Fort Lauderdale, Florida (August 3, 2009) – The Florida Department of Children and Families and The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association announced Henderson Mental Health Center’s BRIDGE Project was the recipient of the 2009 Substance Abuse Services Best Practices Awards.

Henderson Mental Health Center’s Broward Recovery Initiative for Dual Diagnosis Guidance and Empowerment (BRIDGE) Project is a collaborative effort between Henderson, Miami Behavioral Health/ Spectrum Programs, Memorial Regional Hospital, and David Duresky, M.S. CAP. BRIDGE provides adolescents who are experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders with a coordinated, continuous and integrated system of care. The continuum of services provided includes every level of care currently available to adolescents ranging in intensity from outpatient services to inpatient care.

The Best Practices Recognition Program provides recognition for programs that exemplify “best practice” methods in substance abuse prevention and treatment services. These programs’ efforts are shown to measurably improve service outcomes and the quality of life for program participants. All aspects of the Best Practices Recognition Program process are intended to bring recognition to the recipients, to the quality of client care and to the efforts being made in providing substance abuse services in Florida.

The Best Practices Recognition Program was initiated in 2001 by DCF and FADAA and has since recognized close to 100 programs. A blue ribbon panel of experts with experience in the delivery, administration, research and evaluation of substance abuse programs was convened to review applications based on program rationale, program organization and operation and measures/outcomes.

Award winners will be highlighted during an award ceremony at the FADAA Annual Conference on August 13th in Orlando.

Henderson Mental Health Center is the oldest and largest, not-for-profit behavioral healthcare system in Broward County, Florida. Henderson Mental Health Center was established in 1953, and has grown into a Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare System, serving adults and children at all levels of care. Henderson’s programs have been accredited by CARF, at its highest level, continuously, since 1992. www.hendersonmhc.org