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About Us

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services, Inc. is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit social services agency that has been serving North Central Florida for over 53 years. Our diverse programs cater to a wide range of community needs, aiming to provide comprehensive wrap-around services. Additionally, we serve as a vital point of contact for various community partners, ensuring that if our services don't meet your specific needs, we can connect you with someone who can.

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All our programs align with our mission statement:  

"Empowering Youth & Building Strong Families for a Brighter Tomorrow"

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We accomplish this through our prevention, counseling, and youth programs. In our programs, youth learn valuable social and cognitive-behavioral skills, manage their emotions, and handle situations better at home and school.

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CDS operates offices in Gainesville, Lake City, and Palatka, covering Alachua, Bradford, Baker, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union counties. We are the sole provider of many critical services in North Central Florida, including our runaway short-term residential program.

Happy group of friends

Our Story

CDS is a non-profit organization that has produced quality, innovative, and progressive programs since 1970. Originating from a group of UF professors that noticed a need in the community for substance abuse treatment and prevention for adults and children establishing the Corner Drug Store as a community Service agency.

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Our Timeline:

           

In 1970 the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act led to the opening of the first Interface Youth Program, one of the first 60 shelters in the US and the first residential program in the Northwest Region. CDS became the official sponsor of the Safe Place Program and together with the Interface Program provided a Safe Place location for all youth ages 10-17 who were runaways, homeless, truant, trafficked, or needed any other type of help.

 

During this time our prevention program expanded to include teen suicide prevention, the Alpha program in Elementary schools that was an academic program with a counseling component that eventually grew into Middle Schools. This also expanded into substance abuse prevention programs in Elementary and Middle Schools.

 

In 1983 the agency sponsored its first chemical-free annual all-night celebration for all graduating seniors known as Project Graduation. This program lasted for the next twenty years and during this time there were no alcohol-related causalities from any graduating seniors in Alachua County.

 

In 1987 a new horizons program was introduced known as the family action program which became a non-residential counseling program for youth 6-17.

 

In 1996 Interface and Family action programs expanded its services to eleven countries and the year after the agency open an additional shelter in Palatka followed by the next year opening of an additional facility in Lake City, FL.

 

In 2000 the agency introduced Spotlight on Youth a celebration of the Arts that highlighted the talents of children in Alachua County that became an annual event for the organization until 2017.

 

In 2003 the Independent Living program was added that provided support to young adults ages 16-22 transitioning out of the foster care system.

 

In 2007 the Corner Drug Store changed its name to CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services, Inc and started covering fourteen counties in Florida.

 

In 2013 CDS moved to strengthen prevention programs and move away from substance abuse treatments and increase our prevention programs in Alachua and Levy County.

 

In 2016 CDS added the S.N.A.P program funded by the Florida Network and in 2019 the program expanded to S.N.A.P in schools.

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2022 Philip Kabler takes the role as CEO and Cindy Starling as COO.

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2023 CDS rebrands with a new logo, vision, and goal for the future.

Meet The Team

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT
H. Thomas Lane, Jr

VICE PRESIDENT
Daniel Crapps

SECRETARY
Richard Mankin, Ph.D.

PAST PRESIDENT
Reginald L. Williams

TREASURER
Frank Williams, Esq.

IMMEDIATE- PAST TREASURER
Bob Page

OTHER MEMBERS
Becky Hunt
Kandra Albury
Brian Scarborough

Chief Jason L. Shaw, Sr,
Veita Jackson-Carter, M. Ed.

Debra Kinman-Ford, M.Ed.
Bishop Christopher Stokes
Gilbert A. Levy
Jim Surrency, Ed. D.
Robert E. Thomas, J.D., P.h.D.
Judge Joseph E. Smith (Retired)

RETIRED BOARD MEMBER
Robert Wilford

THANKFUL FOR OUR GREAT PARTNERS

Community Partners
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