Bridgeway emphasizes vocational development as a crucial ingredient in the rehabilitation and recovery of people who have mental illness. Work is important, not only as a means of financial support, but as a self-esteem builder. Bridgeway uses the Supported Employment model of services which is recognized as the best practice to assist people who have mental health disabilities to get jobs.

Choosing a Career Path: The choosing part of Supportive Employment (SE) is helping people to decide what career they would like to pursue. Persons served meet with their assigned Employment Counselor to explore possible career opportunities based on their strengths, experiences, interests, and preferences. Potential barriers are discussed; resources for training, work experience, and accommodations are provided.

Getting the Career of Your Choosing: We assist individuals in obtaining a position of choice through practice interviews, resume building, and internet job searches. Services are provided through individual counseling.

Keeping Your Job: The Employment Service Team assists the person in doing whatever it takes to keep that job. It is done through on and off-site job coaching and individual meetings.

Services are available for those whose work attempts have been delayed or interrupted due to mental illness and include:

• Skills and qualifications assessment
• Career counseling
• Resume, application and interview preparation
• Assistance with Social Security and other benefits
• Educational goals
• Job coaching and support
• Supports related to finances, technology, social skill use, and self-employment

Bridgeway's LEARN of Central NJ, a supported education (SEd), program is a mobile outreach service aimed to assist people with psychiatric disabilities to reach their post-secondary academic goals. Services are individualized and flexible based on student choice, self-determination, and career goals. This program will assist in developing the capacity of colleges as well as mental health services to encourage and support people with psychiatric disabilities to pursue the role of college student. Help people access and complete their post-secondary education

Program goals:

• Help people access and complete their postsecondary education
• Develop the capacity of traditional mental health services and peer run services to support people returning to school
• Develop the capacity of colleges and universities to support students with psychiatric disabilities matriculating in their programs

Direct Services

Students with psychiatric disabilities may at times need additional supports and resources to successfully reach their educational goals. Bridgeway offers services to residents of Middlesex and Union Counties who have psychiatric disabilities to assist with the challenges of being a college student. LEARN of Central NJ helps people graduate from college by providing and connecting them with additional supports and services which include:

• Supportive counseling
• Accommodation education
• Referral and linkages to academic and social supports
• Skill development with organizing, planning, and other common college difficulties

Self Help Centers

This initiative is offering assistance to Self Help Centers in the Central Region who are interested in helping people return to school. Bridgeway's staff will assist Centers in developing the supports and services that help people go back to school. By incorporating aspects of Supported Education at Self-Help Centers, Bridgeway's initiative will be able to help more people reach their goals of returning to college. Bridgeway will provide on-going technical assistance to help centers develop groups that best fit their constituents.