News for: In the News

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

LYNN — Bridgewell, a nonprofit social and human services organization, recently announced that Kirsten O’Keefe is the new director of the organization’s Family Support Center (FSC).

The FSC’s purpose is to provide resources for people with autism and developmental disabilities, and support their families. The center provides its services to people from diverse cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds.

Friday, March 29, 2024

PEABODY — A Beverly man who worked for Bridgewell for 43 years will be honored by the nonprofit social and human services organization next week. Gary LaPierre will receive the Visionary Leadership Award at Bridgewell’s Imagine the Possibilities Gala and fundraiser on April 5 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. The event will also honor the Rubin family of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture with the Excellence in Service award.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

PEABODY – Human services providers from across the region recently attended the Northeast Regional Caring Force Rally, advocating for a livable wage and a loan repayment program.
The Caring Force, a grassroots advocacy initiative of the Provider’s Council that promotes better pay and recognition for human services workers, along with leaders from nonprofits Bridgewell, Centerboard, Incompass Human Services, JRI, Key Program, NFI Massachusetts, Northeast Arc, Plummer Youth Promise, Vinfen, and Wayside Youth & Family Support Network hosted the event late last week at the Peabody Holiday Inn. The TriTown Rock Band, a music ensemble composed of local students with and without disabilities, also performed to kick off the event.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

PEABODY — A Lawrence woman carried a clear message from the workers who care for the state’s most vulnerable at the Northeast Regional Caring Force Rally on Friday. “One of the saddest, most common situations I’ve seen was when someone had built a strong connection with clients and would leave their work for better pay,” said Rosalee Sanchez, a direct care assistant supervisor at NFI Massachusetts. Sanchez spoke before a crowd of lawmakers, caregivers, clients and human service advocates at a legislative breakfast hosted at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Peabody ahead of a rally at the State House later Friday afternoon.

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

In 1958, when parents and community members formed an organization called the Child Guidance Center to support youth in the Lynn Public Schools, their goal was to establish a new and different program that would allow people with disabilities to achieve their fullest potential.

At the time, it was common practice to place someone with a disability in an institution that would meet only their basic needs – away from society – for their natural lifetime. These Lynn parents and advocates wanted more for people with disabilities, knowing that if provided with opportunities and support, they could live fulfilling lives in the community.

Sixty-five years and several name changes later, that group of advocates has grown into an organization with 1,600 employees and more than 100 programs serving 25 communities in northeastern Massachusetts. The mission for Bridgewell, however, essentially remains the same: to inspire hope and empower people experiencing life challenges to achieve their fullest potential.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Bridgewell hosted its annual day of service last Tuesday, with dozens of volunteers, including staff and individuals from autism day programs, disability services, and housing and employment programs, heading to Newhall Fields Community Farm as part of the organization's Celebration of Community Service Project.

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Please dine at Not Your Average Joe's in Peabody on September 14 and Bridgewell will receive 15 percent of the sales!

Monday, February 6, 2023

The Lowell Sun recently published an article about the ongoing workforce struggles in the healthcare industry and reported that Bridgewell, a Peabody-based social and human services organization, had more than 300 job openings – a figure taken from another Lowell Sun article written by the same reporter eight months ago.

Currently, the staffing situation at Bridgewell, as with many other human services organizations, is about the same as it was last year – with nearly 300 open positions in cities and towns across the Merrimack Valley and North Shore. Over the past three months, we have started to see a glimmer of hope, with a slight increase in applicants, and new hires finally starting to outpace departures. Unlike many other organizations in the healthcare industry, which has recently seen employee layoffs in the hundreds, Bridgewell is actively hiring in communities across northeastern Massachusetts to meet the needs of those we serve, from people with autism to those battling substance use disorder.

Monday, September 12, 2022

In honor of Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week, I would like to thank all those who put their hearts and souls into supporting people in our community. Our nearly 1,000 DSPs at Bridgewell inspire, encourage, and empower people with life challenges to be integrated into their communities and achieve their fullest potential.

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

As president and CEO of Bridgewell, a large human-services organization that supports more than 6,000 residents of the
commonwealth each year, I have witnessed the adverse effects of inadequate funding for human services, resulting in staffing
shortages and cuts to critically important programs that provide a safety net for thousands in need.

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

As we enter into this holiday season during this phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts and across the country, we are providing this guidance to families on celebrating Thanksgiving and winter holidays with your loved ones who reside in a congregate setting including a nursing home, rest home, assisted living residence or group home. The best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep your family and friends safe this holiday season is to get vaccinated and to avoid holiday gatherings if you are not well. The safest way to celebrate is at home, with the people you live with.

Friday, November 12, 2021

Bridgewell's 2021 Fall Newsletter includes Day of Giving Recap, Flutie 5K Foundation Update and Turning 22 information.

Monday, November 16, 2020

BOSTON GLOBE - A downtown Lynn facility that provides short-term housing and medical care for homeless people with health needs is in danger of closing next summer because it is running out of funds.

Since opening in early 2018, the Recuperative Care Center, located on the second floor of 73 Buffum St., has served more than 150 homeless adults — 42 of whom were able to successfully transition to permanent housing.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

COMMONWEALTH MAGAZINE - As of this writing, the death toll from COVID-19 is high and continuing to rise. Hundreds of thousands more have fallen ill before recovering. And curbing the spread of the disease has necessitated incalculable economic damage, shuttering main streets across the country and casting millions into unemployment. As catastrophic as the damage has been, those in the recovery community know that it has imposed a cost not reflected in the official statistics.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Bridgewell CEO Chris Tuttle said his front-line workers have been demoralized after the state agreed last week to give hazard pay to human services workers that are employed by the state. Meanwhile, workers doing the same jobs for private agencies like Bridgewell during the coronavirus pandemic are not getting extra pay despite facing the same risks, he said.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

BEVERLY — Roughly 24 times a year, they come together on Sunday to talk, share a meal, sing, listen to a short message and enjoy an activity — this past Sunday night it was a brief re-enactment of the Christmas story.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

PEABODY — A documentary that sheds light on the continuing fight for inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities will be shown Thursday night at Northeast Arc's Peabody Black Box Theater.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

North Shore Community College has received a $640,000 federal grant to combat the opioid crisis. NSCC was the only recipient of funding from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) in the New England region, which awarded $12 million to 16 institutions nationwide.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Bridgewell CEO Chris Tuttle says it's simple to see why there's a workforce shortage among direct support professionals in the human services field: low pay for a demanding job.

Then there's the potential to get paid more to do the same thing somewhere else, Tuttle said.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

WCVB’s Katie Thompson, Rose Watson (Kelly J. Martin’s mother) and Chris Tuttle, president and CEO of Bridgewell, at Bridgewell’s 11th Annual Imagine the Possibilities Gala on March 15. Thanks to generous donors, Bridgewell raised more than $336,500 in funding for programming
and necessities for people in the agency’s care.

Thursday, February 28, 2019

The board of directors for the nonprofit Bridgewell has tapped interim leader Christopher Tuttle as the permanent president and CEO.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

North Shore Medical Center and Bridgewell recently began offering recovery coaches at the center’s Salem Hospital for patients who are being treated for drug overdoses. The launch of the service in Salem marks an extension of a program the hospital and Bridgewell, a nonprofit human service agency, have been offering to patients at NSMC’s Union Hospital since 2017.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Bridgewell dedicated “The Kelly J. Martin Center” at a ceremony in honor of its former CEO’s outstanding 35-year career at the social and human services organization located on Boston Street in Lynn.

Friday, January 11, 2019

Recovery coaches are being deployed to emergency rooms, drug treatment centers and even courts to help opioid addicts get clean, but a lack of standards for the emerging profession means many private insurers are unwilling to pay for their services. Gov. Charlie Baker and other state leaders want to integrate peer recovery coaches more into the state's health care system by creating a process to license them.

Friday, January 4, 2019

A program that helps overdose patients link to long-term recovery programs recently expanded to North Shore Medical Center. Bridgewell will make 10 recovery coaches available at Union Hospital in Lynn and Salem Hospital who understand addiction firsthand. Coaches respond immediately to the hospital to develop relationships with the patients and begin discussion options for treatment. The growth of the program follows the success of a similar 24/7 emergency response program in 2017 at Union Hospital.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

SALEM — Salem Hospital has joined the growing ranks of hospitals using recovery coaches to help overdose patients. The hospital now has nine recovery coaches available to respond immediately when someone comes into the emergency room with a drug overdose, with another soon to be hired.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Chris Tuttle is settling into an unexpected role.

Friday, November 23, 2018

My mother was able to provide temporary shelter at Project Cope and emotional support. I spent Thanksgiving 2001 with the ladies at Project Cope and I listened to what they were thankful for. Most of these ladies were thankful for their families, even if those same families gave up on them.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Gov. Charlie Baker, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, and her assistant secretary Daniel Tsai announced the five-year funding program during an appearance at the health center on Thursday. The new initiative will bolster the efforts of 35 facilities across the state.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Friday, August 17, 2018

Monday, August 13, 2018

Friday, August 10, 2018

Eastern Bank has contributed $1.7 million in grants to support the advancement of women. Nonprofits in Lynn and Peabody were among the recipients.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

North Shore Navigators general manager Bill Terlecky was honored as the recipient of Bridgewell’s fourth annual Employment Supports Program Champion Award prior to Wednesday morning’s Futures Collegiate Baseball League game at Fraser Field.

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Thursday, June 28, 2018

As separated immigrant families wait to reunite with their children, experts report on how the experience can have a daunting, lifelong impact

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Mixtures of cocaine and a powerful synthetic opioid are increasingly tied to fatal overdoses, prompting concerns among health officials who are warning about the deadly concoction.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Monday, June 11, 2018

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Monday, April 2, 2018

Bridgewell, a Lynnfield nonprofit that supports individuals with developmental and psychiatric disabilities, recently announced it raised $355,000 at its recent gala, surpassing its goal for the annual event.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Bridgewell, a Peabody - based social and human services organization, is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Bridgewell provides community housing, day programs, outpatient treatment, and recovery services.

Friday, March 30, 2018

The nonprofit was recognized for helping four individuals with autism experience a smooth transition into one of its homes.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

The 2018 Imagine the Possibilities celebration at the Fairmont Copley Plaza raised nearly $355,000 to support people with disabilities and other life challenges.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Bridgewell is devoted to empowering and impacting lives—in the case of one resident, it’s 40 years and counting!

Friday, March 9, 2018

Mark Kennard, former executive director of Project COPE at Bridgewell, will be honored on March 16 by the local nonprofit for his 35 years of service in recovery services and prevention programs for substance use disorders.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Friday, January 19, 2018

For the past decade, the opioid crisis has locked Massachusetts in a vice-like grip, and the death toll only continues to rise.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Monday, January 8, 2018

Bridgewell recently held its 10th annual Mitten Drive to help spread warmth this winter to
those less fortunate in Lowell and Lynn.