Published August 2002

Bridgeways promotes workplace success
for mentally ill

By Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor

Since 1981, Bridgeways has been a part of the Snohomish County community, quietly assisting adults with chronic mental illness. Now, the agency formerly known as Rainbow Resources is intent on getting the word out about the services it offers clients — and the business community.

In July, the Everett-based nonprofit corporation held its first open house spotlighting its onsite production workshop, mobile grounds maintenance crew and vocational training and placement services — all of which fall under Bridgeways’ Employment Services Department.

The programs, designed to provide meaningful employment for those suffering from chronic mental illness, also provide companies a way to outsource work.

For instance, in Bridgeways’ production workshop, mechanical assembly work is done for companies such as Boeing, Executive Director Vicki Hofmann said. And for the past 15 years, Everett Parks and Recreation has used Bridgeways’ ground maintenance crew to keep city parks in order.

Bridgeways also offers job coaching in which staff members provide on-the-job training for clients at area businesses, with the intent being that “over time, the job coach will fade out,” Hofmann said.

When it comes to employment placement, “we’re really focused on client choice and client goals,” she said.

And succeeding in the workplace is a goal of clients using Bridgeways’ vocational services, many of whom have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

These are people who may, depending on their illness, suffer from hallucinations, thought disorders or mood disorders, Hofmann said. But with treatment, clients’ symptoms can be stabilized, and the client can be a productive part of the workplace.

“Mental illness is cyclical and chronic, but it is possible (to manage it),” Hofmann said. “We like to think that a person can recover from mental illness. That doesn’t mean it goes away, but a person can learn to deal with it.”

That’s what the public needs to understand, she said, and by connecting clients with the community through its employment programs, Bridgeways is fostering an atmosphere of education and understanding. “We try to help in reducing the stigma attached to mental illness,” she said.

Along with its vocational services, Bridgeways offers 24-hour supervised living in licensed boarding homes, housing assistance and outpatient care for adults with chronic mental illness. A licensed mental health agency, Bridgeways is a certified vendor of the state’s Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

For more information on Bridgeways, call 425-513-8213.

Back to the top/August 2002 Main Menu