Bridges
BRIDGES, a private, not-for-profit agency provides residential care and mental health treatment for persons with psychiatric and co-occurring disorders. Outpatient and prevention and early intervention services are available to youth 15-21. Licensed residential programs with a comprehensive menu of treatment and services are available for persons, ages 18-59.
Comprehensive residential and outpatient programs support individualized treatment designed to help individuals achieve their highest level of functioning, wellness and self- sufficiency possible. BRIDGES’ professional staff reaches out to hospitals, the criminal justice system, other service providers, family, and other community friends to assist in providing education, collaboration, and placement of persons in need of services. We are here to answer any questions you may have about our organization, programs and services, and the admission process.
BRIDGES, Inc. was founded and established by Audrey (Al) and C. Allen (Chuck) Braswell in 1976 as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, initially to provide child care for children of their nursing home employees, and through their vision and identified community needs, BRIDGES has evolved into a multi-service organization with a dedicated professional and paraprofessional staff which now provides a variety of social services for persons with psychiatric disabilities and co-occurring disorders. The Braswells, with their foresight, founded an organization based on the premise that everything that touches a client while in treatment affects their growth, fosters community integration and overall improves the lives of people living with mental illness.
For the first 22 years, BRIDGES supported low income families with affordable childcare in order to help families work and achieve self sufficiency for themselves and their families. Further BRIDGES operated a child care food program serving hundreds of children throughout more than 600 care provider homes in 4 Southern California counties.
Seven houses provided supervised independent living for graduates of BRIDGES Rehabilitation Programs. Five homes served persons with co-occurring disorders. Additionally, BRIDGES provided vocational training, paid employment opportunities with support, case management and linkage, family involved care, counseling services, and mental health treatment for persons with severe mental illness.
Braswells’ extensive experience with traditional psychiatric and long-term treatment facilities aspired them to develop aftercare residential treatment that would allow patients to transition into communal houses in the neighborhood, teaching them skills of daily living and providing meaningful work experiences, reducing recidivism, and increasing the probability of maintaining independence.
