Okaloosa County BOCC — July 21, 2015 — The History of Bridgeway Center

The History of Bridgeway Center, Inc. as a Non-profit: Bridgeway Center, Inc. (BCI) is a public, independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality psychosocial healthcare and educational services. A volunteer Board of Trustees is drawn from a variety of professions and interests and is responsible for providing BCI’s policies and financial soundness. BCI currently employs approximately 135 associates, working out of twelve locations. BCI’s sources of revenue are Medicaid (Agency for Healthcare Administration – AHCA), Medicare, Florida Department of Children and Families, commercial insurance companies, Department of Juvenile Justice, Florida Department of Health, and the United Way of Okaloosa-Walton Counties. Bridgeway Center has a proven track record for enhancing individual life skills for success with optimal utilization of taxpayers’ dollars. We apply data-driven best practices and/or evidence based standards of science with proven leadership for positive results and accountability with transparency to the public and private sector. By reinvesting our local resources back into Okaloosa communities with strategic initiates that work, Bridgeway Center creates more successful futures for Okaloosa’s most vulnerable children, adolescents, adults, seniors, and families, as well as save tax payer dollars. Bridgeway Center, Inc. was founded in 1966 as the Okaloosa Guidance Clinic (OGC) by a local community leader, Catherine Berridge, and her friends. Originally, OGC was a small outpatient clinic with less than five employees. The mission at that time was to provide outpatient mental health counseling to the entire community, regardless of income. Such services included individual, group, and family counseling; children and family therapy, and marital counseling. Currently BCI’s Critical Care Services include the following services. 1. Children’s Abuse Prevention Team (CAPT) (Donna Morgan, MPA 850-376-5386) 24x7x365 on-call coverage for DCF/FFN for immediate response to prevent removals by signing safety plans, supplying food, utilities and support, facilitate shelter in domestic violence situations for children and victim. BCI’s Family Support Services (FSS) provides immediate services to ensure the safety of children. Families will then be signed up for FSS to continue with support and child safety issues within the family. 2. Trauma Recovery for Victims (Donna Morgan, MPA 850-376-5386) Trauma Informed Care seeks to reduce negative thoughts and harmful thoughts of violence towards self and/or others. Trauma-focused therapy works to improve thought patterns in the long term. Traumatized children are seen for outpatient clinical therapy to determine the safest and least harmful method of treatment. This may include outpatient therapy and potentially a referral to the Medical Staff for medication management. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are used by the Medical Staff along with Therapy for adults to allow for forward progress from the trauma. 3. Comprehensive Assessments (Shannon Brunson, LMHC 850-659-9550) is an in-depth and detailed assessment of the child’s emotional, social, behavioral and developmental functioning for infants/children/teens that have been removed from their parents’ care following concerns of abuse or neglect. A comprehensive behavioral health assessment must include direct observation (not telemedicine) of the child in settings in which the recipient routinely participates to include the home, school, community, and work site. The goal of the assessment is to provide updated and pertinent information about a child and their family’s strengths and needs in several areas to promote the most appropriate out-of-home placement as well as re- unification with the parents. The comprehensive assessment is paid for by Medicaid on