Press Center

A Mother, a Daughter, and Four Therapists: Why Therapy Isn’t Always Easy to Find

One Coral Springs family’s journey shows that finding the right therapist for you is a trial-and-error process — not something that happens right away. With Parkland Cares’ help, they were able to find the help they needed.

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NFL Foundation Awards $5,000 to Parkland Cares – Again

A second grant will provide nearly 60 hours of mental health therapy to victims of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.

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Halloween Haunt Drives Teams up with Parkland Cares to Benefit Mental Health

The Haunt Drive at Tree Tops Park hosts Parkland Cares Fundraiser on Oct. 8 and will donate proceeds until Nov. 1.

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VIDEO: Parkland Cares executive director Stacey Udine talks mental health with Children’s Bereavement Center

Children’s Bereavement Center CEO Chira Cassel and Chief Program Officer Daniel Sheridan talked about how the pandemic is affecting families’ mental health.

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COVID can’t stop good: Parkland Cares awards $125,000 to battle trauma during the pandemic 

In the age of COVID-19, Parkland Cares awarded $125,000 at an uplifting virtual “pass the check presentation”  The latest round of grants brings the total amount awarded to $575,000 in the past two and half years.

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Parkland Cares and Juicery Rx to partner for at-home cooking class

Kimmi Stultz, pharmacist and owner of JuiceryRx in Coral Springs.

For the second month in a row, you can support mental health in Parkland by cooking a healthy meal at home.

If quarantine has you cooking the same thing over and over again, here’s your chance to break routine — and support mental health while you’re at it.

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Parkland Cares recognized as one of top South Florida nonprofits of 2020

Non-Profit Organization of the Year recipient

During 211 Broward’s 10th annual community awards ceremony, Parkland Cares was granted the Rising Star Nonprofit Organization of the Year award.

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How to apply for a Parkland Cares grant – deadline April 30th

Parkland Cares Grant Award for Behavioral Health Associates

Since its inception, Parkland Cares has awarded $450,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations that provide direct mental health care to those affected by the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. Parkland Cares continues to explore new and innovative ways to partner with nonprofits who share its vision of mental health counseling and healing the community. Parkland Cares knows that the community will continue to need critical mental health services for years to come. Along with continuing to fund those organizations that heal the Marjory Stoneman Douglas community, Parkland Cares wants to be known as champions of mental health awareness and care.

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Mental Health is the Foundation for Living’ Chef Rush Joins the Broward Health 3rd Annual ‘We Are Stoneman Douglas’ Food and Wine Festival on March 15th

White House Executive Chef: Andre Rush. 4 Presidential Administrations

Chef and veteran Andre Rush will be attending this year’s We Are Stoneman Douglas event — to support and promote mental health awareness while wowing crowds with his master ice sculpting skills.

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The trauma of the local community, where is it now?

Parkland Strong

Last year, I set out to understand how my local community was dealing with the traumatic events that took place on February 14, 2018. In conjunction with Parkland Cares, a local non-profit organization, I collaborated with the mental health professionals servicing the community and observed elevated levels of isolationism, substance abuse and other anxiety associated symptoms.

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Obstacle course helps raise money for Parkland Cares

Manny Mair, the founder of Soldier Rush

Soldier Rush is designed for families, but has three times the amount of obstacles as higher-profile races. And it’s all for charitable causes.

Manny Mair, the founder of Soldier Rush. Soldier Rush is a 5k family obstacle course that raises money for first responders, veteran programs and Parkland Cares. This year’s race will be held Nov. 9 in Parkland.

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Parkland Cares Presents $161,000 in Grants to Local Mental Health and Wellness Providers: Community Funding Now totals $400,000

On October 2, Parkland Cares awarded a total of $161,000 to four community organizations that will help trauma victims bolster their mental health: Behavioral Health Associates of Broward, Children’s Bereavement Center, Tomorrow’s Rainbow and Eagles’ Haven.

Broward County and Parkland City commissioners, along with the mayor of Parkland, attended the ceremony to show their support for Parkland Cares’ mission.

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What are the long-term effects of the Parkland tragedy?

Illustration by Ivan Benavides

Local counselors say isolation, substance abuse, and fears are heightened in Parkland — even 18 months after the tragedy.

Transitioning to high school is hard. Transitioning to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School these days is even harder.

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What Is Trauma Therapy Really Like?

Woman in counseling

Dr. Jessica Ruiz says she works to be fired.

Ruiz is the chief psychologist and director of Behavioral Health Associates of Broward, which has provided counseling services since 1962. Ruiz has been a therapist for a decade, and says her work is complete when a client is ready to leave therapy.

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Marjory Stoneman Douglas Students Sell Essential Oils to Ease Anxiety

Pure Serenity, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student-run company, attends the national Junior Achievement competition in Washington D.C

Pure Serenity, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student-run company, attends the national Junior Achievement competition in Washington D.C., where they earned second place. Pure Serenity sells bracelets infused with lavender and eucalyptus essential oils on Amazon.

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MSD Junior Achievement Team Donates More than $1,000 to Parkland Cares – With More to Come

Group Photo with Big Check for Pure Serenity

Each year, Junior Achievement hosts a Company of the Year contest for high school students. This year, the winning team was from Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and the product they sold raised more than $1,000 – which they donated to Parkland Cares on May 14.

Junior Achievement, which is celebrating 100 years of teaching students entrepreneurial skills, helped the MSD team design, market, and sell a startup product. The MSD team’s winning entry is called “Pure Serenity,” a beaded bracelet that absorbs essential oils like eucalyptus and lavender to calm the wearer throughout the day.

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The One Beat CPR + AED 2nd Annual We Are Stoneman Douglas Event Raises Over $300K for Parkland Cares

Two-day food and wine event attracts more than 750 supporters to help fund mental health counseling.

The One Beat CPR + AED 2nd annual We Are Stoneman Douglas food and wine benefit chaired by George Temel and Debi Weisman on March 16-17 raised over $300,000 for Parkland Cares, a nonprofit that has awarded $239,000 for mental health counseling since last year’s tragic shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The weekend featured over 30 restaurants, 13 wineries from Zinfandel Advocates Producers, and over 200 donated silent auction items. The title sponsor One Beat CPR +AED, Florida’s premier CPR training facility, welcomed 150 guests at the Woodfield Country Club winemakers’ dinner in Boca Raton and 600 guests at the Parkland Golf and Country Club food and wine event held the next day. We Are Stoneman Douglas has quickly become a signature event in South Florida thanks to the dedication of the co-chairs.

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Parkland Cares Grants $239,000 for Mental Health and Trauma Counseling to Victims

A year after the tragic shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the demand for counseling persists – and so do the grants to offer it.

PARKLAND, Fla., Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — As the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that never should have happened approaches, one non-profit has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure the survivors recover.

The organization will spend hundreds of thousands more this coming year, declares Parkland Cares founder Howard Dvorkin, the Chairman of Debt.com. He formed Parkland Cares just after the school shooting and their goal was to help fund and bring awareness to mental health and trauma counseling. To that end, Parkland Cares awarded grants this month totaling $164,000 to the following agencies:

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No Obstacle Too Big

Parkland Cares sponsors Soldier Rush obstacle course to raise money for Parkland mental health

Soldier Rush and Parkland Cares want you to run an obstacle course or sponsor a wall.

Soldier Rush is a military-style obstacle course race that raises money for South Florida charities including U.S. Veterans and first responders in the community. The 5k trail features over 50 obstacles such as climbing walls to challenge the mental and physical strength of participants. Now in its fourth year, Solider Rush organizers have partnered with Parkland Cares, a Broward-based nonprofit that helps the Marjory Stoneman Douglas community find personalized support to cope and overcome the tragic events of February 14, 2018.

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Private Screening for Parkland: Inside Building 12

Parkland: Inside Building 12 documentary

Media, community leaders and Parkland survivors are invited to a free screening about the Parkland tragedy

DAVIE, FL – Eight months after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Charlie Minn has finished his searing film about the tragedy.

Minn will be at the Paragon Ridge Theater on Friday, Oct. 12, for a private screening of Parkland: Inside Building 12 – open only to South Florida media, community leaders and the MSD community. Paragon Theaters are donating all of their ticket proceeds of the week-long run to Parkland Cares, a local non-profit dedicated to raising funds and awareness for mental health and trauma counseling.

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Parkland Cares Awards $75,000 in Grant Money to Help Fund Local Trauma Counseling

Three non-profit mental health agencies receive awards to help fund treatment efforts in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — In keeping with their mission to fund local resources that help community members cope with the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland Cares has awarded their first series of grants to three non-profit mental health agencies. On August 20, Parkland Cares Founder Howard Dvorkin, CPA presented $75,000 to representatives from Behavioral Health Associates of Broward, Children’s Bereavement Center, and Henderson Behavioral Health.

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Jason Taylor, StevenDouglas, and Parkland Cares Team Up to Tackle Crisis Counseling

Howard Dvorkin at Parkland Cares Event

PARKLAND, Fla., April 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — One of the biggest names in the NFL has joined some of the biggest names in South Florida’s business community to raise money for Parkland Cares.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor has declared his support for Parkland Cares, the charity that seeks to provide long-term mental health counseling for the families and victims of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Parkland Cares will also create a model program that can be used nationwide.

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parklandcares.org Launched after Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

Students embracing

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — After yet another deadly school shooting, grief counseling is available at both at the school and at walk-in facilities around Broward County, FL – but sadly, those efforts are a patchwork. They vary in expertise, duration and effectiveness and there’s no way to tell the difference.

That’s why organizations and businesses are partnering with South Florida’s mental health providers to form parklandcares.org. The project will be a conduit connecting crisis counseling to students and families affected by the murder of 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

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