Youth Bridge is a non-profit agency that serves youths and their families in the areas of abuse, neglect, addiction, homelessness, mental health issues and behavioral problems. Its services range anywhere from providing an immediate safe haven, to individualized treatment plans, aftercare and support, prevention programs to offering transitional living. Youth related substance abuse, homelessness, and behavioral problems are not limited to select zip codes, social economic groups or certain geographic areas of Central and Northwest Arkansas. These are our neighbors and our children’s friends that need help. Youth Bridge is there to help turn the lives of troubled youth around and guide them back to a productive life. It is a community problem that requires a community solution.
Youth Bridge serves an eight-county area in Northwest and North Central Arkansas- Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton and Washington.
Youth Bridge is the only agency in the state of Arkansas that runs a RHY (runaway/homeless youth) transitional living program for youth and is the only not-for-profit agency for court referred community based services; is 1 of 3 agencies in the State that provides substance abuse treatment and services to youth and is the only Arkansas Division of Youth Services (DYS) agency that has a Residential Substance Abuse program for youth. It is acclaimed as one of the leading providers of residential and outpatient treatment programs in the State for substance abuse and is COA accredited.
To meet the needs of troubled youth in the community, Youth Bridge provides:
- Residential services for up to 26 young men with substance abuse problems
- An emergency shelter that can accommodate up to 24 youth in Benton County
- One Transitional Living Program in a group home setting accommodating eight young ladies 16-17 years of age
- One Transitional Living Program in a group home setting for young adults between the ages of 18-23 years
- One Transitional Living Program in apartments for young adults/young families between the ages of 18-23
- A group “foster home” for young ladies in the Department of Children and Family Services system
- Outpatient substance abuse treatment for a growing number of youth and their families a year
- Intensive Substance Abuse counseling for drug court recipients in Benton and Washington Counties
- Special programs for pregnant and parenting teens
- Targeted Case Management services to more than 1,100 youth
- Youth services totaling over 500,000 hours a year
- Outreach and prevention programs (Last year it totaled 91 for over 9000 people in attendance) and
- Community based services such as anger management, life skills groups, parenting and community work supervision (Last year it totaled to serving over 300 youth and involved more than 7,500 hours of time)
Overview
Academic & Social Support Services
Academic and social support services are available to both residential and outpatient clients. Some elements of this program include tutoring, and social and life skills education. Youth Bridge has two (2) State Department of Education certified classrooms where Residential Substance Abuse and Therapeutic Group Home clients can earn their high school diploma, GED or even college credit.
Clinical Treatment
The clinical treatment program includes evaluation and diagnosis, residential and outpatient counseling, family counseling, substance abuse counseling, group counseling, and drug screens. Youth Bridge also offers trained physiologists, medication management counseling, case management services and professional program referrals.
Behavior Management Intervention
Behavioral management interventions allow Youth Bridge case managers to conduct both electronic and non-electronic compliance monitoring of clients, as well as community service supervision. Electronic monitoring is typically court-ordered, and requires the youth to wear an ankle bracelet for tracking. Non-electronic monitoring includes intensive supervision of outpatient clients by their assigned case managers. Youth Bridge also has developed crisis and safety plans to protect our clients.
Residential Services
Residential services include one emergency shelter, the state’s first Division of Youth Services (DYS) Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program for adolescents, a Therapeutic Group Home for adjudicated males, and three (3) a transitional living programs for homeless young adults, and a long-term program for Division of Children and Family Services clients. Programs vary in intensity and duration depending on each client's diagnosis/treatment needs.
Aftercare
After completion of a DYS mandated program, clients are referred to Youth Bridge for the development of an aftercare plan. Aftercare plans help to ensure clients reintegrate back into their home community in a pro-social manner.
Transitional Living Program (TLP)
TLP serves serves a mixed gender population of homeless or near homeless young adults between the ages of 16 and 23 who lack an adequate support network system or who do not have the education, skills and economic resources necessary to be self-sufficient. This program is for young adults who wish to work towards acquiring social, educational, and/or vocational skills that will help them to live independently and be self-sufficient positive members of society.
