Since 1971, The Bridge has helped more than 15,000 youth and families in the Philadelphia region decrease substance use, promote recovery, and support healthy lifestyles.
The Bridge operates an outpatient treatment program, a licensed private school, and academic, vocational, and life skills education for out-of-school youth and justice-involved youth. The Bridge also operates The Villa, a specialized residential program for youth with a history of truancy, emotional trauma, family conflict and difficulties in the community.
As an organization, The Bridge is dedicated to advancing high-impact models of care that integrates a holistic vision of substance use treatment to ensure vulnerable adolescents can reach their fullest potential.
The Bridge Intensive Prevention Service (BIPS) in West Philadelphia is a partnership between the Philadelphia Department of Human Services’ Juvenile Justice Services Division, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia School District, the Philadelphia Family Court, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, to identify and serve youth between 10 and 19 years of age who are at risk of penetrating the dependency and/or delinquent child welfare systems due to high-risk behaviors. It is an after-school program using an evidence-based model that helps 200 teens annually.