At The Bridge, it's all about closing the gap in mental health care

For 10 years The Bridge: A Center for Hope and Healing has provided mental health and behavioral care to people across the South Coast.

“Our name is our mission: to bridge the gap between disparities in care and stigmas,” said Cassie Perry, a mental health counselor at The Bridge.

Reverend Scott Ciosek, executive director and founder of The Bridge, founded the non-profit organization in 2015 to address what he saw as an increasing need for mental health and behavioral health care in South Coast communities.

“The Bridge was born as a way to care for people in the community,” he said at an open house celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Ciosek sees The Bridge as a way to accompany people in their “human journey” and as an avenue to “live our lives for other people.”

Located on the campus of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Padanaram, The Bridge is expected to serve more than 250 clients this year and have over 2,600 total client visits.

“I’m amazed and humbled by the clients coming in and trusting the process,” said clinician Beth Martin.

The Bridge serves people who are seeking anxiety and/or depression support, LGBTQIA+ counseling, parenting guidance, addiction recovery and grief counseling. As part of its mission, The Bridge offers access to individual counseling, support groups and other programs.

Ciosek called The Bridge a “place of inclusion for everybody” that’s designed to “help people get the support they need at important times of their lives.”

Martin said that “life can challenge any of us at any given time,” noting that anybody could find themselves in need of mental health or behavioral health care.

Ciosek said that there are many people who may feel alone in life and that struggling with mental health can make someone feel even more alone.

“[The Bridge] helps people know that they aren’t alone,” he said.

The Bridge recently increased its capacity to serve and has seen an increase in clients who are children, teenagers and young adults, with young people now making up about 40% of clients.

This change is part of The Bridge’s goal to create a healthier South Coast and help all people experience emotional and psychological wellbeing.

“Our work truly never stops,” Perry said.

For Martin, The Bridge’s mission is to provide clients with a safe and welcoming environment where they can provide a therapeutic connection and authentic relationships to clients.

At the anniversary celebration, she reflected on the first time she walked through The Bridge’s doors: “It felt like home.”

“I hope clients feel the same way,” she said.