In 1954, The Bridge started as a self-help group by former
psychiatric hospital patients from New York's Hillside Hospital,
with help from their relatives and friends.
It was to be safe, welcome, nonstigmatizing meeting place.
From 1954 to 1968, it operated mainly with volunteers and staff
from Hillside Hospital and with a dedicated Board of Directors
who volunteered their time and financial resources.
To meet the needs of large numbers of patients being released from psychiatric hospitals in 1969, the agency began receiving public support which facilitated its growth and has continued into the 1990's.
From its modes beginning as a "social club" providing programs 6 hours a week, with volunteer staff and limited resources, The Bridge has evolved into one of the city's leading mental health agencies serving seriously mentally ill and homeless adults. Today, it provides 72 hours a week of program, 365 days a year including evenings, weekends and holidays, with staff of over 170 mental health and allied professionals, students and volunteers; operates a budget of $10 million combining federal, state, city and private resources and serves 450 men and women annually.
The Bridge is a nationally recognized agency providing mental health treatment; vocational training and job placement; shelter and care for 212 persons persons with funding in place to add 101 beds; outreach to the homeless; health care; education; socialization and recreational services. Its programs serve as a model for other agencies serving the mentally ill, including the homeless, persons with AIDS/HIV illness, and persons whose illness is related to substance abuse.