In the News For Immediate Release Contact: Kathy Smith 615 North Broad Street Elizabeth, NJ 07208 908-355-7886 BRIDGEWAY ANNOUNCES NEW ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Elizabeth, NJ, December 23, 2009) — Cory Storch, Executive Director of Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services is pleased to announce that Buddy Garfinkle has been promoted to the new position of Associate Executive Director. Mr. Garfinkle, who joined the Bridgeway staff in 1996 as the PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) Director, holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies from New York University and an M.S.W. from Hunter College. Prior to working at Bridgeway he taught Spanish in the NY City Public School system in the Bronx and served as Program Director for Residential Services for Bowery Residence Committee in New York from1988-1996. For 40 years, Bridgeway has provided services to New Jersey adults who are facing the difficulties of mental illness. Through recovery-centered support services Bridgeway assists individuals to live as independently as possible, learn and work in the community, and improve their quality of life. Bridgeway has taken a leadership role in the state-wide transformation of mental health services to the recovery model and focuses on assisting people to recover meaningful and valued roles through effective cutting-edge mental health programming. Bridgeway services are available in Union, Hudson, Passaic, Middlesex, Somerset, Warren, Hunterdon, and Sussex Counties. PACT provides comprehensive, integrated rehabilitation treatment and support services to those individuals who are most challenged with their serious mental illness and believes that people who have serious mental illness can live successful and satisfying lives in the community when flexible services and supports are provided. Under his direction, Bridgeway began to provide PACT services, which was a new state initiative responding at the time to the growing need for community based mental health services and the closing of state psychiatric hospitals. Through his tenure, he has seen expansion in provision of PACT services both in New Jersey and at Bridgeway, as well as Bridgeway becoming the provider of state-wide PACT Training and Technical Assistance. Bridgeway originally had 3 PACT teams and the State had 28 PACT teams; Bridgeway now has 8 PACT teams and the State has 31. The five additional teams have come to Bridgeway through the RFP process; two of those through State expansion. Mr. Garfinkle says, “PACT has succeeded in its original mandate of closing a state hospital; markedly reducing psychiatric hospitalizations; and helping service recipients to maintain housing. Through TTA training PACT is at the forefront of implementing wellness and recovery strategies beginning in 2003.” In the last five years Bridgeway has successfully implemented its best practice initiative that has helped the agency to be identified as a cutting edge best practice psychiatric rehabilitation provider with all practices permeating all programs. Bridgeway was designated NJ Association of Mental Health Agency’s (NJAMHA) 2007 Provider of the Year, in recognition of its tradition of successful psychiatric rehabilitation service outcomes. Throughout growth Bridgeway has purposefully hired proven talented staff to assume upper and middle management positions. Bridgeway has recently experienced a tremendous expansion in service provision which has created the need for this new position at Bridgeway. This position frees up the executive director to be able to work more closely with the board of trustees, to seek alternative funding and to be the community ambassador of the agency. While still serving as PACT Director, Mr. Garfinkle will assume all program supervisory responsibilities except for Career Services programs. He concludes, “The purpose of the position is to ensure that clinical services are delivered within Bridgeway’s psychiatric rehabilitation approach while still allowing for creativity and autonomy of individual program elements. My approach to this new role is to aide in the enhancement of quality and to look for opportunities for expansion while ensuring that Bridgeway focuses first and foremost on the people we serve.” Information about Bridgeway and its services is found at www.bridgewayrehab.com.