A Case Study: Understanding the Bridges Program Through the Lens of Stakeholders

This study is intended to provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of a school based mental health program, Bridges, from the perspective of stakeholders; those invested in the continuation of the program. Bridges was developed in 2005 in response to a growing need to provide transitioning services for adolescents returning to a public high school subsequent to a psychiatric hospitalization or prolonged absence. The program was designed for a very specific population in a specific high school on the North Shore of Chicago. Because of the uniqueness of the population and programming, qualitative case study analysis was employed to understand the perceptions and understandings of students enrolled in the program, their parents, Bridges faculty and the greater school faculty of this high school. Humanistic psychology provides the theoretical foundation for the study while R.E. Stake\u27s Responsive Evaluation provides a methodological guide for understanding the program through the lens of stakeholders