Our mission is to deliver essential services, provide equitable access to resources, and advocate for health and dignity across every stage of life. Since 1977, Community Bridges has been a catalyst for a brighter future by providing basic resources for the people of Santa Cruz County. Our family of ten vital programs across 20 different sites serves thousands of local children, families, and seniors each year. While each program is remarkable on its own, together we are unstoppable.
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Services Offered
Community Advocacy We seek to meet the needs of families through bi-lingual, bi-cultural support on both a long and short-term basis. Our drop-in advocacy support aims to help our community access resources and set goals to address issues such as housing, employment, healthcare, education, substance abuse, domestic violence prevention, childcare and more.
Teen Program Support for probation-assigned youth and their families in San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley communities, including case management, community outreach, coordination of court mandates and more.
Counseling Services MCR provides a safe, confidential place to express feelings and talk about changes. Counseling for children and adults by pre-licensed Clinical Counselors helps people learn to deal with stress and anxiety or work on other issues such as anger management, ADHD/Impulsivity, depression, grief/loss, divorce, conduct issues, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Parent Education We offer group classes and one-on-one sessions, helping parents address a wide range of topics including preventing tantrums, traveling in the car, managing chores, the power of self-esteem, and more. Classes are available in English and Spanish, and include Triple P classes with funding made available by First 5 Santa Cruz County.
Fees and Payment
We provide these and other services without charge, or at very low cost. To continue to provide these services and programs, thousands of individuals offer their support each year. This is a non-for-profit organization.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Payment: Pro-bono
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Qualifying for assistance from California's program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to California's program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.