Views from The Bridge

East Village Art Gallery Tour

2011-11-07T12:22:00.003-05:00

You are cordially invited to attend a guided tour of some of the most interesting art galleries situated in the eclectic and evolving Lower East Side of New York City.

Available Dates:

• Saturday, December 10, 2011

• Sunday, December 11, 2011

(Numbers strictly limited to 20 persons on each day, so RSVP now! Due to the opening times of some galleries, the Saturday & Sunday tours will be slightly different. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis)

Time: Meet at The National Restaurant (8 Rivington Street, NYC, Between Bowery & Christie St.) at 11:30 am. Tours of the Galleries will be completed by 4:00 pm.

Cost: $100 for members of Friends of the Bridge Art Program and $125 for non-members. The fee will cover lunch and your tour. Funds raised will go towards art supplies, and transportation costs for The Bridge Group Artists to visit area Galleries. Payments can be accepted online. If you are paying online, please fax or email the reservation form below and include which day you want to participate and your contact information.

Please email, fax or mail this RSVP FORM to Ann Hyatt at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org or call 212-663-3000 ext. 379, Fax: 212-663-3181

In the last ten years, the Lower East Side’s buds of gentrification have opened and continued to blossom. Where once were rundown boarded-up businesses, there are now fledgling boutiques, restaurants and art galleries. Woven through its tight network of streets, alongside forceful reminders of past history, are a myriad of places to find new and exciting collectibles. Over the last five years a number of new contemporary art galleries have opened establishing the area as the go-to place to find work by emerging artists. This tour, lead by curator Stephen Hepworth with collector and Bridge Board Member Alice Kosmin, will weave a path through the Lower East Side to introduce some of the more interesting galleries and the artists they exhibit.

The afternoon will begin with brunch at The National, where you will meet your guides and representatives of The Bridge. The tour will head off at 1:00 pm moving east and south visiting a number of galleries, seeing their current exhibitions, additional works by some of the artists they show and meeting their owners. It will end at around 4:00 pm at 47 Canal Street, (between Orchard and Ludlow Street), from where a car service can be ordered, or taxis hailed at the nearby intersection with Allen Street, and the subway can be taken from the nearby East Broadway Station (F line).

You will be given a pack containing a route map, press releases from the galleries we will visit and a printed guide to more galleries in the area for you to discover at a later date. We strongly recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes. The guides will be present throughout to introduce the galleries and the work they show, answer your questions, and point out places of interest along the way!

Stephen Hepworth was born and brought up in central London and studied Fine Art at Brighton Polytechnic and Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. He moved to the US in 2007 where he was the curator of the University Art Gallery at the University of California San Diego until 2009, when he moved to New York.

Previously he was a curator at Bloomberg Space in London (2002-07), director of the Jerwood Gallery (1998-2001) and The Tannery (1995-97). Independent projects include Into My World: Recent British Sculpture at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut (2004) and the touring exhibition Tailsliding (2001-03) for the British Council.

Alice Kosmin is a New Yorker through and through who has collected contemporary art since the 1980’s, a passion she shared with her late husband. Initially visiting the fledgling galleries of the East Village, she has followed the New York art world’s migration to Soho, Chelsea and now to the Lower East Side, in addition to making many trips to Europe and beyond in search of the exciting and the new. Alice Kosmin is also a longtime Board Member of The Bridge.

Hope to see you there!

Urban Garden Recipe For Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake

2011-10-31T08:53:00.002-04:00

The runner-up to our Urban Farm recipe contest is Janet Simmons! As judged by Chef Shimbo, an expert in Asian and many other cuisines, who has authored The Japanese Kitchen and The Sushi Experience, below is her fantastic cake recipe with ingredients that can be found in our own Bridge Urban Farms.

Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake

2 cp flour
2 tsp. Baking soda
1/3 cp brown sugar - I use raw sugar
1/2 tsp. Allspice /or cinnamon
1/4 cp of bran flakes
1/4 cp of raisins
1/4 cp of chocolate chips
1/4 cp orange juice
1/3 cp of oil - I prefer mazola corn oil
3 whole eggs - mix with the orange juice & oil.

The oven should be between 325 degrees & 350 degrees. As the baker you should know your oven. If your oven has the tendency to over heat you should bake this cake at a 325 & watch it carefully. The cake will bake within 35-45 mins. If you want a crispy edged cake then bake in an aluminum pan.

1. Mix all dry products together, sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg

2. With a mixer, mix eggs oil, juice until it is mixed well

3. Mix together dry & wet ingredients, mix well

4. add in the raisin, chips into the batter

5. Use a cake pan no larger than a 9". Oil and flour the pan

put the batter in - heat the oven for 5 min. before putting cake in

Bake at 325 degree - bake for 40-45 mins. Let cool!!

For a real treat add some delicious ice-cream on the top grab a spoon!!!

Put on go tv show, ignore the phone and indulge yourself to sheer bliss!!!

Bone petit !!!!! YUM!!!

Urban Farm Recipe Contest Winner

2011-10-31T08:49:00.002-04:00

Felice's Urban Garden

The recipe contest we ran last month was a big success! Featuring the ingredients we are growing in our two Urban Farms, the goal of this contest was to continue our healthy eating education efforts. Renowned celebrity chef Hiroko Shimbo has chosen the winner and 1 runner-up who will get their recipes published here on our blog. Chef Shimbo is an expert in Asian and many other cuisines, and has authored The Japanese Kitchen and The Sushi Experience. We are pleased to announce that Felice Milani's Butternut Squash Macaroni is the winner! She will receive a $100 gift card to The Central Park Boathouse restaurant. Felice has her own urban garden where she grows sweet peppers, bell peppers, chili peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil and scotch bonnets. She is a Queens Public Defender and hopes to expand her garden this spring to include eggplant and squash. The runner-up is Janet Simmons with her Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake. Please see the winning recipe below and the Carrot Cake recipe will follow shortly. Congratulations to our winners!

Butternut Squash Macaroni

1 pound macaroni twists (the long macaroni)
Boil the water until rolling, add the macaroni and cook until the macaroni sticks to the wall. cooking the noodles in either chicken broth or vegetable broth instead of water is also good.

SQUASH

1 two-pound butternut squash
Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half, lengthwise and rub cut side with olive oil.
Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for 60 to 75 minutes or until completely cooked and soft.
Scoop out flesh while still warm and break apart with a spoon. Timing-wise, finish the squash roughly the same time the pasta and the sauce is cooked so that it's still warm.
OPTION 2 - just buy the frozen butternut squash from the supermarket (it takes about 2 containers).

SAUCE

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped small
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup whole milk
16 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

In a saucepan, melt the butter on MEDIUM heat til shimmery. Stir in the onion as it's prepped, then the nutmeg and white pepper, cook til onions soften. Stir in the flour and mix well. A tablespoon at a time, add the milk .Stirring often, let the sauce come almost to the boiling

point, it will thicken slightly. Add the cheese and let melt, adjusting temperature.

COMBINE: In a large bowl, break the squash apart, mashing it really, with a wooden spoon. Stir in the hot, drained pasta and combine well, distributing the squash throughout. Stir in the sauce and combine well. Transfer to a greased baking dish. If you like, sprinkle the top with pimenton or paprika, or breadcrumbs.

BAKE: Return dish to room temperature. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes til hot and bubbly throughout. To add color to the top, place under the broiler for 2 - 3 minutes, watching carefully so not to burn. When covered with foil, holds its temperature for a good 30 minutes.

ENJOY

Bridge MoMA Show in New York Nonprofit Press

2011-10-11T11:36:00.000-04:00

Last week, our Bridge Group Artists show at MoMA was written up in the New York Nonprofit Press (NYNP)! The show will run at The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education & Research Building at MoMA (4 West 54th Street) until October 30st. Then, starting November 15th, the show will move to The Bridge (248 West 108th Street, Gallery 300) with the opening reception at 1:15pm that day, and an additional reception at 7:00 pm. The exhibition will be on display from November 15 – December 15, 2011 at The Bridge and all pieces will be for sale.

Bridge Groups Artists show IMAGINATION

2011-10-07T12:52:00.003-04:00

Michael Blamo with his works

The Bridge Groups Artists show "IMAGINATION" at MoMA was an amazing success with a record turnout of over 150 people. We had distinguished guests including Bridge Board members, donors, staff and clients, and of course The Bridge Group Artists themselves. For all the photos from the event, visit our Flickr album. The show will run at The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education & Research Building at MoMA (4 West 54th Street) until October 30st. Then, starting Tuesday, November 15th, the show will move to The Bridge (248 West 108th Street, Gallery 300) with the opening reception at 1:15pm that day, and an additional reception at 7:00 pm. The exhibition will be on display from November 15 – December 15, 2011 at The Bridge and all pieces will be for sale.

Thank you again to Carrie McGee, Gordon Sasaki, and Francesca Rosenberg, head of the Community and Access Program at The Museum of Modern Art, the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, and Judith Raskin Rosenthal, founder of The Bridge Group Artists. Please enjoy these short videos of a couple of The Bridge Group Artists describing their journey to create their amazing works of art.

If you didn't get a booklet of all the amazing art at our MoMA show this week, download it here free!

The Bridge Groups Artists show IMAGINATION at MoMa

View more documents from The Bridge.

Join The Friends of The Bridge Art Program

2011-10-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

We invite you to join The Friends of The Bridge Art Program. This is a diverse group of people working together in support of The Bridge and the close to 2,000 New Yorkers it helps each year. The Friend’s mission is to promote The Bridge Art Program to new audiences.

Members will blend their talents to raise awareness and funds for The Bridge by hosting and participating in fun, unique and festive social/networking events, in relation to the Art Program, especially the MoMA Exhibit and the Art Exhibit at The Bridge headquarters each Fall. Activities may include art tours, studio visits, lectures and other events that the Committee sponsors. The Committee is composed of people from all walks of life and a variety of backgrounds. All share the basic desire to make a tangible difference in the life of Bridge clients through the arts.

To Join: A donation to The Bridge of $25 will provide a one year "Friends" membership. You will be contacted shortly after joining with more information. You can mail in a check made out to "The Bridge" or donate electronically. Please contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development and External Relations, with any inquiries at t:212.663.3000 ext.379 or ahyatt@thebridgeny.org

248 West 108th Street

Attn: Ann Hyatt

New York, NY 10025

Mental Illness Awareness Week 2011

2011-10-05T12:51:00.000-04:00

Mental Illness Awareness Week 2011 is Oct. 2-8. In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) in recognition of the National Alliance on Mental Illness' (NAMI) efforts to raise mental illness awareness. Since 1990, mental health advocates across the country have joined together to produce activities and events to promote awareness. At The Bridge we are always working to promote awareness about mental illnesses and provide innovative and cutting-edge services to our clients. We will celebrate MAIW all month long!

Profiles of Success: Carol Love

2011-09-28T10:04:00.001-04:00

Carol Love was first referred to The Bridge through the New York state Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) program. She stayed on as an IPRT client and was working toward a goal of going to school for medical billing and coding. Carol has been living independently for 8 years now, and prides herself on her organizational skills and work ethic.

Carol got her working start at The Bridge in a stipend clerical position in residential services. “I was happiest when I was working,” she says. She did such a good job that the staff she worked with advocated for her to be hired as a part time employee. In May of this year Carol got her wish, and is now working 3 days a week as the Assistant to the Residential Intake Coordinator processing packages, filing, and handling correspondence for residential services.

Her favorite part of the job is processing the packages and assigning numbers to files because she gets to use her organizational skills. Carol said of Bridge vocational Services, “they helped me learn organizational and people skills, have the right attitude, increase my typing speed and work as a team. They helped me learn about my own work ethic and were very encouraging. It was a privilege to have worked with them.” She continues to get vocational support through The Bridge PROS and Ticket to Work Programs.

Profiles of Success: Ronnie Smith

2011-09-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

Ronnie Smith came to The Bridge in 1998. He is a PROS client and has been in Bridge housing for 7 years. Recently, The Bridge Vocational Services was able to place Ronnie in a security job at a major retail store where he has worked for over 2 months now, 5 days a week.

Ronnie has always wanted to work. He has had some of his best times at The Bridge working, meeting people and making friends. Ronnie noted, “vocational services has helped me identify my job skills, and my favorite part has been getting to know lots of people.”

Ronnie is a fully licensed security guard now and is looking forward to getting his license renewed and continuing the work he enjoys so much. The Bridge Vocational Services will continue to give him support and training as his career progresses.

Bridge Artists Exhibit at MoMA

2011-09-14T18:03:00.000-04:00

You're invited to the opening reception of The Bridge Groups Artists show IMAGINATION on October 4th from 5-7pm at MoMA! Please Click Here To RSVP.

The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education & Research Building at MoMA

4 West 54th Street

Exhibition on display from October 4 – 31, 2011

Starting Tuesday, November 15, 2011 the show will move to The Bridge (248 West 108^th Street, Gallery 300) Opening Reception: 1:15 to 8:00 pm, Remarks at 1:30 and 7pm. Please come by!

Exhibition on display from November 15 – December 15, 2011

“I close my eyes in order to see.”

-Paul Gauguin

The Bridge Group Artists began twenty-three years ago under the direction of Judith Raskin Rosenthal, ATR. Many of the artists began with very little or no formal training. Eventually the group attracted individuals with some art education or experience. All have come to understand that the desire to create is in itself an expression of mental wellness and that—as artists—there is always room for growth.

Over the past year, MoMA's Department of Education and The Bridge’s Art Department participated in their sixth annual extended partnership. Through this unique collaboration, artists from The Bridge and their art therapist met with MoMA educators to explore new ideas and approaches to art at the Museum. Through guided tours and independent visits, the Group learned about the perspectives and techniques of a variety of artists. Back at their studio at The Bridge, the artists created a new body of work informed by their experiences.

IMAGINATION was chosen as the theme of this year’s partnership. Imagination can be defined as “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.” Putting these images on paper, on canvas or in clay provides a way for artists to understand and express themselves. At MoMA, we began by looking at some of the earliest works in the Collection to see how artists were championing imagination over reality and depicting their individual experiences of the world. Through two special exhibitions, German Expressionism: The Graphic Impulse and Impressions from South Africa: 1965 to Now, we explored the ways in which artists from different countries—and different centuries—commented on their social, political and private worlds through their art. In Picasso: Guitars 1912-1914, we examined and discussed Picasso’s material and structural experimentation.

Inspired by the techniques and approaches of the artists whose work they viewed at the Museum, the Bridge artists pushed themselves into new territory. They were encouraged to take their best work and push it further, to mine their imaginations and try new techniques. Their subject matter ranged from New York City to India to an imagined aerial view of Springfield—home of The Simpsons—and beyond, to animals and abstractions. Some began using color in a non-representational manner. Leaves were purple, lips were green and eyes red. Materials and tools were used imaginatively as well. One artist began repeatedly tracing the rim of a paper cup in order to form shells, snakes and abstract compositions. Another spoke of overcoming fears and being inspired by the newfound freedom that came with being aesthetically daring. Everyone explored new ground.

We admire and would like to thank them, for it is their talent and dedication that make this collaboration a success. We are grateful to the Educational Foundation of America and The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation for their generous funding of the Bridge Art Program.

Thank You: Carrie McGee, and Gordon Sasaki, The Museum of Modern Art

Judith Raskin Rosenthal, The Bridge

Go Mets!

2011-09-08T13:55:00.002-04:00

To end the summer with a bang, a few lucky Bridge clients got to go see the Mets play at Citi Field in The Bronx. Patricia Thackray, Director of Bridge Poetry Workshops for the past 25 years, orchestrated the event and The Bridge name was prominently displayed on the marquee. With summer now over, we are celebrating Recovery Month all September long and looking forward to Fall.

PROS 1 Year Anniversary at The Bridge

2011-09-08T09:30:00.000-04:00

Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) program at The Bridge just turned 1 year old! We celebrated yesterday in the cafeteria of our headquarters with a packed house of clients and staff and plenty of ice cream.

PROS participants took turns at the podium and highlighted what they liked about the PROS program. Certificates of Completion were given out to 22 clients that have completed the Cognitive Remediation Program. This program is designed as a behavioral treatment that uses various mental exercises to facilitate improvement in targeted areas like memory, attention, processing speed and problem solving. A client said that after completing the Cognitive Remediation Program, he can pay attention better to the teacher in school, and has also become a better worker. Another client said that the Cognitive Remediation program had helped her in her job in the mailroom with multi-tasking and she can maintain the different parts of her job better.

Graduates of the Wellness Self Management Program also received certificates. This is a program where clients go through modules that work on coping skills, symptom management, physical and mental stability. One graduate of the program said it helped him to look on the brighter side of things.

We are celebrating Recovery Month all September long, and want to thank everyone who made this event possible.

Bridge Urban Farm Flyer

2011-09-07T10:14:00.002-04:00

The Bridge Urban Farm and Horticulture Program wants to spread the word about what we do and how we do it. Check out this new flyer, print it out and give it to a friend! The Fall harvest is coming!

Bridge Urban Farm Fact Sheet

View more documents from The Bridge

Criminal Justice Residential Initiative

2011-09-01T10:14:00.000-04:00

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has selected The Bridge as one of five agencies for a new initiative to provide housing and services to men and women released from State Correctional Facilities. Through this initiative The Bridge will dedicate 14 residential beds to this special population. In addition to providing housing, The Bridge will offer mental health and substance abuse treatment, vocational and related rehabilitation services, and primary health care. The new initiative is the latest Bridge response to meet the needs of seriously mentally ill men and women in the criminal justice system. While the census in New York’s State psychiatric facilities is now less than 4,000, there are many more thousands with serious mental illness in the correctional system.  

Seven years ago, The Bridge pioneered the Iyana Project with Bedford Hills State Correctional Facility in which a Bridge in-reach team works with inmates nearing release and provides post-release permanent housing and services. The agency also participated in the Frequent User Service Enhancement (FUSE) Program, a New York City initiative to provide housing to criminal justice clients. FUSE targets individuals through data matching that identifies people with multiple stays in both the jail and shelter systems, and places them in supportive housing.

We are pleased to participate in this new initiative designed to meet the critical needs of an especially vulnerable population.

PROS Client Talent Show

2011-08-23T10:21:00.003-04:00

This past Friday, the summer staff put on a Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) client talent show to conclude their time at The Bridge. The show went off without a hitch to a fully packed house, and the talents on display were truly impressive.

Every client in the show is in The Bridge PROS program. Most performances were songs and poems, with many being original compositions. Check out our pictures on Flickr and video of some of the rap, guitar and poetry performances on YouTube! All performers got a certificate of participation, and there was a prize raffle drawing at the end. Four lucky winners got gift bags filled with groceries donated by Trader Joe's Markets, and another lucky two received Subway Restaurant gift cards.

Thank you again to all our amazing summer staff!

Summer Picnic

2011-08-17T12:31:00.002-04:00

This year's summer client picnic was a great success. The weather more than cooperated -it was beautiful and sunny. Riverside Park was the perfect setting, with ample shade and a great lawn araa for the client softball game. The scavenger hunt was also a big hit, with the winners receiving a gift card to Subways Restaurants. Check out the pictures on our Flickr! Thank you again to all our wonderful summer staff for putting on such a fun and well organized event.

PROS Material

2011-08-15T16:06:00.000-04:00

Check out our Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) flyer to find out more about PROS at The Bridge or give to a friend! You can read and download it below.

Bridge PROS Program

View more documents from The Bridge

Bridge Talent Show

2011-08-09T15:03:00.000-04:00

Our summer staff of 4 graduate social work students from Columbia School of Social Work has organized a client talent show. On Friday August 19th at 1:30pm please join us in the cafeteria of The Bridge headquarters (248 West 108 St., NYC) to see a dazzling display of the wide array of talents our clients possess. Clients are currently trying out, and practicing to perfect their performances. Family, friends, clients and staff are all welcome. Enjoy the show!

Bridge Picnic

2011-08-04T11:37:00.000-04:00

Continuing the great tradition of making it a priority to get out and have some summer fun, on August 12th The Bridge will be having a summer picnic in Riverside Park for clients and staff. Organized by our summer staff of 4 graduate social work students from Columbia School of Social Work, we are looking to have a sizable group of around 60 clients and 7 client-volunteers to help work the event. Activities will include volleyball, softball, a scavenger hunt and lunch prepared by our own Upper Level Caterers, staffed by Bridge clients. Picnics are a summertime favorite, and this one is shaping up to be tons of fun.

Columbia Social Work Students at The Bridge

2011-08-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

Super Summer Workers (from left):

Jennifer Lehman, John S.H. Page, Jr, Dr. Peter Beitchman, Hillary Perlman, Alissa Sexton

Four graduate social work students from Columbia School of Social Work have joined The Bridge staff as summer workers. Energetic and full of enthusiasm, the Columbia team has been filling in for vacationing staff in our PROS Program (the rehab-focused recovery day program), leading groups (e.g. Wellness Self-Management, Coping Skills, Career Exploration, Social Skills) and providing individual services and support to PROS participants. They have also been enriching the summer by conducting trips to local cultural and recreational attractions and are planning two major agency activities in August: a client talent show and a picnic in Riverside Park, complete with a variety of sports activities and picnic games. Box lunches will be prepared by our own Upper Level Caterers, staffed by Bridge clients. The summer workers will be with us through the end of August, when it’s back to school for them to complete their graduate social work training. In our view, each of them has a very bright future in the profession.

New York Medicaid Reform

2011-07-28T12:36:00.001-04:00

In the Summer 2011 edition of Mental Health News, Peter Beitchman, Executive Director of The Bridge, writes about New York’s Medicaid reform which will have far-reaching effects on behavioral health services delivery. The Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo is currently looking to slash $3 billion from the state’s $58 billion Medicaid program.

Dr. Beitchman explains that the plan outlined calls for, “a 2 year period, beginning in October of 2011, when regional Behavioral Health Organizations (BHOs) will be established (a total of 5 or 6 statewide). Although behavioral health services will continue to be paid on a fee-for-service basis during this period, BHOs will have a significant role in promoting continuity of care by monitoring both inpatient behavioral health hospitalizations and recipient transitions between hospitalization and community agency services. In 3 years, BHOs will be replaced by a full managed care system for both behavioral and health care services.” Both the recipient and provider communities are very concerned about how this major restructuring of the system will unfold. This is an issue that needs continuous monitoring. The effectiveness of this new system will not be known for some time.

Recipe Contest Features Bridge Urban Farm Produce

2011-07-27T09:58:00.002-04:00

From now until September 30th we will be conducting a recipe contest featuring the ingredients we are growing in our two Urban Farms! Our client-cultivated Urban Farms are brimming with produce, and to help continue our healthy eating education efforts, we welcome you all to submit a recipe for this contest. The winner will receive a $100 gift card to The Central Park Boathouse restaurant. Creatively using the crops that can be found in our gardens (see below), recipe submissions should be an original or family recipe, delicious, healthy and fun. Renowned celebrity chef Hiroko Shimbo will choose the winner and 2 runner-ups who will get their recipes published on our blog. Chef Shimbo is an expert in Asian and many other cuisines, and has authored The Japanese Kitchen and The Sushi Experience. Please email us your recipe submissions to Contest@thebridgeny.org or post them here to our blog (in the comments), Facebook page or LinkedIn group walls. Judging will take place in early September and the winners will be contacted directly.

CROPS WE ARE GROWING RIGHT NOW-

LEAFY GREENS:

Collards & Arugula
Lettuce & Cabbage
Spinach
Kale & Kohlrabi
Mustard Greens & Swiss Chard

VEGGIES:

Cucumbers & Pickling Cucumbers
Radishes & Turnips
Sugar Snap, Snow Peas & Black Eyed Peas
Yellow Wax & Green Beans
Sugar Baby Watermelon & Cantaloupe
Mini & Large Pumpkins
Spaghetti, Yellow & Butternut Squash
Zucchini & Purple Eggplant
Carrots
Blue & Sweet Corn
Orange Bell & Sweet Green Peppers
Cherry & Heirloom Tomatoes

GRAINS:

Quinoa & Amaranth

HERBS:

Basil & Thai Basil
Rosemary & Italian Parsley
Chamomile & English Thyme
Marigold & Nasturtium
Dill & Lavender
Pineapple Sage & Spearmint
Oregano & Cilantro
Chives & Nutmeg

HIV/AIDS Housing at The Bridge

2011-07-22T09:36:00.000-04:00

HIV/AIDS housing at The Bridge is a 20-bed facility on Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. This residence is an important part of our mission to help special needs populations. Residents in this housing must be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, have been or are currently homeless and have co-occurring mental illness. Most residents also have drug/alcohol addiction issues.

The program opened 10 years ago with funding from the Federal Ryan White program, which is contracted through New York City’s Public Health Solutions, a not-for-profit conduit for Federal Health money. The building is a five-story walk-up with 2 studios and 9 two-bedroom apartments. Each resident has his/her own private bedroom and bathroom, and share a kitchen and living/dining space. The Bridge provides furniture and equipment.

This is an emergency/transitional program where residents stay for approximately 9 to 12 months while they stabilize medically and psychologically and financially. After being homeless, it is imperative that these individuals have this opportunity to stabilize. The goal of this program is to help residents acquire the skills and strength to move to permanent housing where they can live more independently.

The Bridge works with each incoming resident to get the medicine and health care they need, connect them to financial programs (such as social security, food stamps, Medicaid, etc), and teach them skills needed for living independently. Residents are required to keep their apartments clean and have food in their kitchen.

A continental breakfast is served each morning in the common kitchen area, and each evening, residents work to prepare and eat dinner together. Many of the residents do not have cooking skills or nutritional knowledge when they enter the program and staff works with them and teaches them how to cook healthy meals for themselves and/or the group.

There are also group meetings/classes run in the residence two evenings per week. One class discusses medical issues, housing, and substance abuse. The second class focuses on LGBTQ relationship issues, medical and medication issues.

Residents go on group trips to help them integrate back into society, and they visit museums, go to the movies, attend free concerts and other activities that are of interest to the residents. During the day, residents can also attend the drug/alcohol program at The Bridge headquarters, which is licensed and funded by New York State’s OASAS (Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services), as well as other Bridge programs. The Bridge strives to bring integrated care to each client.

Easy Cold Herbed Pasta Salad Recipe

2011-07-11T13:16:00.000-04:00

As part of The Bridge's healthy eating initiative, fantastic recipes are made available to clients, often ones that include ingredients that can be found growing in our Urban Farms. Cooking classes for clients are held three times a week by Natalie Brickajlik, Horticulture Program Coordinator/Employment Specialist, in our headquarters as part of the PROS program. The Bridge also has horticulture "workshops" twice a week in various residences, which involve a variety of activities like cooking with veggies from our 2 urban gardens in the Bronx and the Upper East Side of Manhattan, making birdfeeders, or taking lessons in organic pest control.

Here is a simple recipe for a cold pasta salad flavored with fresh herbs, and inspired by the traditional Italian flavors of garlic, basil and Parmesan that The Bridge clients made in a recent cooking class. You can add your own favorite veggies such as olives, sweet peppers or tomatoes. It's also delicious as is, as the fresh herbs really shine in this easy and simple pasta salad. If you are trying to avoid salt and cholesterol, omit the Parmesan cheese and add a bit more lemon juice.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. whole wheat corkscrew (rotini) or bow-tie (farfalle) pasta

• ¼ cup good quality olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

• ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

• ½ cup fresh vegetables

• ¼ cup pinenuts

• ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain well and allow to cool. Heat half the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook for just a minute or two, then reduce heat to low and add chopped fresh basil and parsley. Add any remaining veggies. Cook for just one minute, until heated through. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine pasta with remaining ingredients, including cooked garlic and herbs, the remainder of the olive oil, lemon juice, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Toss well and serve cold.

Bridge Chemical Dependency Treatment Program for Co-Occurring Mental Illness & Substance Abuse

2011-07-06T13:35:00.001-04:00

The Bridge Chemical Dependency Treatment Program for co-occurring mental illness & substance abuse is another part of our integrated approach to mental health. In 2001, The Bridge obtained a license from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to provide outpatient treatment to a special population: adults with co-occurring serious mental illness and substance abuse. While statistics indicate that more than 50% of people who have serious mental illness have a co-occurring substance abuse disorder, there have been few programs developed to provide integrated treatment for both conditions. The problem is compounded by the fact that two separate state agencies regulate and fund mental health and substance abuse services.

The evidence-based integrated program at The Bridge, which offers a supportive, mutual-aid community, addresses both conditions simultaneously. The stage-wise approach initially engages clients around the concept of recovery (going beyond relapse prevention to include wellness and achieving life goals) and helps motivate them to move forward in the treatment process.

A significant benefit of The Bridge Chemical Dependency Treatment Program, in which 100 men and women are currently enrolled, is its integrated approach. In addition to integrated mental health/substance abuse treatment, the program provides on-site medical care, vocational services and mental health medication. Program outcomes are outstanding with more than half of enrollees achieving substance sobriety within a 6-month period. The spirit of the program is best evidenced in the moving graduation ceremonies that celebrate those who have achieved so much and who are taking the next significant steps in their recovery.

Bridge Board Member Profile: Daniel Manitsky

2011-07-04T13:23:00.001-04:00

Daniel Manitsky joined The Bridge Board of Trustees in May of this year. He first got connected with The Bridge through Board Serve at United Way, a service connecting nonprofits to a pool of prospective board members. Daniel also recently attended the first meeting of The Bridge Make a Difference Committee, which is a group dedicated to promoting The Bridge programs, services and societal benefits to new audiences.

Daniel currently works as a management consultant specializing in public sector and non-profit organizations in developing countries. Previously, he completed 3 years in the US Peace Corps where he held the positions of Water/Sanitation and Health Education Specialist, and Volunteer Coordinator in El Salvador. He then went on to get his Masters of Public Administration, Public and Non-Profit Policy, which he completed in 2006. He has diverse and impressive professional accomplishments in international and national sectors.

Daniel’s hope is to “help The Bridge continue with its tradition of providing innovative, effective services to New York's mentally ill and homeless.” Cynthia Wainwright, President of the Board of Directors, says of our new member, “Daniel Manitsky brings a varied background ranging from working in the Peace Corps to international management consulting. We are delighted that he has joined our Board and we look forward to working with him.” We are very excited to have him on our team.

Bridge Board Member Profile: Ron Cruikshank

2011-06-29T13:28:00.002-04:00

Ron Cruikshank joined the Board of Trustees at The Bridge in November of 2010. He has been, and currently is, an active leader with many non-profits. Executive Director of The Bridge, Peter Beitchman, says of Ron, “We are delighted to welcome Ron as a new Board member, and are proud that he will be lending his extensive talents and skills in the non-profit and profit sector to helping The Bridge grow.”

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Ron’s 25 year career in the communications industry and in the practice of law has given him a wide range of experience. He retired in 2007 from his position as Senior Corporate Counsel at Omnicom Group Inc. in New York City. Since that time, Ron has volunteered as an Elder and Trustee at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh and Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of McCormick Theology Seminary in Chicago, and recently completed a 6 year term on the Board of The Lebanese American University in Beirut. Ron is currently Of Counsel to the law firm of Choate & Seletski in their Estate/Trust practice.

Ron has dealt with severe mental illness in his family and knows how it feels to have to navigate the mental health system. He stated, "I know what people have to go through, and I really like the way The Bridge helps. I wanted to join the Board to give back in my own community." We are truly grateful to have Ron on our Board with his great wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Veterans Poetry

2011-06-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

The Bridge is proud to announce that its long-established Poetry Program has been the seed for a similar venture. When Patricia Thackray, Director of the Bridge Poetry Workshops lectured at the International Society For The Psychological Treatments of The Schizophrenias And Other Psychoses (ISPS), she inspired one member of the audience, Barbara J. Davidson, to found and run a similar program at James J. Peter's Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in The Bronx.

Barbara J. Davidson, LCSW, Clinician in Schizophrenic Treatment and Research (STAR) said, "Patricia Thackray's work and that of her clients influenced us to explore poetry in our own VA writing group. Our veterans enjoy reading published poems as well as writing their own." We at the Bridge are happy to play this role in enriching veterans' lives.

Ms. Davidson anticipates that her clients' work will appear in the quarterly national publication Veterans' Voices, the only publication dedicated solely to veterans' writings. This magazine was created by the Hospitalized Veterans Writing Project (HVWP) to further veterans' art and writing. Similar to the focus of our Bridge Poetry Workshop, HVWP's therapeutic writing program acknowledges veterans' experiences and helps to build self-esteem through creative expression.

The Bridge Poetry Program provides clients with the ability to express themselves through an art medium that they are unable to express in any other way. The clients learn about themselves through their poetry, and their self-confidence and feelings of well-being are increased through their creative experiences. The Bridge Poetry Workshop meets twice a week and has been headed by Patricia Thackray for the past 25 years.

The Bridge has long supported veterans. In an innovative partnership, The Bridge, Community Preservation Corporation Resources (CPC-R) and The Briarwood Organization, successfully came together to develop a large parcel of City-owned land in the Melrose section of The Bronx for the Melrose Commons veterans' residence project. This ambitious project will include the development of affordable family housing for the community, senior housing and Bridge housing for 60 homeless veterans who have experienced significant challenges in returning from service.

Partner in Caring Awards 2011

2011-06-15T18:44:00.001-04:00

The 57th Anniversary Partners in Caring Awards Dinner 2011 last week was a great success. In the beautiful setting of the Central Park Boathouse, supporters of The Bridge took in the theme of “A Night in Venice” while mingling amongst Venetian stilt-walkers, a robust silent auction, and a Venetian mask-maker. This year’s event raised more money than last year, with the proceeds going to support The Bridge’s broad range of services, including homeless housing initiatives for recent veterans, as well as the horticultural training program and urban farms.

The three honorees of the night who have made significant contributions that have positively impacted the lives of many Bridge clients, gave truly inspiring speeches throughout the night. Ron Garfunkel, President & CEO of Service Directions, Inc. received the Caring Award presented to him by Albert E. Mayas. Then NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, was honored as the 2011 Government Partner, and G. Oliver Koppell, Council Member, the New York City Council accepted the award on her behalf. And finally, George Ball, Chairman & CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. and the Burpee Foundation, was presented the Individual Partner Award by Mel P. Barkan for being the founding supporter of The Bridge Horticultural Training Program and Urban Farms. Take a look at the event pictures on our Flickr.

But perhaps the highlight of the entire evening was when Robert Kaplan, Bridge client of 3 years, member of The Bridge Group Artists, and painter of the event invitation cover art, gave a moving and memorable speech about his life’s journey and how art and The Bridge have changed his life for the better.

Thank you again to our honorees and all the supporters of The Bridge for helping us continue to innovate.

Profiles of Success: Urban Farm Inspiration

2011-06-02T10:25:00.003-04:00

Stacey Joel Van Rossum was born in Brooklyn, and came to The Bridge in 2004 after a brief stay at Bellevue Men’s Shelter in Manhattan. He started in The Bridge’s Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment Program (IPRT), which is now PROS, while attending Brooklyn College where he received a BA in History in 2007. While at The Bridge he also participated in the work stipend program, working in the computer room.

After a few years working in the computer program, he began working in The Bridge’s Horticulture Program. He has been the primary blogger for the My Urban Farm blog since its start in 2008. During the Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteer day in May, Stacey helped to supervise the volunteers and instruct them where to plant. Here is Stacey’s success story in his own words:

“After achieving success gardening in my first year in the Horticulture Program, this stipend job became a paid job with an hourly wage. So I became a Bridge employee. While gardening I was encouraged to take a class at The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in the Bronx, NY, where I was certified as a Master Composter. I continue to volunteer at the NYBG from time to time and have accumulated approximately 60 hours of volunteer service.

I lived in a Bridge residence on East Houston Street in Manhattan, NY for approximately 2 years then moved into my current home in the Bronx, NY where I sub-lease an apartment from The Bridge. One of my problems during my hospitalizations and brief times in jail was a lack of communication on my part and The Bridge’s IPRT program helped me to realize that I need to speak to and communicate with people. I had been working since I was 14 years old so my work in the Bridge’s computer room and on the Bridge’s Urban Farm helped me further acquire necessary work skills.

I continue to grow as a man and my time at The Bridge helped me to better my life. Thank God.” – Stacey Joel Van Rossum

Bridge Silent Auction

2011-05-20T10:44:00.000-04:00

Starting on May 23rd at 8am ET The Bridge will be auctioning off a number of fun and unique items to bid on to raise money for our organization. We invite you to view our auction and show your support by bidding high and bidding often! Items will be continuously added so check back frequently, and if you have an item you would like to add to the auction please contact Ann Hyatt t:212.663.3000 ext.379 or ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. The bidding will close at 10pm ET on June 6th right before our Partners in Caring Awards Dinner. Bidding will continue at the gala on June 9th.

The Bridge Partners in Caring 2011 Honorees

2011-05-16T15:50:00.000-04:00

We would like to introduce the distinguished honorees for the upcoming 57th Anniversary Partners in Caring Awards Dinner on June 9th at the Central Park Boat House. Please join us to celebrate. The event recognizes key partnerships that have helped to immeasurably improve the quality of life for Bridge clients. Meet our 2010 Honorees:

Ron Garfunkel

Ron Garfunkel and Service Directions, Inc.
Corporate Partner in Caring
Ron Garfunkel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Service Directions, Inc. has been a partner with The Bridge for more than a decade helping us to professionalize laundry services for clients living in Bridge housing with better designed and more efficient laundry equipment, and excellent service, as well as being a strong supporter of our work. Ron believes in giving back to the community by contributing monetarily, employing individuals with special needs in his company, volunteering and contributing to a cleaner, greener environment through the use of green machines that reduce fuel and water consumption. There is much to honor in this successful partnership and we are proud to present our Corporate Partner in Caring Award to Ron and Service Directions, Inc.

George Ball, W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
Individual Partner in Caring
George Ball, Chairman and CEO, W. Atlee Burpee & Co., and Chairman of the Board of the Burpee Foundation, is the founding supporter of The Bridge’s Horticultural Training Program and Urban Farms Initiative. George Ball and The Burpee Foundation have fostered the development of this important program from its beginning in 2005 on the roof deck atop our headquarters building. Through his wisdom, encouragement and support, and involvement with the Horticultural Society of New York (on whose Board George serves), the program has grown dramatically and now includes two urban farms with plans to create additional farms in connection with other Bridge residences. The Horticultural Training Program and Urban Farms provide work training and paid work, food, nutrition education and therapy for Bridge clients. For his vision and commitment to The Bridge, to making the world a more beautiful and greener place, and for his many accomplishments, we honor him with our Individual Partner in Caring Award.

Hon. Christine Quinn
Government Partner in Caring
NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, is a long-time activist in providing innovative solutions for combating geriatric homelessness and improving services for New Yorkers with special needs. We honor Speaker Quinn for her leadership as a champion of people in need and for her innovative solutions to New York City’s challenges. Speaker Quinn’s leadership made it possible for The Bridge to receive substantial funding through the Council’s Geriatric Mental Health Initiative that benefits our Sheridan Hill House residents: men and women who have serious mental illness and physical illness due to aging and health conditions, many of whom were also homeless. This unique program is helping people to live in the community rather than in costly nursing and adult homes. We proudly present our Government Partner in Caring Award to NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
If you would like to attend, please contact Ann Hyatt at 212-663-3000, ext. 379 or e-mail her at ahyatt@thebrigeny.org. Tickets are $350.

Community TeamWorks Volunteers Plant Urban Farm

2011-05-13T13:41:00.000-04:00

Community TeamWorks (CTW) volunteers from Goldman Sachs recently helped to plant in our Urban Farm at the Upper East Side residence in Manhattan. Under the tutelage of our partners at the Horticultural Society of New York, the volunteers helped to get the garden ready for summer’s bounty.

The garden now looks fantastic! Check out all the wonderful pictures on our Flickr. But it’s not only beautiful; it’s functional as well. Our Urban Farms are an integral part of our integrated approach to mental and physical health. Growing some of our own vegetables teaches clients how to eat healthier, as well as provides them with a sense of accomplishment and pride for cultivating them. Lunch for the clients and volunteers was prepared using vegetables that can be found in the garden, and the whole event was topped off with the planting of a commemorative peach tree.

The Bridge extends its deepest gratitude for the time and effort the Goldman Sachs CTW team put in to this project. We encourage all types of volunteering. Some of the main areas for people to volunteer with The Bridge are teaching a skill to our clients, like using the computer or cooking, and leading social or recreational activities, like a trip to a museum or residence activities. For information about volunteering please contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development and External Relations, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. or call 212-663-3000, ext. 379.

AIDS Walk 2011

2011-05-03T08:09:00.000-04:00

The Bridge team will be participating in the AIDS Walk 2011 on May 15th. Our team will be meeting at 9am on 72nd street and Central Park West to start the walk. Please join us in walking or sponsor our team by contacting Katherine Canto at t:212-663-3000 ext. 424 e: kcanto@thebridgeny.org, or Patricia Edwards at t:212-234-9746.

The Bridge offers Emergency and Transitional Housing for People with AIDS. Our 20-bed emergency/transitional residence for people with AIDS is funded through a contract with Public Health Solutions, the NYC conduit for Federal Ryan White AIDS funding. The program features an easy-access admissions process and provides 24-hour staffing, including case managers and a housing specialist to assist residents in obtaining permanent housing. Linkages to the full range of services at The Bridge are available to the residents. Referrals are made to other service providers as well, with the program’s case managers helping to coordinate services.

Although the housing is transitional, with a length of stay not exceeding 6 months, the period of stable housing offered by the program is crucial to link residents to the medical and other services they need. The trusting resident-staff relationships formed in the program create an important foundation for residents to move forward in their lives with hope about the future.

NAMI Walks 2011

2011-05-02T14:37:00.000-04:00

The Bridge team will be participating in the NAMI Walks 2011 event on May 7th. This walk, put on by NAMI NYC Metro, of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will raise awareness about our country's need for a world-class treatment and recovery system for people with mental illness. Please contact Carole Gordon to sponsor The Bridge for this walk or to participate e: CGordon@thebridgeny.org or t:212-663-3000 ext. 378.

Poetry Month at The Bridge

2011-04-22T11:21:00.004-04:00

To celebrate Poetry Month at The Bridge, the Bridge Poets are doing what they always do- writing, reading and work-shopping their poems! The Bridge Poetry Program provides clients with the ability to express themselves through an art medium that they are unable to express in any other way. The clients learn about themselves through their poetry, and their self-confidence and feelings of well-being are increased through their creative experiences.

The Bridge Poetry Workshop meets twice a week and has been headed by Patricia Thackray, Director of Bridge Poetry Workshops, for the past 25 years. Recently the workshop has been creating a communal poem based around the simple act of one of it’s members inadvertently leaving their black coat in the middle of the group’s table. This poem was woven, amended, trimmed and altered by many minds and voices – all 19 of the members of poetry workshop. In this work, the poets illustrate how an everyday object can be imbued with meaning.

The Coat
Without a pattern. There is no coat. There is no poem. - Scott Zwerin, workshop member

Why you forget about your coat—

dark secretive note?

Tossed with defiance on the long white table,

texturing light into darkness.

Shadow with its own shape,

body of land the spirit

left there to lean on.

Coded fragments in disguise:

Lifestyle of today’s distance?

Fabrication of my psychosis?

You ought to be wrapped round someone;

someone grateful for such a coat.

Instead, you lay spread-eagled on the table—

innards exposed—

not even a fur!

Poor coat:

can’t mend or fend for itself:

no eye for beauty,

no nose for fragrance.

Mindless (But hey, I’m not sure

what a mind is for—

are you?)

I imagine you to be made by a man.

like the one my father gave me.

He only wore it on Sundays.

I’d a feeling it was going to feel warm.

And it did.

Warm coat, warm coat:

You’re all I need,

all I need, indeed, indeed!

You could hide the inner me:

security blanket for the heart and lungs,

zippers and pockets to hide secrets in.

Such a Coat:

command it to rise

and it will!

Feathered and full as a majestic bird!

Restored:

no longer that old, faded image of myself.

Blessed Coat:

I’ll wrap you round me and we’ll fly off to Somewheresville.

Shadow, cloth, coat:

Windblown or thrown—

Awaiting the next moment,

Content to be here,

like a cloud,

a hill,

the warm sun.

Healthy Communal Dining

2011-04-19T08:47:00.000-04:00

Healthy communal dining is essential for our clients to lead productive and healthful lives. Good nutrition assists in fighting all kinds of medical conditions that can cause dangerous health complications and lead to poor quality of life.

Here at The Bridge, we have begun to roll out the standardization of the menus at all residence kitchens for an enhanced communal dining experience. The brainchild of Sydell Bryant, our Food Services Director, this standardization will streamline the menus of each kitchen to include the same weekly meal plans, and make sure certain healthy food groups are available. Sydell has also started to tour around to each kitchen teaching new healthy recipes and the benefits of this initiative.

The Bridge has always provided a variety of healthy food to clients, and this standardization is the next phase in the continued growth of our integrated approach to mental health.

National Volunteer Week 2011

2011-04-11T16:28:00.001-04:00

National Volunteer Week is from April 10-16th this year. The theme is "Celebrating People in Action," to honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. To commemorate this week of volunteer recognition, The Bridge will be working with the Community TeamWorks (CTW) group from Goldman Sachs on May 11th to begin planting in the Upper East Side residence Urban Garden in Manhattan.

CTW is Goldman Sachs’ volunteer program that allows each employee one day away from work to volunteer on a team-based project with a nonprofit organization. They will be joining The Bridge Horticultural Team to plant a fruit tree, transplant seedling, ready plant beds and prepare a celebratory lunch featuring the herbs and vegetables being planted.

Here at The Bridge we are very excited to welcome the CTW team and celebrate National Volunteer Week. We encourage all types of volunteering. Some of the main areas for people to volunteer with The Bridge are teaching a skill to our clients, like using the computer or cooking, and leading social or recreational activities, like a trip to a museum or residence activities. For information about volunteering please contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development and External Relations, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. or call 212-663-3000, ext. 379.

Urban Farm Roof Deck Garden Revitalization

2011-04-08T12:37:00.002-04:00

Our Urban Farm Roof Deck garden revitalization project is underway. Along with our 2 urban farms located at our residences in the Bronx and the Upper East Side of Manhattan, we also have a thriving roof deck garden at our headquarters on the Upper West Side. With the start of Spring, we are preparing our outdoor spaces for flowers, trees and beautiful colors.

On our roof deck garden we are upgrading planter boxes and benches. We will begin planting flowers and trees as soon as the weather stays warm. Currently Bridge horticulture workers maintain the roof deck garden; they help with new plantings and regular watering during the season. This year we plan to add an area for growing herbs. We will use the herbs in The Bridge food program and in cooking classes we offer to clients.    

The roof deck garden was started in 2005 with an initial grant from The Burpee Foundation, the founding donor of The Bridge Horticulture Training Program. The program is a unique community partnership with the Horticultural Society of New York (HSNY). Additional support from The Burpee Foundation this year will help continue the roof deck garden, which can encourage new Bridge horticulture interns to get involved. The program offers clients work training, stipends, and an important opportunity to be productive, active and is therapeutic.

In June we will honor George Ball, President of the W. Atlee Burpee Company and The Burpee Foundation, for his outstanding support for this important program. The horticultural training program that was started on the roof deck garden has grown each year with private support and now includes two urban farms.

The Bridge as a Social Work Agency

2011-04-07T13:05:00.000-04:00

While Social Work Month has passed, we continue to celebrate The Bridge as a social work agency. On April 14th at 3:30pm, The Bridge will be hosting an afternoon reception honoring Rory Gilbert, LMSW, the Director of Community Mental Health and Case Management Programs, as a Bridge Social Worker of Distinction, along with the entire PROS staff. We are also very excited to have the distinguished Merril Rotter, MD as the featured speaker. Dr. Rotter is a leading expert on providing mental health services to men and women who have serious mental illness and who have been in the criminal justice system. Dr. Rotter will be giving a talk on the topic of “Today’s Clients: Challenges From A to Z.”

The Bridge highly values the work that our social workers do every day to help clients lead better and more independent lives. Please contact Denise Gutierrez at dgutierrez@thebridgeny.org to attend this event. The event will be held at our headquarters:
248 West 108th Street, NYC

William F. Ryan Health Center at The Bridge

2011-04-05T13:19:00.003-04:00

We have made healthcare a priority with the William F. Ryan Health Center at The Bridge. Because the mental health system does not pay for medical services, we’ve had quite an adventure providing medical services to our clients.

More than 25 years ago, in recognition that it was simply inadequate to be treating just our clients’ mental health conditions while ignoring their medical needs, The Bridge conducted its first foray into healthcare. A friendly primary care doctor agreed to give ten randomly selected clients a full physical exam. The results were that more than 60 medical conditions were found in the ten clients.

For the past decade, we have had a remarkable partnership with the William F. Ryan Community Health Center, a Federally-Qualified Health Center, which operates an on-site medical clinic at The Bridge headquarters building. The clinic provides routine physicals, follow-up and monitoring of clients’ chronic health conditions and emergency walk-in services. The Ryan operation is funded by Medicaid and a Federal grant; The Bridge provides free space for the clinic. The partnership entails close cooperation between Bridge and Ryan staff to provide truly integrated health services.

Hundreds of Bridge clients use the Ryan Center clinic each year, avoiding emergency rooms and fragmented hospital-based care, and benefiting from a collaboration that provides accessible, high quality health care that is integrated with our own mental health and substance abuse services. The Bridge/Ryan partnership addresses a critical need of our clients in a way that is both creative and cost-effective.

Elderly Mental Health Housing

2011-03-25T09:09:00.000-04:00

Little attention has been focused on elderly mental health housing. Older persons who have serious mental illness with co-occurring serious medical conditions require integrated mental health and health care that comprehensively addresses their complex needs for an improved life. In the Spring 2011 edition of Mental Health News, Peter Beitchman, Executive Director of The Bridge, writes about the achievements of our Sheridan Hill House for elderly and the psychiatrically and medically frail as a model for success.

As opposed to a typical nursing home, the elderly mental health housing model of the Sheridan Hill House costs only $23,000 per resident annually, which is a small fraction of the $130,000 average annual cost of a nursing home in New York City. As a cost-containment model, the program has documented a sharp decrease in the number of emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations by residents. The rate of missed medical appointments is currently close to zero and there is a very high rate of medication and treatment compliance. Many residents whose health was previously highly unstable have been maintained in the residence without significant medical emergencies.

Partners in Caring Awards Dinner

2011-03-16T14:49:00.001-04:00

Cynthia C. Wainwright, President of the Board of Directors of The Bridge has just announced the distinguished honorees for the upcoming 57th Anniversary Partners in Caring Awards Dinner. The three honorees have made significant contributions that have positively impacted the lives of many Bridge clients and the community.

The Caring Awards Dinner will honor Ron Garfunkel, President and CEO of Service Directions, Inc. a leading laundry equipment company, as the 2011 Corporate Partner, for being a valued provider of equipment and services in Bridge residences and a supporter of The Bridge for more than a decade. George Ball, Chairman and CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. and the Burpee Foundation, will receive the 2011 Individual Partner Award for being the founding supporter of The Bridge Horticultural Training Program and Urban Farms. NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, will also be honored as the 2011 Government Partner, for her work as a long time activist in providing innovative solutions for combating geriatric homelessness and improving services for disabled New Yorkers.

Ms. Wainwright said, “We are delighted that Ron Garfunkel & Service Directions, George Ball and Speaker Quinn will accept our 2011 Partners in Caring Awards, as partners in our work with the homeless, adults with serious mental illness, substance abuse disorders and HIV/AIDS. We honor them for their commitment to The Bridge and our community.”

The fundraising Dinner will be held on June 9, 2011 at The Boathouse in Central Park, with cocktails at 6:30 pm and dinner at 7:30 pm. The Gala’s theme is “A Night in Venice” with gondola rides for our guests on the lake outside the Boathouse. Dinner proceeds will support the agency’s broad range of services, including homeless housing initiatives for recent veterans, as well as the horticultural training program and urban farms. For information about Journal Ads and Tickets, contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. or call 212-663-3000, ext. 379.

Social Work Month

2011-03-10T17:02:00.000-05:00

March is Social Work Month. Here at The Bridge we would like to take this opportunity to recognize all the social workers that play such a huge role in the success of our clients. The goal of Social Work Month is to promote the importance of social workers. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has designated the theme of this year’s Social Work Month as “Social Workers Change Futures.”

Social workers are agents of positive change, who have the power to solve some of our nation’s most pressing challenges. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are around 640,000 professional social workers in the United States who have dedicated their careers to helping people improve their lives. At The Bridge, social workers assist people with mental illness by helping them cope with and solve issues in their everyday lives, which contributes to them being able to meet their Life Role Goals and lead more independent lives.

Poetry at The Bridge

2011-03-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

Kate Tanenbaum

With Winter almost at a close, the focus of poetry at The Bridge has turned to the hopefulness of Spring. Bridge client Kate Tanenbaum has written a poem expressing her feelings about the change in seasons. She has been at The Bridge for 4 years in supported housing and has achieved a great sense of stability and self confidence. Kate has written many poems and wanted to share this one with the Bridge community:

The Box Containing Seasons
By: Kate Tanenbaum

With Spring upon me I feel happy to have weathered a very difficult Winter
Winter inside the box is a safe place in which I like to hide.
Warm non-threatening a place of belonging.
Safety is something I am used to now. But I miss all the
Beauty that is outside the box.

With Spring upon me I am both inside and outside the box
Normalcy feels comfortable to me such as the wind whispering through
The trees.
What is the box containing?
Answer: Winder Spring Summer Fall
Home a place of belonging to myself.

Inner and outer experiences do coincide.

Ticket to Work Program

2011-02-25T15:06:00.001-05:00

The Social Security Administration has now officially deemed The Bridge an Employment Network for the Ticket to Work Program. The Ticket to Work Program (TTW) is an employment program for people with mental illness and disabilities who are interested in going to work. Under the Ticket Program, the Social Security Administration provides disability beneficiaries with a “Ticket” they can use to obtain the services and jobs they need from organizations called Employment Networks (EN), of which The Bridge is now one.

The goal of the Ticket to Work Program is to increase opportunities and choices for Social Security disability beneficiaries to obtain employment, vocational rehabilitation (VR), and other support services from public and private providers, employers, and other organizations. The program is flexible and individualized so that different individuals can benefit from it in different ways. Current Bridge clients will be asked to bring their "Tickets" or requests to the Vocational Services office for enrollment. As members of TTW, clients will have support not only in their job search process, but once they are employed and especially in navigating their Social Security benefits. As an EN, we are now hoping to be able to increase our funding resources, which in turn will mean that we can offer greater vocational services to our clients.

The Bridge Make A Difference Committee

2011-02-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Bridge Make A Difference Committee is a diverse group of socially conscious professionals working together in support of The Bridge and the nearly 2,000 people they help each year. This newly formed Committee's mission is to promote The Bridge programs, services and societal benefits to new audiences. The Committee is chaired by a member of The Bridge’s Board of Directors, Laurie Melton of American Express.

The Bridge Make a Difference Committee members blend their talents to raise awareness and funds for The Bridge by hosting and participating in fun, unique and festive social/networking events, as well as planning events for volunteers. Members will manage various drives and initiatives to benefit the clients of The Bridge and help support the overall mission of The Bridge.

Committee members will volunteer their time, creativity and intellectual resources to create awareness, as well as assist in the work of The Bridge. Members will gain valuable networking experience and leadership skills, while drawing inspiration from other socially conscience individuals, and the work that The Bridge does.

This group is dedicated to engaging the next generation of facilitators who will continue to promote The Bridge and assist adults with mental illness through their commitment. The Bridge Make a Difference Committee members recognize that regardless of illness, everyone deserves an opportunity to live a full life. To join the Committee or volunteer please contact Ann R. Hyatt, Director of Development, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org or call 212.663.3000 X379.

The Bridge Horticulture Program

2011-02-16T13:43:00.001-05:00

The Bridge Horticulture Program just took a huge step forward. Dr. Peter Beitchman, Executive Director of The Bridge, recently announced that George Ball, Chairman of the Board of the Burpee Foundation, has awarded a generous $25,000 grant for The Bridge Urban Farm Horticultural Program. The goals of the Urban Farms are to teach clients about the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit, provide free and easy access to vegetables in order to increase their intake in order to improve their health; to reduce reliance on food banks and other food resources, and to teach them about good nutrition. The farms also provide our clients with work training opportunities in horticulture and paid jobs.

As reported in the New York Non Profit Press, Dr. Beitchman said, “We are delighted that The Burpee Foundation has donated this generous grant to our Urban Farm Horticultural Program. George Ball and The Burpee Foundation were pioneer supporters of The Bridge’s Horticultural program when it began in 2005.”

The Bridge Horticulture Program, in collaboration with The Horticultural Society of NY, began on the garden roof deck of the Manhattan headquarters of The Bridge (where a plaque commemorates the Burpee Foundation support), and has expanded to include two urban farms, one in the Bronx and one in East Harlem. The Urban Farm Program has grown dramatically as it impacts several neighborhoods throughout the city.

For the clients of The Bridge, eating and growing their own vegetables and fruits, coupled with working and being outdoors triggers both illness prevention and healing responses. Clients have started and maintain a blog of their experiences called My Urban Farm where they outline their accomplishments and illustrate their enthusiasm and involvement.

Housing For Homeless

2011-02-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

The Herkimer Street building in Brooklyn is one of 4 projects in The Bridge pipeline that will provide housing for homeless adults with serious mental illness, and for the first time, in an integrated building with low-income families. The Herkimer Street building in Brooklyn will be our first mixed use or integrated building which will offer housing and support services for 20 young adults aging out of foster care and/or the children's mental health system, 20 adults recovering from serious mental illness, and 20 low-income families from the community.

Mixed-use housing for homeless is a model supported by the New York State Office of Mental Health that integrates people with mental illness into a building with families and other individuals. As outlined in the "Guiding Principles for the Redesign of OMH Housing and Community Support Policies, May 2007," this model helps to reduce stigma associated with mental illness, is more accepted by communities because it provides much needed housing for community residents, and it provides opportunities for recovery and rehabilitation.

The Bridge has now signed a contract of sale for the vacant piece of land for development and DeLaCour & Ferrara Architects have completed a feasibility study that determines the size of the building, number of units it can accommodate based on the zoning, a schematic design and layout as well as the costs to build. The next step in the process will be environmental reviews and approvals and a financing plan with support from OMH and low-income housing tax credits.

As with our other new developments, we are very excited about exploring green building elements such as solar energy and materials that will help to save energy costs as well as being good for the environment.

New Bridge Website Coming Soon

2011-02-09T10:57:00.002-05:00

The all new Bridge website is coming this May! We are working hard to give you a better experience. This new website will be continuously updated to bring you the most useful information. It will highlight our unique services and better tell the story of The Bridge. This website will become your one-stop-shop, so please visit us often once the new site has launched. As always, we will keep you posed on all the new developments in this area.

Treatment for The Seriously Mentally Ill

2011-02-04T16:58:00.003-05:00

Does Jared Loughner, the accused Tucson shooter, have a mental illness? We don’t have an official diagnosis, but we do have a wealth of reports and information from a number of sources that suggest that he might. Assuming that he might, what lessons can we take from this terrible act of violence?

First, while it is true that people with serious mental illness commit acts of violence at a slightly higher rate than persons with no mental illness, in case after case it is consistently those who are not receiving treatment for their condition who commit such acts.

In New York City we had the high-profile case of Andrew Goldstein who pushed a woman to her death in front of a NYC subway in 1999, and more recently a number of other acts of violence, all committed by persons who were not engaged in care or receiving treatment. In the case of Andrew Goldstein, he was desperately and unsuccessfully seeking treatment for weeks before committing the act of violence that made headlines. In fact, when one compares acts of violence committed by persons with serious mental illness who are receiving treatment to acts committed by persons with no mental illness, the mental illness group receiving treatment commits fewer acts of violence.

So treatment is an essential deterrent to violence and as far as we know, Jared Loughner was not in treatment. We have to ask ourselves, if this is true, why this is so, particularly since there have been so many press reports from the community college he attended and from friends attesting to his increasingly troubling behavior.

While we don’t know whether anyone made a serious attempt to have Mr. Loughner psychiatrically assessed, we do know two things about our culture and the state of our national mental health care system. First, we know that there is continuing stigma towards persons with mental illness which often leads to reluctance to seek treatment when it is needed. The stigma toward the mentally ill persists unabated despite almost six decades of progress in treatment and rehabilitative techniques.

Second, we know that there are far too many gaps in our mental health service system. The national vision of the Kennedy administration in the early 1960’s that a national network of community mental health centers would be created to serve every hundred-thousand population area was abandoned long ago. Falling through the cracks in a system with so many gaps, as happened to Andrew Goldstein, is an outcome in far too many cases.

So here are the lessons: we must address the stigma of mental illness so that families and friends will not hesitate to seek treatment for those clearly in need and we must address the gaps in services that leave persons with mental illness, even those who acknowledge their condition and understand their need for treatment, too often stranded without services.

At The Bridge, where 1800 men and women with mental illness thrive, the events in Tucson are especially painful. We know the benefits of treatment and services, we see every day that people with serious mental illness can live productive, positive lives in the community; and we so regret tragedies like the one in Tucson which might have never happened if our social attitudes towards mental illness and our commitment to recovery were more fully realized.

We encourage you to share your reactions on our blog; this is an important discussion for all of us.

Sheridan Hill House for the Psychiatrically and Medically Frail

2011-02-03T14:11:00.000-05:00

Sheridan Hill House (SHH) for the psychiatrically and medically frail is another unique asset of The Bridge. We know of no other housing like it in the city or state. It is a specialized residence offering permanent housing for adults with both serious mental illness and serious physical conditions due to aging or health issues. This residence officially opened its doors on March 6, 2007 and offers a community care environment, staffed 24 hours per day.

The staff provides case management services, medication monitoring, referrals to community resources, nurse assistance and one nutritional meal a day. A Care Manager is responsible for the coordination of medical and psychiatric services for all of the residents. The Care Manager also serves as liaison between healthcare providers, evaluates residents, and provides referrals for needed services and specialists. Nutritional meals are coordinated with the chef based on residents’ dietary needs. Through medication monitoring and management, training for staff, groups for residents and benefit assistance, the treatment tenants receive is extremely comprehensive.

Sheridan Hill House is a HUD 811/Section 8 development. There are 24 residents living in studio apartments. There are 16 NY/NY (homeless) designated beds, 8 of which are for long-term shelter-stayers (LTSS), and 8 community beds for those coming from Bridge transitional housing programs. The facility costs only $27,800 per bed annually to run versus a typical Medicaid nursing home, which costs $123,400 per year according to the NY State Partnership for Long-Term Care. Tenants are required to pay 30% of their income towards rent. This type of cost-effective housing saves on emergency care costs for residents who otherwise would not receive similar round-the-clock care nor would they be able to remain in the community.

Bridge Vocational Services

2011-01-27T16:10:00.001-05:00

The Bridge Vocational Services places qualified workers with employers. Job candidates who come through our Vocational Services are extremely loyal and are always pre-screened to make sure they will be a good fit for the organization looking to hire and its unique work environment. One interview is all it takes to see their merits!

Hire The Bridge

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The Bridge on Jumo

2011-01-20T09:34:00.002-05:00

Join The Bridge on Jumo! The new online social network connecting people and nonprofits. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, created Jumo which launched in November of last year. This philanthropic start-up social network works to match do-gooders with appropriate causes. Jumo is integrated with Facebook to get the most relevant information possible to users, so that they can foster on-going relationships with nonprofit organizations. We are hoping to build our Jumo community and promote the good work of The Bridge.

Impact of Racism on Mental Health Professions

2011-01-19T13:05:00.001-05:00

In the Winter 2011 issue of Mental Health News, The Bridge’s Executive Director Dr. Peter Beitchman, who is also Board Chair of Mental Health News Education, Inc., moderated a panel discussion on the “Impact of Race and Racism on the Mental Health Professions and on the Therapeutic Alliance.” The panelists involved had all participated in the Undoing Racism Workshop training offered by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB).

Racism is so pervasive that people of color often can’t express its impact on them because it is imprinted in their experience and is normalized. The impact of racism on mental health professions most commonly takes the form of the client’s often unexpressed feelings of powerlessness. When clients have internalized racism and come into treatment, there is an issue of hierarchy and power in the therapeutic relationship. A white therapist may be perceived as having the power because of their color, education or class. Clients will react to the same experience in therapy that they do in their normal environment, unless the clinician has the proper training and awareness.

Training, awareness and the sensitivity to these issues in the mental health professions are required for greater success in treatment.

Services for Special Populations

2011-01-04T12:29:00.002-05:00

The Bridge offers many innovative services for special populations. Special populations are made up of people with specific needs for treatment. They are the most vulnerable in the community and have physical or mental impairments that interfere with performing everyday activities.

The services for special populations The Bridge offers are the following:

The homeless - We offer outreach, support services and housing.
Those with psychiatric and substance abuse disorders - We offer a licensed medically supervised integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment problem, support groups with intensive relapse prevention, and housing.
Persons with mental health diagnoses and HIV/AIDS - We offer intensive case management, treatment services and housing.
People who have been in the criminal justice system - We offer specialized treatment and housing.

It is our whole approach to treatment that enables clients to get the support they need, where many can lead more independent lives.

Cost of Supported Housing

2011-01-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

The real cost of supported housing for the mentally ill and homeless has been a hotly debated topic for some time. At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Dennis P. Culhane studies homelessness and assisted housing policy. His research has contributed to a shift in public policies to address homelessness, including expansions of supported housing for people who are chronically homeless and housing stabilization programs.

Formerly, the goal of homeless programs was to treat people for issues like substance abuse and metal illness, with the goal that this would lead them out of homelessness. Presently the attention has shifted to getting people back into housing quickly with the treatment and support they need to start living independently for the long term.

Dr. Culhane’s study “Service Use and Costs for Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness in Philadelphia” examines the service utilization and costs within the chronically homelessness populations in sheltered and unsheltered locations. Using shelter and street outreach records over a 3 year period, the study found that 20% percent of the persons who incurred the highest costs for services accounted for 60% of the total service costs of approximately $20 million a year. Most of the costs were for psychiatric care and jail stays. A small population was incurring the most cost because they were using expensive services like hospital emergency room instead of regular doctor visits.

Supportive housing programs for people with serious mental illness who experience chronic homelessness were found to substantially offset their cost because the use of acute care services diminishes in that environment of housing stability and access to ongoing support services.

New Years Resolution to Quit Smoking

2010-12-21T13:51:00.000-05:00

Make it your New Years resolution to quit smoking this coming year. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the smoking rate in the city has decline almost 20% since 2002. But it is still a battle every day to quit smoking. Smoking is dangerous to everyone’s health, especially when it can complicate other conditions.

Most Bridge clients have identified Life Role Goals for themselves. Some of the time, smoking is one of the obstacles they have to overcome in order to achieve their goals. For the past 3 years, as a partner in the Urban Institute for Behavioral Health, The Bridge has been participating in a smoking cessation program specifically designed for persons with serious mental illness. There are regular Smoke Stop groups with a structured curriculum.

Our medical staff is participating in the initiative by prescribing nicotine patches. While the outcomes are promising, and many Bridge clients have made serious quit attempts, we certainly understand how difficult it is for many to stop smoking altogether.

Stopping smoking is at the center of Bridge Wellness; we'll continue to develop this initiative to make it as effective as possible. Making it your New Years Resolution to quit smoking could give you just the motivation you need to change your habits and reach your goals.

Ann R. Hyatt New Head of Development

2010-12-20T08:55:00.001-05:00

The Bridge has named Ann R. Hyatt Director of Development. The Bridge’s Executive Director, Dr. Peter Beitchman said, “We are delighted that Ann Hyatt has joined us, as she brings a wealth of experience and skills to help us continue to expand the important work of The Bridge. At a time of reduced government funding, development and fundraising have taken on new urgency and importance. Ann’s accomplishments rank her as a stellar fundraiser; we’re thrilled that she’s joining us.” Ann has had a very distinguished career and comes to The Bridge from NYU College of Nursing, where she was the Director of Development.

Ann has worked in the Development field for over 20 years and has earned advanced accreditation ( ACFRE) from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Previously, she was at New York University College of Nursing as Director of Development. Prior to that, Ann was at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, where she was the Director of Development and External Relations. Ms. Hyatt has held Development positions with Pace University School of Law, Mercy College, St. Vincent’s Hospital, The Shield Institute and Blythedale Children’s Hospital. Her career has spanned from serving as Vice President to having her own Development consulting business.

The Bridge is very fortunate to have Ann on the team. We look forward to creative and innovative development projects.

Cardiometabolic Risk

2010-12-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

With the Holiday season in full swing, it might be hard to think about how cardiometabolic risk (CMR) could affect you. Cardiometabolic risk refers to your chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke. People with mental illness are at higher risk for developing these conditions.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with mental illness. Diabetes is also an especially prevalent disease that can lead to many other health problems. It is important to know what your level of risk and how to decrease that risk for a longer and healthier life. Lowering your cardiometabolic risk can help prevent more serious health problems down the road.

Studies have shown that people who have serious mental illness died on average 25 years younger than the general population. We have a multi-pronged approach to addressing this problem. The William F. Ryan Health Center, a federally qualified health center, operates a primary care clinic at The Bridge. Through this partnership at The Bridge, we carefully monitor cardiometabolic risk factors among our clients. We also promote good health and health prevention through our Wellness Self-Management, Diabetes Management and Smoke Stop Programs and through our exercise and nutrition programs. These programs have made a significant difference at The Bridge where our clients enjoy much better health outcomes than the general population of persons with mental illness.

Healthy lifestyle changes can make a difference in lowering your cardiometabolic risk. Quitting smoking, eating healthier, and exercising can help. It can be hard to rely on will power alone to help make these lifestyle changes. Incorporating healthy practices into your life gradually, and making them automatic habits like brushing your teeth, can improve your chances of keeping them up for the long run.

Mental Health Supportive Housing

2010-12-10T14:26:00.000-05:00

Mental health supportive housing is critical for the treatment of, and recovery from serious mental illness. Supportive housing is a type of affordable housing that provides on-site services to people who need professional assistance to live more independently, including the former homeless, those with HIV/AIDS and people with mental illness or individuals with a history of substance abuse.

In some New York City neighborhoods however, support for building these residences has been scarce. There is, in some cases, a prevalent misconception that the mental health supportive housing developments would decrease property value. Recently NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy released a large-scale study disproving this misconception by evaluating the impact of supportive housing on property value based around home sale prices. The study confirmed that well run supportive housing can help both formerly homeless citizens and the neighborhoods in which they are built.

The Furman study evaluated the impact of 123 mental health supportive housing developments, opened between 1985 and 2003, across the city's five boroughs. The finding showed that in the 5 years after the residences were opened, prices of buildings nearest to the supportive housing development experienced steady growth, appreciating more than comparable properties that were slightly farther away. Mental health supportive housing apartment buildings cost substantially less than shelters, jails or beds in psychiatric hospitals. They are also often visually handsome and replace neighborhood eyesores or empty lots.

Our experience at The Bridge is consistent with the Furman study. In the past 25 years, we have developed 12 buildings in neighborhoods throughout Manhattan and the Bronx. In every instance, property values have risen dramatically on the blocks in which we have developed. An example is our building on 105th Street between Central Park West and Manhattan Avenue. When we took over the abandoned building, it was a drug den and source of criminal activity. There were a number of other buildings on the block that were either abandoned or in very poor condition. Our construction became the anchor for development on the block. Within 10 years, there were no longer any abandoned buildings and the quality of life on the block improved dramatically. This experience has been repeated in virtually all of our other projects.

This study is significant because it proves beyond a doubt that people who were once homeless can be good neighbors and citizens. The findings refute fears that supportive housing developments will depress the value of neighboring properties over time.

Cognitive Remediation

2010-12-10T09:21:00.003-05:00

Cognitive remediation is a behavioral treatment that uses various mental exercises to facilitate improvement in targeted areas like memory, attention, processing speed and problem solving for people with mental illnesses. The aim is to improve cognitive impairments that are making it difficult for a person to achieve their functional goals.

The Bridge has been working with Alice Medalia, Ph.D. who is an international leader in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation, who focuses on the treatment of neuropsychological disorders in psychiatric illness. She developed the widely used Neuropsychological and Educational Approach to Remediation (NEAR) model to help people with mental illness improve their thinking or soft skills. Those having difficulty following directions, or who may find it hard to manage independent living can benefit from this kind of treatment.  

The NEAR approach emphasizes individualized training, done in group formats using a computer assisted cognitive skills training program. Currently there are 32 Bridge clients, divided into 5 cognitive remediation groups that meet twice a week, taking advantage of this program and doing their treatment on computers. NEAR approach is an innovative addition to The Bridge’s treatment offerings, and has been successfully implemented in outpatient settings serving a diverse psychiatric and substance abusing population.

World AIDS Day

2010-12-01T16:54:00.004-05:00

Today is World AIDS Day. Today is aimed at raising awareness for the disease. The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988 and it is planned and organized by the World AIDS Campaign each year.

For World AIDS Day Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a new initiative called Brooklyn Knows. It is a community based testing effort that aims to help Brooklyn residents learn their HIV status over the next four years. Today is a great day to get involved in your community.

The Bridge Poetry Workshop

2010-11-29T16:53:00.003-05:00

Bridge Poets from The Bridge Poetry Workshop meet twice a week to read, critique, and write poems. One of their discussion topics, that is timely for the holiday season, was the exploration of wants and desires as they pertained to their own lives. Their discussions grew into the poem, "I Want! I Want!" The Bridge Poetry Workshop now has a bound copy of "I Want! I Want!" in the museum collection at The Philadelphia Museum of Art as well as the Poets House.

A limited edition of "I Want I Want" has now been beautifully hand-printed. They are available for a donation of $50 or more per copy (while supplies last) as a meaningful holiday gift. To make your donation click here. In the “Dedication” section make sure to write in “I Want I Want”. Billing address must be the same as the shipping address for delivery. To give a different shipping address please contact Ms. Denise Gutierrez at DGutierrez@thebridgeny.org, or T:212-663-3000, ext. 373.

Full Time Nurse Services Aids Mental Illness Recovery

2010-11-25T12:43:00.004-05:00

Full time nurse services are one of the contributing factors to a wholly innovative approach on mental illness recovery at the Bridge. There is a long list of things that make The Bridge totally unique in the field of mental health, and Suzanne Calvert, RN is one of them. She is full time on staff and works with clients living in all 11 Bridge residence houses.

The primary goal is to help empower clients to take charge of their own health. The majority of her time is spent seeing clients in the community residences for extra support because these clients are in charge of their own doctor appointments and medications. She also works with clients in apartment treatment, graduate housing and individual scatter-site apartments.

Suzanne’s biggest roles are as an educator on good health practices, and communications liaison with residence and case managers about specific client needs. As part of the full time nurse services, Suzanne will go to doctor appointments with clients acting as their patient advocate to aid communication, and put an action plan in place after the visit. Suzanne also holds information sessions during community group meetings at the residences on various topics such as diabetes care, high blood pressure, and smoking issues.

Full time nurse services allow The Bridge to offer treatment for mental illness recovery that is inclusive of the physical wellbeing of clients. This can decrease client dependence on emergency room services, catch early warning signs, and keep the health of the clients on track.

Green Mental Health Housing

2010-11-24T13:04:00.000-05:00

The Bridge is moving on up with green mental health housing upgrades to be completed by December 31st of 2010. Through innovative re-financing secured through Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Bridge was able to secure $5 million of capital necessary to upgrade residence buildings that were opened between 1983 and 1992. This undertaking is called the 202 Revitalization Project and involves the renovations, upgrades and energy-efficient/green additions to 5 Housing and Urban Development (HUD 202) mortgaged properties that Bridge bundled together under this one project.

The project has immeasurably enhanced the quality of life for the 76 tenants who are mentally ill, formerly homeless and aging. The green housing upgrades include new energy star windows, elevator and fire alarm upgrades, new kitchens and some bathrooms, new low flow toilets and shower heads, mailboxes, energy star appliances, new energy efficient lighting in the apartments, stairwells and all common areas, weatherproofing and some re-pointing as needed, insulation and white roofs, painting (using low VOC paint and adhesives), and handicap accessible hardware for all entry doors.

Energy audits were conducted by EME Group and each green mental health housing building qualifies for NYSERDA incentives by reaching 20% reduction in energy costs. This was a difficult project in that the tenants remained in place. Every level of the agency staff including administrators, finance, housing directors, area directors, managers and line staff as well as facilities and maintenance staff worked together to accomplish the project which will be completed by December 31, 2010 in order to meet the LIHTC requirements and secure the tax credits.

Richman Housing Resources is the syndicator; Nixon Peabody LLP is the counsel; DeLaCour & Ferrara Architects P.C. is the architectural design firm; P&P Contracting Corporation is the general contractor; and Aaron Lewit is the owner's representative.

Personalized Recovery Oriented Services Programs

2010-11-18T19:10:00.003-05:00

Personalized Recovery Oriented Services Programs (PROS) is a recovery-oriented program for individuals with serious mental illness. The Bridge launched PROS on September 1st of this year. The goal of the program at The Bridge is to integrate rehabilitation services in a way that facilitates the participants’ abilities to achieve their independent living goals.

In PROS, participants first identify their own individual Life Role Goals. Once a participant’s goals are identified (in life domains including relationships, employment, housing, education, spiritual and leisure time activities), the next step is to identify the obstacles that must be overcome in order to achieve them. Participants then receive the tailored PROS services that are designed to address the obstacles and promote success in assuming the desired Life Roles.

Initial reaction to PROS at The Bridge has been uniformly positive. The structure of the program, which uses small groups for learning, allows for individualized services that maximize the opportunities for participants to make rapid progress in achieving their goals. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of this important new program.

Bridge at the ACLAIMH Conference

2010-11-18T19:08:00.002-05:00

The Bridge recently presented on the topics of graduate supported housing and transitioning forensic clients back into the community at the 31st Annual ACLAIMH Conference. The ACLAIMH Conference is sponsored by the Association for Community Living and covers current developments in the mental health residential world.

ACL is a statewide membership organization of non profit agencies that provide housing and rehabilitation services to people diagnosed with serious mental illness. The Bridge is a proud member, and presented on how to utilize a fully integrated approach to mental health housing solutions. Today, graduate supported housing is not just about stable living in the community, it is also about the need to incorporate broader life goals such as family and other relationships, employment, education and leisure time activities.

Similarly, methods for transitioning forensic clients back into the community can benefit from integrating the parole officer (PO) into the treatment team, cultivating a collaborative relationship between the client and PO, and fostering personal responsibility among clients.

The Bridge’s presentation at the ACLAIMH Conference highlighted our innovative approached to graduate and forensic housing and was very well received. You can view both PowerPoint presentations on our LinkedIn Profile.

The Bridge Group Artists

2010-11-12T16:26:00.001-05:00

STUFF if the newest art exhibition by The Bridge Group Artists. The annual display from The Bridge Group Artists is related to the art therapy program, which has been a powerful tool for recovery. This latest exhibit is part of the innovative approach The Bridge takes toward cultivating the success of clients.

This remarkable art exhibit and display of talent recently debuted at MoMA, and has now moved to Gallery 300. Please join us for the Grand Opening on Nov. 16, 2010 from 1:30pm to 8pm. The entire exhibit will run until Dec. 14^th, 2010.

The Bridge 248 West 108th Street 

3rd Floor - Gallery 300 

New York, NY 10025 

Outpatient Mental Health System

2010-11-12T16:25:00.000-05:00

The New York outpatient mental health system has undergone some important changes recently because of the implementation of mental health clinic restructuring and Personalized Recovery Oriented Services Programs (PROS). PROS is the new services program that replaces Continuing Day Treatment (CDT) and other programs as the main outpatient rehabilitation program for people with mental illness.

In the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) New York City Chapter’s November issue of Currents, the implications of clinic restructuring and the implementation of Personalized Recovery Oriented Services Programs are explored by Peter Beitchman, DSW, LMSW, Executive Director of The Bridge. His article "Major Changes in NY’s Publicly-Funded Outpatient Mental Health System", is available now.

Urban Farms Harvest

2010-10-28T15:35:00.001-04:00

Pardon the pun, but our urban farm collaboration with the New York Horticultural Society continues to grow! In addition to collaborating on our headquarters roof deck, this year we had two farms in full operation, on Morris Avenue in the Bronx and on East 111^th Street in Manhattan. While the Horticultural Society provides the technical assistance, the work is carried out by our Green Team, which now involves more than a dozen Bridge clients. The variety of vegetables has been expanding and now includes several varieties of squash, eggplant, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, green peppers, collards, lavender and a number of herbs.

The bounty was so great this year that, in addition to using the products at our own residences, we sold some at a greenmarket in the Bronx. The proceeds of the sale are being used to buy supplies and cover other costs for next year’s planting.

East River House Ribbon Cutting

2010-10-28T15:33:00.004-04:00

The October 8^th ribbon cutting at East River House was a moving event, bringing together elected and government officials, funders, and many friends of The Bridge. The 41-bed residence, licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) as an extended stay program, is providing quality housing and support to a target group of some of New York’s most vulnerable: persons with serious mental illness who have significant histories of homelessness, criminal justice involvement and, in many cases, long periods of psychiatric hospitalization.

The development of the residence, located on 126^th Street between 1^st and 2^nd Avenues in Manhattan, marked the first Bridge project to use low income housing tax credit financing in addition to OMH capital funding. Tax credit financing brings private equity into the mix of funding, stretching government dollars to be able to develop more special needs housing. The building includes thirteen 3-bedroom units (each with shared kitchen and living room and 1 ½ baths) and one 2-bedroom unit, community lounge and dining facilities, office space, laundry and an attractive back yard.

The East River House staff and its diverse clientele, coming from municipal hospitals, state psychiatric centers and the Brooklyn Mental Health Court (an alternative sentencing program) are creating a community to support residents in their community integration and recovery. On-site residential and case management staffs assist residents in identifying community resources and services they need to achieve their recovery goals.

The ribbon cutting ceremony featured the participation of State Assembly Member Adam Clayton Powell IV and City Council Member, Melissa Mark Viverito. OMH was represented by Michael Newman, Director of Housing Services Unit. Pastor Eric Turner of the St. Luke’s Baptist Church delivered a moving blessing. A highlight of the program was the remarks by Hameth Kanaute, a resident.

East River House Ribbon Cutting Event

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Healthy Eating Holiday Recipe

2010-10-28T15:00:00.007-04:00

These baked apples have become a favorite dessert as prepared by our clients in our community residences. The recipes were developed for a typical 18-24 resident program; ingredients have been altered below for home use.

Baked Apples

(serves 4-6)

Ingredients

4-6 apples

½ cup of raisins

2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperatue

2 Tbsp light brown sugar

8 oz. container of non-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Cut apples in half lengthwise, leaving skin on

3. Using a teaspoon or melon baller, remove seeds and core apple halves

4. Spray a baking pan that has raised sides with non-fat cooking spray

5. Place apple halves in pan, cut side up, sprinkle with raisins and sugar, dot each apple half with some of the butter

6. Cover loosely with foil and bake until tender 25-30 minutes.

7. Remove apples and raisins from the pan and place in serving bowls; pour juice from the pan over apples and serve with vanilla yogurt.

8. Enjoy!

Bridge Client/Case Manager Team Walk for a Cause

2010-09-30T14:28:00.000-04:00

On September 18th, Elizabeth Fuhrman, who lives in Bridge housing in the Bronx, and Linda Eaddy, her Bridge housing case manager, participated in the 10K Stomp Out Sickle Cell Walk. The walk, which originated in Central Park, was an exhilarating experience for both Elizabeth and Linda. Elizabeth, who has had periods of homelessness in addition to meeting the challenges of mental illness, said what she liked best about participating in the walk was "the good feeling of giving back and walking for a cause." Congratulations Elizabeth and Linda!

Social Work and Medical Student Interns at The Bridge

2010-09-30T13:55:00.000-04:00

Ten masters level social work students have begun their field placement year at The Bridge. The students will be working in a variety of programs in which they will develop their skills as emerging professional social workers. The Bridge has longstanding field placement arrangements with all of the City's social work schools: Columbia, Fordham, NYU, Hunter, Yeshiva, Lehman and Touro.

Each student is assigned to a Bridge field instructor who mentors and supervises the student throughout of the academic year. Students work in clinical programs, housing and in some of our specialty programs, including Assertive Community Treatment and Intensive Case Management. We recently began providing field rotations to third-year medical students from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. Students work alongside Bridge psychiatrists, learning about psychiatric diagnosis, ongoing evaluation, and medication prescription and management.

Diane Goldberg PROS Program Launch

2010-09-30T12:58:00.002-04:00

PROS (Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services) is a new outpatient program designed by the New York State Office of Mental Health to promote recovery from serious mental illness. Each participant develops an Individual Recovery Plan (IRP) which includes his/her life goals (vocational, educational, social and relationship, independent living) and the barriers that they need to overcome to achieve them. PROS services are designed specifically to assist participants in overcoming the identified barriers. Services include: a variety of groups in which participants learn about mental illness and wellness (how to get well and stay well); that teach basic living skills for independence, a range of pre-vocational and vocational services, medication prescription and monitoring, and health integration services that address participants' physical health needs and conditions. Each participant has an individual service coordinator with whom he/she develops, monitors and updates his/her IRP.

Since The Bridge had already been offering many of the evidence-based services at are the heart of PROS, introducing the program at the agency felt like a natural evolution of the work we've been doing for many years. The program, offered weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM, will serve more than 225 clients. There are 34 staff members, including social workers, vocational specialists, psychiatrist, nurse and nurse practitioners.

September is Recovery Month

2010-08-27T15:44:00.001-04:00

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse (CSAT), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This year marks the 21st annual celebration of Recovery Month, which honors people in recovery from substance abuse disorders, as well as those who provide treatment and recovery services, and promotes the need for treatment access and long-term recovery.

In addition to providing mental health programs and services, The Bridge has a state-licensed outpatient substance abuse program for men and women who have substance abuse disorders (members may also be diagnosed with mental illness) which is under the direction of Susan Kaskowitz, Director of Special Populations.

Susan describes the program:

Recovery Oriented Services at The Bridge offers members the opportunity to rediscover the meaning of living a productive life. Members allow us the privilege of sharing their hopes , aspirations and visions of who they can be. They form a bond with their fellow peers and program staff that support their process of self-discovery where much of what has been lost or destroyed can be rebuilt. Working in a community that supports recovery provides all of us with a blueprint of how to live. It is up to each individual to use it.

For Recovery Month, The Bridge would like to honor all of those individuals who are fighting the good fight and winning. You are our inspiration. We would like to send our heartfelt affection and best wishes for those who are still suffering. We are here when you are ready. All are welcomed."

Below are quotes from members of The Bridge's outpatient substance abuse program.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Reflection of a Summer Intern

2010-08-20T09:23:00.007-04:00

The following post is a written by one of our summer interns, Isaiah Bartlett.

Isaiah (pictured in the middle) saying farewell to some of our clients and staff.

It is hard to believe that my summer has come to end an end when it feels like yesterday was my first day working at The Bridge. As many first days are, mine was one filled with nervousness, excitement, and uncertainty. My previous social work experience was at The Ali Forney Center where I provided case management services to homeless LGBT adolescents for my internship at New York University Silver School for Social Work. I was confident in my knowledge of homelessness and the barriers faced by this population, but I was unsure of how my experience with adolescents would prepare me for working with adults diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Fortunately, I quickly learned that my past social work resume wasn’t what was important to the clients.

My experience working at The Bridge has been so overwhelming positive that I feel the best way to summarize my time spent here is with a story of something I refer to as a “Bridge moment.” It’s at least 95 degrees outside and Lindsay, another summer staff member, and I have just spent the past two hours touring The Bronx Zoo with clients. We are all exhausted and disappointed that we have to leave without getting to see all the animals. I’m walking with a client who has faithfully attended all of our summer trips, he’s telling me about his participation in a bird watching organization and how he’s always loved animals. He keeps his head down when he speaks and his hands remain firm on his hips; his mannerisms in contrast to the joy he’s expressing. He turns to me and tells him how meaningful the trip to the zoo has been and how important it has been for him to reconnect with nature. I stop him mid-sentence and point to giraffes in the distance; we were all convinced we would have to leave the zoo without seeing them. The client looks up at me, smiles, and returns to walking quietly with his head down. I wipe the sweat from my brow and realize that this is why I’m at The Bridge, that this is why we do summer trips; the clients are so much more than their mental illnesses, that they connect, that they smile, and they experience happiness, even if is expressed in ways that are at times difficult to recognize.

My summer was full of moments like this, Bridge moments, and because of this, I will always remember incredible staff and clients who made these memories possible.

Picnic in the Park

2010-08-13T15:50:00.008-04:00

On Thursday, August 5, Bridge clients and staff were able to break out of our normal routine and go on a picnic in Riverside Park!

Picnic in the Park Photo Album

Feel free to scroll through the pictures from our picnic.

The day started around 11:00am with activities lead by our volunteers including softball, basketball, board games, soccer, football, card tournament and a walk in the park. There were over 100 clients and staff who participated throughout the day’s activities. Lunch couldn’t come soon enough after playing in the summer heat! Sydell Bryant, the Director of Food Services and our food services team made us a fantastic meal including fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, and macaroni salad. Everyone scattered across the park to find shade and enjoy their meal with friends, volunteers and coworkers.

After everyone ate and rested, the second half of the picnic was dedicated to a scavenger hunt created by our Executive Director, Dr. Peter Beitchman. There were six teams who had to complete 11 tasks ranging from collecting three different kinds of leaves found in the park and getting a copy of The Metro Newspaper to reciting The Pledge of Allegiance. The winners shocked us all by completing the tasks in 15 minutes! After the rest of the teams returned and recited The Pledge of Allegiance to Dr. Beitchman, we ate the much anticipated dessert – strawberry shortcake! While we enjoyed our delicious dessert, Dr. Beitchman awarded the winners of the scavenger hunt and card tournament with their prizes and thanked our volunteers.

The picnic was a success as it gave everyone at The Bridge a chance to be active, interact in a different environment and create new friendships. Sometimes a little fresh air is what the mind and body needs!

Iyana Program Focus of Study

2010-07-26T10:33:00.005-04:00

The Bridge Iyana Program (“Iyana” is a Native American term meaning blessed home) provides incarcerated women who have serious mental illness and/or substance abuse with a pathway from prison to community integration, including permanent housing and wrap-around supportive services. This unique model program will be the subject of an evaluation study conducted in conjunction with Dr. Jonathan Prince, a faculty member of the Hunter College School of Social Work. The study will focus on a number of program outcome indicators, including housing outcomes, employment, family reunification, and mental health and substance abuse status. It will also document the program’s impact on the number of re-arrests.

The Iyana Program opened in 2006. One of the program’s key components is a Bridge In-Reach Team that visits Bedford Hills State Correctional Facility on a regular basis to identify potential clients nearing their release. The In-Reach Team conducts both individual and group sessions, preparing women for their release. Upon release, the women move to Iyana House, a permanent housing facility that has 24-hour staffing, and a positive community that provides linkages to treatment, vocational, educational, legal and related services. The program also benefits from having a designated parole officer who works with all Iyana House residents.

We hope that the Iyana Program evaluation study will document its positive benefits. As the only program of its kind to offer permanent housing in New York City, we hope that the study’s findings will lead to its replication.

Help us welcome a new member to our Board of Directors, Claytisha Walden

2010-07-26T09:41:00.006-04:00

We are pleased to announce and introduce a new member to our Board of Directors, Ms. Claytisha Walden. Claytisha, recognized as a leader in childhood education and youth development, sought out The Bridge when she learned about our mission and services. We are fortunate that her passion for our work and desire to contribute to the achievement of our mission brought her to our agency.

Claytisha is a principal at Frederick Douglass Academy Secondary School in Brooklyn and has over fourteen years of experience in the education field and youth development. She has worked with young people from early childhood to young adults as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal. She has expertise in child and adolescent development, instructional technology, and organizational change. Claytisha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from Purchase College; Master of Science in Urban and Multicultural Education from College of Mount Saint Vincent and a Master of Science in Educational Administration and Supervision from Baruch College. She is presently pursuing her Doctorate in Education as well as National Certification as a Principal Mentor.

Claytisha is a change agent in the field of education and hopes to apply this experience as The Bridge faces future challenges.. She was the first female principal of William J. Gaynor Middle School since its opening in 1936. Under her leadership, the reading and math proficiency rates were the highest in nearly a decade. She developed innovative programs through the integration of instructional technology into every classroom. As first place winners in the Citywide 2008 NBC Digital Media competition, William J. Gaynor students wrote, directed and produced their own film.

Claytisha is a member of several national organizations including The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum and Development, National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Alliance of Black School Educators, and the Association of Black Educators of New York, where she was recognized as the 2008 Women’s award recipient. Claytisha speaks before many audiences – serving as keynote speaker at graduations as well as lead presenter at national conferences.

Welcome to The Bridge Claytisha!

Congratulations to our Peer Advocacy Graduates!

2010-07-23T14:13:00.009-04:00

We are very proud of our graduates! From left to right, Deborah Jeffries, Alex Williams, Karen Frazier.

At the end of June, three members of The Bridge Peer-to-Peer Program graduated from the New York/Westchester/Rockland Advocacy Coalition (NYWRAC) Peer Advocacy Training Program in Mt. Vernon, NY. For 10 weeks our peers traveled to Mt. Vernon to complete 72 hours of classroom studies where they learned about mental health advocacy, the mental health system and heard stories about recovery from other peers.

Building on a highly successful Peer Recovery Project in 2007 in which two Bridge mental health consumers worked as peer facilitators in our Continuing Day Treatment Program (CDT), The Bridge established the Peer-to-Peer Group as part of the CDT program. Peer-to-Peer provides Bridge clients with information about peer advocacy including negotiating skills, listening skills and techniques to enhance communication. Angela Cerio, an advocacy specialist and Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner, facilitates the group with Rochelle Eisner, a CDT Team Leader.

The Bridge Peer to Peer Group with Rochelle Eisner (left) and Angela Cerio (right).

To further their understanding of peer advocacy, Angela presented the group with information about the NYWRAC Peer Advocacy Training program in Mt. Vernon. Karen Frazier, Deborah Jefferies and Alex Williams were the first three peers to sign up and complete the training. Every week the peers would return to The Bridge and share what they learned with the members of the Peer to Peer Group.

“I not only learned how to advocate for myself, but for my peers – to help them get the services they deserve and have a right to,” stated Karen Frazier. Karen was inspired to become a peer advocate from her experiences in hospitals where she saw her peers underrepresented. After completing NYWRAC training, Karen has started a group out of her Bridge residence, ‘Positive Talk’ where peers can discuss their positive experiences with the system and their recovery.

Deborah Jeffries was interested in a job in social work and was encouraged by Angela and Rochelle to participate in the program. “My favorite part about training was listening to people’s stories about how they survived and thrived in the mental health system,” she stated. Alex Williams, the third person to complete the training program, simply “wanted to do more” as a consumer.

Now that the peers have completed their classroom hours, they are going to intern at The Bridge. Upon completing their internships, their goal will be to set up and lead a peer advocacy training program at The Bridge.

Partners in Caring Awards Dinner Round Up

2010-06-28T14:36:00.009-04:00

The Bridge Partners in Caring Awards Dinner

Our Partners in Caring Awards Dinner took place at the Tribeca Rooftop on June 10th. It was a great success with more than 200 guests in attendance to help recognize our honorees and celebrate our mission of providing mental health and housing solutions to New Yorkers in need.

The evening began with a moving speech from one of our clients, Sandra, who spoke about how The Bridge has played a role in her life and recited a beautiful poem she wrote about her recovery.

Our Board President, Cynthia Wainwright and Executive Director, Dr. Peter Beitchman unveiled our new logo and discuss some of the highlights of our new brand.

The highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony in which our honorees, Sara E. Morgan, State Senator Eric T. Scheiderman and Wids DeLaCour and Richard Ferrara were presented with their Partner in Caring Awards. Over the years, these key partnerships have helped improve the quality of life for hundreds of Bridge clients and it was inspiring to hear about what the partnerships meant to each of the honorees. Click here to learn more about our relationships with each of the honorees.

Throughout the evening, guests could meet with a tarot card reader, have an amazing fancy hat made, bid on auction items and client artwork that was on display.

We would like to thank our donors once again who so generously supported our awards dinner and whose assistance will help us provide mental health and housing solutions to the most vulnerable in our community.

Photographs by Roger LeMoine of ACE Photography

New computer-assisted program to improve cognitive skills

2010-06-28T11:51:00.020-04:00

In May we launched our cognitive remediation program in our Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment (IPRT) program. Cognitive remediation is an evidenced-based practice to improve basic cognitive skills such as memory and concentration using computer software and web based programs. The cognitive deficits our program targets are problem solving, processing speed, reasoning and logic, concentration, planning, attention, working memory, organization, and working memory, as well as, short and long term memory.

Ten members of our staff became certified as Cognitive Remediation Specialists and were trained in the Neuropsychological Educational Approach to Remediation (NEAR) model. They consulted and worked together on this program with Dr. Alice Medalia, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry (in Psychology) and Director of Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Medalia is an international leader in the field of cognitive remediation and an advocate of recovery-based interventions that address cognitive dysfunction in people with psychological disorders. She has written Cognitive Remediation for Psychological Disorders, along with Dr. Nadine Revheim, Research Psychologist in the Program of Cognitive Neuroscience and Schizophrenia at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, NY and Tiffany Herlands, PsyD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Rehabilitation Psychology at Columbia Presbyterian Eastside.

Groups meet twice a week in our Vocational Resource Center over a period of ten weeks. In the beginning of group participants discuss with staff what they previously worked on in the last session and decide what they want to accomplish for the current session. Group members then work individually on a computer with software and web based programs to practice their skill. The last fifteen minutes of the session are dedicated to “bridging”, which is done in a group setting. This refers to the process of generalizing cognitive skills and compensatory strategies learned on the computer to everyday life. To evaluate an individual’s progress within the program, pre and post assessments are given to each participant to measure their cognitive functioning.

Below are some screen shots from the computer programs that participants use to develop specific skills. An individual’s level of computer literacy is not a barrier to program participation, as all cognitive remediation programs are user friendly and only require the participant to ‘point and click.’
This exercise is called Stocktopus. The goal of this exercise is to trade items in order to attain goal items. This exercise targets problem solving, attention, concentration, and working memory.

This exercise is called Fripple Place. The user must use clues on the screen as well as those provided by fripples in order to place the fripples into the correct craters. This exercise targets working memory, logic and reasoning, problem solving, attention and concentration.

Cognitive remediation is on the forefront of rehabilitation; it is a program that helps participants with mental illness to improve their level of functioning in everyday life whether it be in school, work, social interactions or independent living. Kevin B., one of the participants states, “The group is fun. I feel much better about myself now.”

We’d like to thank the Fay J. Lindner Foundation for funding this program.

June Housing Highlights

2010-06-23T14:25:00.013-04:00

20 new scatter-site beds to be located in the Bronx

These beds were awarded by NYS Office of Mental Health for chronically homeless adults who have a serious mental illness or who are diagnosed as mentally ill and chemically addicted. The program will provide quality housing and support services to ten chronically homeless men and women referred from city shelters and ten persons referred from Manhattan Psychiatric Center and Rockland Psychiatric Center. These will be scatter-site apartments in the Bronx, either studios or shared two bedrooms. We will begin leasing units this fall and anticipate 100% occupancy by the end of 2010. With these 20 beds, The Bridge will have 744 beds in operation in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens.

Deutsche Bank to fund housing development activities

The Bridge was recently selected as a recipient of Deutsche Bank’s SHARE (Supportive Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation Effort) Round V awards with $150,000 in grant funds and $75,000 in loan money over three years. These funds will be used to support upcoming housing development projects including our 60-bed homeless veterans project in the Bronx and our 60-bed Brooklyn program for young adults and adults with serious mental illness.

Special Note: During this past year (July 2009- June 2010) our agency opened 167 new beds.

We have rebranded!

2010-06-08T16:56:00.008-04:00

We are very excited to announce the launch of our new brand. Over the past 56 years we have grown from a small self-help organization to a leading New York City-based agency providing services to over 1,800 individuals a year and growing – and our outward identity has not kept pace! With the help of a team of volunteer marketing and advertising professionals from the Taproot Foundation and a committee of board and management staff, we have updated our name and revised our logo, tagline and mission statement. Check out the video below debuting our new brand.

Our updated name is ‘The Bridge’; we have dropped the ‘Inc’. We remain a crucial bridge from homelessness, hospital and disability to recovery and rehabilitation. The icon in our logo is a viaduct; the viaduct is designed as a delivery system to assure that life-giving support flows across it like the life-affirming services we offer to our community. The icon also conveys progress and forward motion which reflects the positive changes we strive for in our clients, agency and our community. Mental Health and Housing Solutions is our new tagline that describes what we do and distinguishes our bridge from the many other bridges in New York.

We have also updated our mission statement: The Bridge’s mission is to change lives by offering help, hope and opportunity to the most vulnerable in our community through mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, vocational training and job placement, healthcare, education and creative arts therapy. We encourage you to join our online community and stay informed about recent news and events at The Bridge.

Before we launched our new brand at our gala last night we had a celebration with staff and clients. Check out some of the pictures below!

Along with a special lunch of turkey, stuffing and green beans,
clients celebrated with a special cake!

So excited to show off our new brand!

2010 Partners in Caring Honorees

2010-04-29T08:29:00.018-04:00

On Thursday, June 10th The Bridge's Partners in Caring Awards Dinner will take place at the Tribeca Rooftop. The event recognizes key partnerships that have helped to immeasurably improve the quality of life for Bridge clients For more information please contact Eric Talbert, etalbert [a] thebridgeny.org or (212) 663-3000 ext. 379. To view the invitation click here.

Meet our 2010 Honorees:

DeLaCour & Ferrara Architects
Wids DeLaCour & Richard Ferrara

This award recognizes the important collaboration between DeLaCour &Ferrara Architects and The Bridge resulting in the creation of 14 residential buildings in which 283 clients reside, and creation of the agency’s main headquarters. The firm has worked with many community groups and nonprofit organizations creatively designing spaces that meet each group’s distinct needs. We applaud their many professional achievements and are pleased to present our Corporate Partnership in Caring Award to Dick and Wids.

Sara E. Morgan

Sara has been a member of The Bridge Board of Directors for 25 years
serving as a Vice President and Secretary. Over these many years, Sara’s presence at Bridge closings with various governmental agencies has been a constant; she has signed millions of corporate documents. In addition, she has been involved in many West Side organizations helping to improve the quality of life for residents volunteering with the Park West Village Tenants Association, NYPD’s 24th Precinct Citizens Council, Community Free Democrats, and many nonprofit organizations.We celebrate Sara’s many accomplishments with our Individual Partner in Caring Award because she truly cares about her community and its people.

Hon. Eric T. Schneiderman

State Senator Eric Schneiderman has been a friend to The Bridge for almost as long as he has served in the State Senate starting in 1998 representing the 31st District (covering portions of Manhattan and the Bronx). As an Upper West Side resident, Eric understands the diverse needs of his community. As a lawyer in private practice, he worked with advocacy and public interest organizations helping to make the Upper West Side a safer community. As an elected official, Eric serves as Chair of the Senate Codes Committee and Deputy Majority Leader for Policy and most recently shepherded through sweeping reforms to the Rockefeller Drug laws, championing the needs of all New Yorkers. We take great pride in presenting our Government Partner in Caring Award to State Senator Eric Schneiderman.

Recognition for Integrated Health Initiative

2010-04-26T11:03:00.016-04:00

Pathways to Wellness, a chronic illness demonstration project that provides intensive case management to individuals who are heavy users of health and behavioral health services, has received a Platinum Point Award presented jointly by Dorland Health and the Commission for Case Manager Certification. Out of 6 finalists, this collaborative project is the winner of The Disease Management/Population Health category which is "for the program that manages patients with chronic medical conditions in order to decrease exacerbations and improve quality of life." The Case In Point Platinum Awards is an awards program which recognizes case management departments and initiatives around the country that provide a superior level of medical management services.

The project, in which The Bridge and five partners collaborate under the lead of the Institute for Community Living, is designed to have participants enroll in a medical home in which they will receive comprehensive primary and preventive care. On average participants receive 4.2 interventions per month - with comprehensive condition-specific health education, lifestyle counseling and care management all a standard part of the patient’s wellness efforts. The hoped-for result will be improved quality of life of the participants and reduced costs of care. Pathways care managers and nurses coordinate this “feet on the street” project by reaching out to participants in Manhattan and Brooklyn, helping them manage their health and behavioral health conditions. This three-year demonstration project is an initiative of the New York State Department of Health.

Click here to read more about the awards program and to view the winners and honorable mentions of the other 24 categories.

The Bridge Kicks Off Volunteer Program

2010-04-23T14:05:00.011-04:00

This week marks the 37th annual National Volunteer Week proclaimed by the White House in 1974. Since then every president as well as governor, mayor and other elected officials have supported and endorsed the week focused on volunteerism.

“National Volunteer Week is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change—discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to foster positive transformation” states Points of Light Institute, a coordinating organization of the event.

On Tuesday, April 20th we held a Happy Hour at Red Sky that kicked off our volunteer program. Friends of our board and staff joined us to learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities at The Bridge. Even though times are tough, the demand to serve and support consumers in our community remains – and we need your help.

We welcome various skills and talents to work with either clients or staff. Some of the opportunities to volunteer with clients include gardening, resume writing, computer training, photography, and money management. We are also looking for volunteers to work with our staff in finance, human resources, fundraising/event planning, marketing and information technology. Volunteer opportunities are available in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens, 7 days a week including evenings, weekends and holidays. We will be holding a Volunteer Orientation at The Bridge on Wednesday, May 12 from 6:30 – 8:30pm where people can learn more about our volunteer program. Click here to download the Volunteer Orientation flier.

To RSVP contact Stan Bennett at sbennett [a] thebridgeny.org or call him at 212-663-3000, ext. 321. If you are unable to make this date, but are interested in volunteering, contact Stan.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Meet Lance

2010-04-12T11:13:00.015-04:00

On Tuesday, April 20th from 6-8pm The Bridge will be hosting a Happy Hour at Red Sky. Click here for all of the juicy details. We invite everyone (even you reading this) to talk with our staff and learn more about our programs and services as well as volunteer opportunities. This is also a great opportunity to meet the new members on our Board of Directors, Laurie Melton and Lance Braunstein. Leading up to our Happy Hour on April 20th, we will be posting Q & A interviews to give you head start of getting to know our new board members.

Meet Lance

How and why did you get involved with The Bridge? I live in the community and was interested in giving something back. When I stumbled upon The Bridge, I was immediately impressed with how impactful they were to the populations that are the most vulnerable in our neighborhood. The more involved I become, the more impressed I am with the team and the great work they do.

What was your first job? I worked for Hughes at NASA and then NOAA after grad school.

Who is the person you look up to/admire the most? I've always admired George Orwell's wit, resolve and willingness to act for the causes he believed in.

What is one thing you can’t live without? My Blackberry.

What is your favorite pizza place in New York? Sal and Carmine's Pizza on 102nd and Broadway.

What was your favorite television show growing up? Anything on Saturday morning. Shazam, Dr Shrinker, Land of the Lost, Wonder Woman, 6 Million Dollar Man, etc.

Where is your most favorite place on earth? Seattle or Torrey, UT.

What was the last book you read? Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano.

Meet Laurie

2010-04-05T10:06:00.021-04:00

On Tuesday, April 20th from 6-8pm The Bridge will be hosting a Happy Hour at Red Sky. Click here for all of the juicy details. We invite everyone (even you reading this) to mingle with our staff and learn more about our programs and services as well as volunteer opportunities. This is also a great opportunity to meet the new members on our Board of Directors, Laurie Melton and Lance Braunstein. Leading up to our Happy Hour on April 20th, we will be posting Q & A interviews to give you head start of getting to know our new board members.

Meet Laurie

How and why did you get involved with The Bridge? Prior to working at American Express I studied and worked in public health and psychiatric research. Over the last couple of years, I had been looking for an opportunity to get involved with a nonprofit in this area. I heard about a program at American Express that linked employees with nonprofits and through that program I learned about The Bridge. I was struck by the positivity and commitment of the staff and board and excited to become involved with a long-established organization that impacts so many people in such a wide variety of ways.

Are you a Mets, Yankees, Giants or Jets fan? Much to my dad's dismay, I never developed a loyalty to my hometown team, the Mariners, and over time have become a bit of a Yankee fan.

What was your first job? In high school I was a nursing assistant at a senior care center.

If you had any super power what would it be? Time travel -- it would be amazing to be able to go back in time and see firsthand great moments and periods in history.

Who is the person you look up to/admire the most? There isn't one person I would single out. I admire anyone who has courage, intelligence, humility and a great sense of humor.

What is your favorite thing to do in New York? I love being out at Fire Island in the summertime, relaxing and enjoying the beach.

What is the one thing you can't live without? See answer to "Favorite thing to do in New York"

What is your favorite pizza place in New York? The pizza at Gonzo in the West Village is delicious as well as my neighborhood brick-oven place, Toby's.

Do you have any hidden talents? Perhaps not a talent per se, but I can turn my feet almost all the way around backwards.

What was your favorite television show growing up? The Muppet Show!

Some other info you may want to know (Professional Bio)
Laurie moved to New York City from the Seattle area in 1992 in what was meant to be a temporary relocation for graduate school in Psychology and, later, Epidemiology. She fell in love with the city and put down roots. Laurie is a Senior Manager at American Express, where she has been working for nearly 9 years. She is active in American Express charitable events throughout the year and in all 5 boroughs. Laurie has a BA and MA in Psychology from the University of Puget Sound and New School for Social Research respectively and a MA in Public Health from the Mailman School at Columbia University. A resident of Brooklyn, Laurie is an avid reader, an aspiring gardener and currently on a quest for the prefect banh mi sandwich.

Down on The Urban Farm: Start of Another Season

2010-03-29T11:14:00.023-04:00

Before any work can be done, our horticulture team
sits down to create a plan for this year's urban farms.

As spring begins, our six-member horticulture team has returned from hibernation and has started to plan and prepare for the 2010 harvest season. It will be an exciting season as there are many new activities happening in The Bridge Horticulture Program.

The plan for East Harlem's urban farm.

The plan for the urban farm in the Bronx.

“Our goals this season are to maintain 2 sustainable urban farms in the Bronx and East Harlem, as well as educate our clients on healthy eating habits with nutrition/cooking workshops using produce from our farm in East Harlem. The produce from the farm in the Bronx will help us link up with a local farmer's market that will make fresh produce available to low income communities” stated Natalie Brickajlik, Horticulture Program Coordinator/Job Developer at The Bridge.

On April 22, in honor of Earth Day, our team plans to plant heirloom and cherry tomatoes, pole beans, bell peppers, beets, radishes, purple and white eggplant, black eyed peas, scallions, summer squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, cantaloupe, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, potatoes, kale, arugula, swiss chard, and bok choy. In addition to these vegetables and herbs, our team is going to plant, for the first time ever, strawberries, maize and a grape vine.

Working hard at our urban farm in East Harlem.

If you look closely, you can see the sun ray pattern (on the right)
at our urban farm in East Harlem.

Another first for our horticulture program is the medicinal herb garden at our urban farm in East Harlem. The garden will include chamomile, spearmint, cayenne peppers, lavender, rosemary, nettle, and calendula. The herbs will be used in workshops to make soaps, lotions, teas and more. Our horticulture team is also excited about the addition of potatoes to our farms. To induce proper sprouting, our team has started growing the potato seedlings indoors (along with other seeds). These will then be transplanted to our farms on April 22.

Here is a snapshot of some of the seeds
that are starting to sprout.

A before picture of the urban farm in The Bronx.

This season wouldn’t be possible without funding from the Burpee Foundation and The United Way in addition to the continuous support from John Cannizzo and The Horticultural Society of New York.

John Cannizzo along with one of the members of our horticulture
team, Stacey are turning some of the soil at our urban farm in the Bronx.

To hear the latest news from our horticulture team, visit: My Urban Farm.

The Bridge Horticulture Program began in 2004 with the partnership of The Horticultural Society of New York. The program is offered as part of our vocational services which provides our clients with horticultural therapy, job training, real jobs as well nutrition education. In addition to the two urban farms at our residences in the Bronx and East Harlem, our horticulture team tends to the rooftop garden at our headquarters in Manhattan.

A New Place to Call Home: East River House

2010-03-26T15:10:00.012-04:00

As of December 30th, 2009 we have opened our largest residence to date – our 41-bed East River House located in East Harlem. We have been planning this project for several years and with the support of New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), we purchased the property in March of 2006 and began construction in January 2008. The design is by DeLaCour and Ferrara Architects, and the general contractor is Rende Contracting Corporation. We would also like to thank the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) for providing a small loan toward the acquisition.

East River House will be home to 41 adult men and women with serious mental illness who are referred from Bellevue Hospital’s inpatient psychiatric unit, Kings County Hospital inpatient psychiatric unit, Manhattan Psychiatric and Rockland Psychiatric Centers, and the Brooklyn Mental Health Court. Like our other residences and scatter-site apartments, East River House can help halt the cycle between hospital, shelter and jail for these individuals and provide them with shelter and comprehensive services that will help them move on to more independent housing and lead more productive lives.

These on-site services include:

Peer counselor assistance
Case management
Entitlements counseling
Psychiatric rehabilitation including (symptom management, socialization, community integration, discharge planning from day one)
Substance abuse treatment
24/7 front desk coverage
Computer training
Benefits assistance
An evening meal prepared by a cook

Residents will have access to building amenities such as a laundry room, computers, a community room with a kitchen and a large backyard for outdoor activities. In addition to fulfilling the needs of our consumers, our housing program has made an initiative to meet the needs of our environment by becoming more eco-friendly. East River House includes green elements such as ENERGY STAR windows and appliances, central a/c and heating.

Besides being our largest residence to date, East River House is also noted for being one of the first Bridge residences to use low-income housing tax credits (the other housing project is The Bridge Revitalization [HUD 202]). Other sources of financing are from Dormitory Authority of the State of NY (DASNY) bonds, and OMH rent subsidies and service dollars. Tenants also contribute 30% of their annual income as rent.

Take a look inside East River House:

Program Profile: SHACT

2010-03-24T14:17:00.011-04:00

As of January 1, 2010, The Bridge has implemented a first-of-its-kind program, SHACT – Supportive Housing and Assertive Community Treatment, but before you can understand SHACT, let’s discuss ACT, Assertive Community Treatment Program.

ACT
This program was created to respond to the needs of people with serious mental illness who do not do well in conventional programs. The ACT program responds to these circumstances by providing highly individualized treatment, support and rehabilitation services to people in their natural living settings, usually where they live. ACT brings the services to the consumer instead of the consumer attending programs at the agency site. The program uses a multi-disciplinary team approach made up of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, substance abuse specialists, vocational counselors, and a peer support workers. Each day teams visit consumers in the community and work with them to meet recovery goals set in their service plans (i.e. educational goals, employment skills and opportunities, improving family relationships); at least one team member is on call for emergencies. Services are not time-limited; clients may utilize the services of ACT for as long as they need them. The Bridge Act team is one of 43 teams in the New York City region and 78 across the state of New York.

SHACT
SHACT will be implemented by The Bridge in the Bronx. 68 clients will be enrolled in ACT and will be able to live in 68 supportive housing beds being created for the project. SHACT will offer an essential housing resource to ACT participants many of whom are in shelters, newly discharged from hospitals without housing or are living in substandard environments. ACT agencies across the New York City region will be able to refer ACT clients to The Bridge SHACT program in the Bronx to receive housing in addition to ACT treatment, support and rehabilitative services.

Not only do ACT and SHACT offer a solution to reduce psychiatric hospitalizations and visits to the emergency rooms, but they offer individuals an opportunity to live more independent and productive lives within our community.

Read More About ACT
For more information check out:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
New York State Office Mental Health