Community Bridges program overview

WINSLOW, Ariz. - Carlton Timms of the "Community Bridges" organization based in Phoenix gave a presentation at the Hopi Housing Winslow on Feb. 15. Timms explained that there were currently 26 Community Bridges facilities throughout the state. The organization is dedicated to helping people eliminate their addictions to alcohol and drugs.

Their belief is that reducing the impact of alcoholism and drug addiction is the best way to reduce homelessness, violence, child abuse/neglect, assault, homicide and suicide.

Community Bridges has four levels of intervention services. Level One is for the most severe impairment and is essentially an intervention in a crisis situation where the patient may severely hurt himself or others. Levels Two, Three and Four are in decreasing levels of severity. Most of the facilities are Level Four and considered "social detoxification centers" for walk-ins or other voluntary patients. The stay for Level Four patients is anywhere from three to 14 days at which time they can choose to move on to the next appropriate level of care and counseling.

Phoenix also has a crisis team that works on the streets assisting addicts who are in need of care. There a number of divisions of service within Community Bridges. For example, there is: Crisis Stabilization and Medical Detoxification, Rural Stabilization Units (RSU), Residential Treatment Centers, Outpatient Behavioral Health Programs, Center For Hope (Women's help), and Prevention and Community Education.

If you are interested in having a Community Bridges specialist administer training for you please call (480) 831-7566 for scheduling, fees and on-site training information.