The Bridge of Central Massachusetts

Housing and Services

The mission of the Bridge is to provide “comprehensive human services in collaboration with multitalented and diversely challenged individuals and their families”. The Bridge “advocates for individuals to become full partners in the experience of lifelong learning, meaningful relationships, productive work, and community living”. The Bridge operates a total of 33 programs that include special education, residential treatment, supported housing, community- based outreach, and assistance to families transitioning from homelessness (www.thebridgecm.org).

HUD funds 13 beds of the South County Supported Housing Program in Southbridge. The Supported Housing Program serves 35 or more mentally ill clients at a time, providing services to allow them to become stable and independent.

The Bridge offers many other diverse services including the GLBTQ Safe Homes, self- injury consultation in the public schools, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, the Section 8 Mainstream Program, Group homes and scattered site housing, and “Step Down” programs that reintroduce clients to living on their own.

The permanent housing programs allow individuals to remain in the programs for several years, 5 year maximum. One issue that has arisen has been clients that have moved through the program and no longer need to live in the housing units, but still need to use the services. This holds people back.

The most common way the clients at The Bridge have been introduced to homelessness is substance abuse and mental health issues. They also have clients that have entered homelessness through family break-ups, domestic violence situations, and illnesses such as AIDS. When a client is ready to move out of the program, they face barriers such as the lack of affordable housing, maintaining the upkeep of their own home, and independently dealing with their illness.

Ron Hayes, Director if the Housing Division at the Bridge, believes that policy-wise, several changes need to be made in order for his clients to have a fair chance at success. Public transportation needs to be improved; there are no busses that reach the different service centers. One of the largest roadblocks for clients is the lack of affordable housing. Section 8 housing vouchers need to be available to all clients that need them.

The programs result in over 90% of individuals leaving the program with the skills to sustain themselves in permanent, stable housing. The success comes from the intensive work with individuals and case management.

The G. Stanley Hall School

The Bridge runs a school with comprehensive special education services for emotionally disturbed adolescents. The school is kept small, with a maximum student body at 55 students. Currently there are 35 students, with an 8-10 student class size. Students are in grades 7-12 and “may exhibit one of the following behaviors: depression, withdrawal, low self-esteem, abuse-related behaviors, socialization problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, or self- injurious behaviors”. The school is modern and clean, with a cafeteria, library, woodshop, art studio, gym, and other facilities. The student to teacher ratio is 6:1. The culture of the school is accepting, and has high expectations of all the students.

For more information on The Bridge of Central Massachusetts, go to their website at http://www.thebridgecm.org.