About Larry G. Williams, Jr.

Larry, a Polk County native, has served with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office since 1988.  His 34-year career includes a number of operational and administrative positions crossing many aspects of leadership. He has directly worked with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and has seen first-hand the effects of how stigma plays a role in accessing care.

Larry has a personal commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. Building on PRC’s strong foundation and with the help of its driven staff members, he aims to increase awareness, further reduce the stigma and enable even more individuals and families to connect with much-needed resources.

About Marla Cavendish, SHRM-CP

Marla has worked in human resources (HR) since 2013 with experience as HR Manager for Elder Services of Central Florida, HR Manager at CLI Solutions, and most recently as Director of Human Resources for Advicare. Her life and work experience spans Canada and the United States and encompasses recruitment, payroll, benefits, compensation, policy development and leadership in human resources.

Marla earned the Certified Professional designation from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP) and is an active member of the Florida and Central Florida Chapters of the Society for Human Resource Management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource and Organizational Leadership from Rasmussen College and an Associate Degree in Business Management and Human Resource Management from Red River Community College.

About Dr. Sadowsky

Peace River Center recently named Dr. William Sadowsky as its Medical Director. Dr. Sadowsky joined Peace River Center in 2014 as the inpatient psychiatrist for the Bartow Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and Short Term Residential Treatment (SRT) Center. He is a graduate of the New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York;  a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine; a Diplomate in General Psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; a Diplomate in Addiction Medicine from the American Board of Addiction Medicine; and, he holds an advanced certification for the use of Buprenorphine (also known as Suboxone). He will continue to serve as the psychiatrist for the Bartow CSU and SRT as well as become Medical Director.

Dr. Charles Barrios, who served as Peace River Center’s Medical Director since April 2014, provided strong medical staff leadership and guidance across the organization. Dr. Barrios requested a role change to allow more time to be spent providing outpatient services and continuing to provide support for the Bartow and Lakeland Crisis Stabilization Units, Short-Term Adult Residential Treatment center  and other areas.