Youth Bridge, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Youth Bridge Overview

Youth Bridge is a nonprofit agency that provides treatment and support to youth, mainly adolescents, with addiction and mental health problems. The organization was founded in 1963, but its initial purpose was to treat boys and men only, so it was named Boyland. The founder was a local businessman who provided housing for homeless and neglected boys. Now, the agency treats girls too. Over 50 years of its existence, Youth Bridge has become one of the most important organizations of this kind in the area. Their facilities are available at different locations.
It’s important to mention that Youth Bridge is the only Northwest Arkansas Division of Youth Services (DYS) and the only approved DYS residential substance abuse treatment program in the state. Also, Youth Bridge is one of three agencies in Arkansas that operate a Runaway and Homeless Youth program and the only organization in the state that provides and supports the National Safe Place Program. It is also the only clinically and behaviorally focused organization in Northwest Arkansas that provides mental health support to children and families. These are all the things that make Youth Bridge a unique and highly-qualified organization for troubled adolescents.

Youth Bridge Housing

The organization has multiple residential facilities, but two of them are specifically focused on the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. As in other treatment centers, residential facilities are gender-specific. Boys stay in a facility in Springdale while girls are in Bell House for Girls located in Fayetteville. Boys’ facility is simple, one-story building that resembles an old schoolhouse. It accepts boys 14 to 18 years of age who are court-ordered to treatment. The house has a big parking lot that boys in treatment use as a basketball court. On the flip side, the Bell House accepts girls ages 16 to 18, and the treatment is voluntary, i.e. they don’t have to be court-ordered to attend it.
Both facilities have house parents who make sure patients have everything they need, but also to teach them the skills needed for independent living and to help them stay on the right track. Patients share rooms with other boys or girls, and they get to spend quality time in common spaces such as dining room, TV room, and others. Since the agency depends on donations many things depend on the funds they receive. More donations allow Youth Bridge to enrich patients’ stay and to make it a healthy, supportive, and comfortable experience.

Youth Bridge Treatment Options

The treatment center deals with patients who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. In addition, they treat patients or clients with behavioral issues, ADD/ADHD, conduct disorders, depression, anxiety, sexual trauma, and other problems. Treatment is provided in residential, outpatient, and school-based settings. The first step toward treatment at Youth Bridge is an assessment or evaluation followed by diagnosis, individualized therapeutic counseling, and case management.
Treatment for substance abuse problems focuses on a 12-step approach which requires patients to attend AA/NA meetings regularly. A major part of the treatment program is education about addiction, drug and alcohol, and dangers that come with this problem. It is their goal to teach adolescent boys and girls that they can have a fun, happy life even if they don’t use drugs and alcohol. Youth Bridge also makes sure that family and friends of each patient play a big role in their treatment.
Outpatient treatment involves all the above-mentioned services, but patients aren’t required to spend time in the residential facility. They can live in their own homes and just attend sessions, and other activities.

Youth Bridge Therapies Provided

Due to the fact, Youth Bridge employs licensed psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors clients participate in evidence-based therapy sessions that improve their mental health and support them on the road to recovery. Both individual and group therapy sessions are provided in addition to family therapy. Therapists usually provide cognitive behavioral therapy sessions. This type of therapy is scientifically proven to work for different types of emotional, behavioral, mental health, and other problems.

Youth Bridge Payment Options

In terms of payment, Youth Bridge has arranged different options to cover the costs of treatment. Their policy is not to deny much-needed help to someone based on the inability to pay. Besides self-pay option, they accept AR Kids First, Medicaid, and other forms of insurance. They use a sliding scale model. To learn more about prices and insurance coverage, it’s recommended to consult Youth Bridge.

Youth Bridge Licenses

The treatment center is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), which partners with human service organizations across the globe to improve service delivery outcomes by developing, applying, and promoting accreditation standards. The goal of COA is to create better services and ensure clients and patients get high-quality treatment programs. This accreditation indicates that Youth Bridge met their criteria and deserved to be in the group of reputable organizations. The treatment center also has many sponsors and affiliates which support their work such as Avast and Amazon Smile.

Youth Bridge Amenities

Amenities that are associated with treatment at Youth Bridge involve:

• Case management
• Treatment customized to suit individual needs of every patient/client
• Emergency shelter for at-risk youth ages 13 to 18
• Crisis management

Youth Bridge Staff

Youth Bridge has a great team of counselors, psychologists and other professionals who work with clients on their road to recovery. Names, roles, and biographies of staff members aren’t displayed on the official website. Only board names are revealed, such as:

• Mr. Darryl Rhoda – chief executive officer
• Ms. Kathy Lott – program director
• Dr. Nancy Hairston – advancement and development director
• Dr. Jacob Mays – medical director and staff psychiatrist
• Dr. Marilyn Hoke – chief administrative officer
• Dr. Michael Flowers – clinical director