBroward.org.
