When Hailey Vasick joined Lakeview Center in 2017, she was finishing her bachelor’s degree at the University of West Florida and looking for the right direction to begin her career. Eager to make an impact, she started as a behavioral health technician at DAART, Lakeview’s former residential facility for teens with substance use.

Though she had never worked with adolescents before, Hailey quickly discovered a passion for supporting teens through complex challenges. “I fell in love with it,” she says. That first experience lit a spark that continues to guide her work today.

Over the next several years, Hailey moved through many of the roles Lakeview has to offer. From targeted case management to helping launch the TRACE team for adolescents with substance use, she immersed herself in some of the most challenging and rewarding corners of the organization – children and young adults struggling with mental health and substance misuse.

Today, Hailey serves as the program manager for three CAT (Community Action Treatment) programs across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties: the Escambia CAT Team, the Santa Rosa CAT Team and the Early CAT Team, which serves a younger age range in both counties. She oversees a team of 27 staff members. “Everything we do is high crisis and high trauma. We’re a passionate, humble group of humans who really feel like family.”

She credits her leadership style, deeply rooted in relationship-building, to lessons passed down from mentors like Marvin Dailey and Patti Hyde. “We always say connection before correction,” Hailey shares. “You can’t correct anything without first building a relationship.”

That philosophy has helped Hailey build critical connections between the CAT teams and community partners like schools and the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Hailey’s passion extends to her team and the broader mental health field. She’s grown her career step by step—starting at Lakeview Center at DAART as a behavioral technician, then advancing through roles as a Case Manager, Therapist and now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Manager of all three CAT teams.

“I’m a lifelong learner. I’ve taken every training Lakeview has offered. EMDR, DBT, FMF—you name it, I have it,” Hailey says. Her goal now is to become a Qualified Supervisor and potentially teach at the university level. “I want to share what I know. Community mental health isn’t talked about enough, and we need it now more than ever.”

Reflecting on her journey, Hailey emphasizes the importance of mentorship. “The biggest difference for me was Patti Hyde. She saw my worth before I did. If I ever get the chance, I want to be that person for someone else.”

With her experience, heart and vision, Hailey Vasick is not just managing programs—she’s shaping the future of community mental health.

To work with passionate team members like Hailey, visit our Careers site.