New counselor joins Keys Medical Psychiatry, expands mental health access

Keys Medical Group Psychiatry added Lynda Woods, LCSW, to its outpatient team on November 21, 2025. Woods holds a Master of Social Work and brings more than 25 years of counseling experience. She will work alongside existing psychiatry providers at the practice's Kennedy Drive location in Key West, and will coordinate with community referral partners to connect patients to needed services. Appointments can be requested through Keys Medical Group.

Woods is experienced in individual, marital and family counseling, and in working with patients who face both mental illness and substance use challenges. Her expertise is likely to strengthen the outpatient offering at a clinic that serves a diverse coastal community. For residents of Monroe County the addition represents a concrete step toward expanding access to outpatient therapy and treatment for coexisting mental health and substance use needs.

The public health implications are practical and immediate. Outpatient behavioral health clinicians provide frontline care that can reduce crisis visits, support medication management when coordinated with psychiatrists, and help families stabilize in the home setting. In communities where transportation, affordability and stigma can create barriers to care, adding an experienced social worker to a familiar local clinic supports continuity and early intervention, which in turn can lessen pressure on emergency services.

Beyond direct patient care, Woods's role working with community referral partners highlights the importance of coordinated care networks. Strong connections between outpatient clinics, primary care providers, substance use treatment programs and social services improve the chances that people receive the full range of supports they need. For policymakers and health systems planners in Monroe County, the hire underscores the need to invest in workforce retention and in payment models that support integrated behavioral health in outpatient settings.

Equity concerns are central to the local impact. Marginalized residents often face greater obstacles to accessing mental health services, including lower treatment rates for mental illness and substance use challenges. Expanding the pool of clinicians who can provide culturally competent and family centered counseling helps address these gaps, but sustained progress will require ongoing funding, outreach and policies that reduce financial and logistical barriers to care.

Residents who would like to seek services from Keys Medical Group Psychiatry may request an appointment through the clinic. As the community watches how the new team member integrates into local care networks, the hire offers a practical example of how investments in behavioral health staffing can translate into better access, stronger community partnerships and more equitable care for people facing mental health and substance use challenges.