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

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 only and is not available for non- Medicaid children. 4. Nurturing Parenting Program (Cynthia Oille, MA 850-376-4514) Nurturing Parenting Programs are a family-centered trauma-informed initiative designed to build nurturing parenting skills as an alternative to abusive and neglectful parenting and child-rearing practices. The long term goals are to prevent recidivism in families receiving social services, lower the rate of multi- parent teenage pregnancies, reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency and alcohol abuse, and stop the intergenerational cycle of child abuse by teaching positive parenting behaviors. The Nurturing Program targets all families at risk for abuse and neglect with children birth to 18 years. The programs have been adapted for special populations, including Hmong families, Military families, Hispanic families, African-American families, Teen Parents, Foster and Adoptive Families, Families in Alcohol Treatment and Recovery, Parents with Special Learning Needs, and Families with Children with Health Challenges. 1 5. Targeted and Complex Case Management (Lisa Lydston, BPS 850-376-5216) Case Management is a community based program for adults and children with mental health diagnoses. Case Management assists the person served with the highest level of stability, self-sufficiency and independence possible. Funded by Medicaid and its related HMOs, Targeted Case Management assesses the individual’s mental health needs and assists with the linkage of mental health services and support services. Case Management monitors the progress of the person served and continually assesses for appropriateness of the service plan. Targeted Case Management works very hard to coordinate with the mental health team of providers for the prevention of Baker Act hospitalizations. For children who have been Baker Acted, or who are at risk of being Baker Acted, Case Management will thoroughly assess and link the family to in-home family therapy to help prevent future hospitalizations. Targeted Case Management also educates the person served, and their support system, about their mental health needs, dispelling any myths and discrimination associated with a mental health diagnosis. Persons served are empowered to self direct their treatment which increases their stability and promotes independence. 6. Child Parent Psychotherapy(CPP) (Shannon Brunson, LMHC 850-659-9550) CPP is a treatment for trauma-exposed children aged birth to 5 years old. Typically, the child is seen with his or her primary caregiver, and the dyad is the unit of treatment. CPP examines how the trauma and the caregivers’ relational history affect the caregiver-child relationship and the child’s developmental trajectory. A central goal is to support and strengthen the caregiver-child relationship as a vehicle for restoring and protecting the child’s mental health. Treatment also focuses on contextual factors that may affect the caregiver-child relationship (e.g., culture and socioeconomic and immigration related stressors). Targets of the intervention include caregivers’ and children’s maladaptive representation of themselves, each other as well as interactions and behaviors that interfere with the child’s mental health. Over the course of treatment, caregiver(s) and child are guided to create a joint narrative of the psychological traumatic event and identify and address traumatic triggers that generate dysregulated behaviors and affect. 7. Family Care Unit (FCU) (Shannon Brunson, LMHC 850-659-9550) provides screening, assessment, and referral services to individuals in Okaloosa County that have presented to the Department of Children and Families or to Families First Network with concerns regarding their functioning. The primary goal of the FCU Program is to provide a comprehensive, unified intervention with families who become involved with the child welfare system. The objectives are to increase collaboration within partnerships; to quickly identify, assess and begin treatment services; to assist families’ success in case plans; and to provide ongoing support as possible to aid transition from the child welfare system. FCU specialists will provide a referred patient with an evaluation that involves the use of screening measures, interview, and review of records. The patient’s strengths and needs are identified and referrals for mental health services, substance abuse services, psychiatric services, and other services are provided when applicable. In addition, the FCU specialist will provide case consultation and treatment status updates to FFN and DCF staff as applicable. 8. Outpatient Services (Donna Morgan, MPA 850-376-5386) a. Specialized Children and Family Services i. Children’s Mental Health & Substance Abuse ii. In-Home Therapy iii. Therapy Services for Abused and Neglected Children iv. Family Care Unit b. Adult Mental Health & Substance Abuse c. Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities d. Juvenile Justice Outpatient Services 9. Family Support Services (FSS) (Donna Morgan, MPA 850-376-5386) The purpose of the Family Support Services Program is to increase children and adolescents’ safety and stability in their own homes which prevents a DCF removal from the home to foster care. FSS is referred through DCF/FFN as a diversion to monitor, support and help each parent by teaching and suggesting ways that will help them make more nurturing and safe parental decisions. Nurturing Parenting, an Evidence Based Practice (EBP), is used to help the family bring new ideas and focus on better skills in parenting their children without using 2  physical punishments. Counselors help parents learn how to keep their homes clean, safe and free of hazards. FSS facilitates searching for employment with referrals to the families that will help them develop job skills and helps coordinate childcare for the children. FSS is a voluntary service between the parent/caregiver to create a loving and safe home. BCI has historically been Nationally Accredited as a behavioral health center for the past 21 years. BCI is currently in the seventh three-year accreditation issued through the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) which ends in January 2018. Bridgeway Center, Inc’s Executive Leadership Team consists of: Daniel Cobbs, MPA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Rushton, Human Resources Officer/Vice President of Safety, Regulatory, Quality Lawrence Mundy, MCSE, Chief Information Officer/Vice President of Financial Reimbursement Larry McFarland, LMHC, Vice President of Community Care Services Bridgeway Center Inc. is a member of the following professional organizations: • Florida Association of Juvenile Justice • Florida Association of Community Corrections • Florida Council for Community Mental Health Centers • Florida Coalition on the Homeless • Mental Health Association of Okaloosa/Walton Counties • National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare • Okaloosa Public Safety Council • Okaloosa Anti-Drug Coalition • Okaloosa-Walton Domestic Violence Coordinating Council • Okaloosa-Walton Sexual Assault Interagency Council • Okaloosa-Walton Homeless Continuum of Care • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Emerald Coast Chapter The BCI corporate office is located in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The Center is a private, not-for-profit