Baton Rouge, LA (October 22, 2019) –THE BRIDGE CENTER FOR HOPE, which will oversee East Baton Rouge’s new behavioral health crisis stabilization center, has selected Charlotte Claiborne as its executive director. Her first major task is to oversee opening of the center by RI International, an Arizona-based provider that was selected by the Bridge Center to run the first such facility in Louisiana.
“We had a strong slate of candidates who demonstrated their dedication to helping people suffering a crisis,” said Kathy Kliebert, chair of The Bridge Center. “We picked Charlotte because her mix of business and health care skills fit our need to not only start a new service, but to make sure it grows and matches the needs of people with mental illness and substance abuse challenges.”
In her previous job, Claiborne was director of Louisiana Behavioral Health Agency, where she was charged with expanding the organization into new areas of Louisiana. She worked for 17 years at Entergy, where she managed multi-million-dollar contracts, was a department representative of a health program that encouraged physical and mental health among employees, and served as budget analyst and manager on several special projects.
“My goal is to create a model facility that will address the gap in behavioral health and substance abuse services,” Claiborne said. “With the facility, we’ll help thousands of our neighbors who have nowhere else to turn when they are suffering in a crisis. Bridge will also work to reduce the stigma of mental illness in our parish.”
Earlier this year, the Bridge Center, a nonprofit, was chosen by the Metro Council to open the behavioral health crisis center. Funded by a $6 million tax approved in December, the 30-bed center will serve up to 5,000 people in crisis annually, stabilizing and connecting them with therapies. Bridge Center and RI International, the direct provider, are searching for a location with a goal of opening the center in the Spring of 2020.
###
About The Bridge Center for Hope
The Bridge Center for Hope, an independent nonprofit, was formed to help East Baton Rouge Parish residents experiencing a mental health crisis and/or substance use challenge and ensure they receive quality care and attention. The Bridge Center for Hope’s mission is to provide pathways to treatment for people experiencing behavioral health issues and to link providers to create an integrated continuum of care from prevention to rehabilitation. For more information, visit brbridge.org.
About RI International
RI, founders of the Living Room model in 2002, deliver no-wrong-door crisis facility-based services across the country with rapid growth targeted. RI’s Campus of Connection model includes a strong peer workforce and surrounds the individual with support on their journey towards recovery. To learn more, visit riinternational.com.
Media contact:
Kathy Kliebert
Chair of The Bridge Center for Hope
985-791-7637
kathykliebert@gmail.com
The Bridge Center for Hope contact:
info@brbridge.org