Why Bridgeway Matters - Supporting Mental Healt needs

Often, our students are dealing with more than learning disabilities.  Anxiety, depression and mental health concerns often come along with the struggle to learn.  It's amazing the difference a small but dedicated and trained staff can make!

The Bridgeway team

I would like to share with you the positive impact that Bridgeway Academy has had, and continues to have on the realization of an education for my oldest daughter , 19 years of age, diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and a Language Based Disorder of Written Expression. My daughter has spent her life healing from the trauma of her early repeated childhood abuse prior to adoption. Her education has been interrupted by intermittant, and longterm inpatient stays at the IWK Healthcare Psychiatric Unit. Homeschooling was the only option feasible for her during her most challenging years, until I moved my family closer to Bridgeway Academy. The tuition supports have allowed my daughter, and her younger sister with ADHD, and other learning issues to attend this wonderful school. My daughters both have a chance, because of Bridgeway to earn a high school education which will see them both ready to attend a post secondary education. It is my oldest daughters dream to attend university, and then continue to set up a theraputic ranch to help youth, much like herself to recover from childhood trauma.

I do not believe it is possible to mix children with these complex learning, and behavioural/mental health issues with students whom do not understand their personal struggles. The years of adolescence are challenging enough, without the added issues of the burden of misunderstood disabilites. These children, and all children in our province, deserve the special attention to their education and mental health needs in schools like Bridgeway. These children deserve a place to heal their devistated self-esteems and rise to the top with the helping hands of teachers and behavioural support instructors like Bridgeway offers. In my experience of raising children with special needs, forcing children to stay in the public school system married with the lack of youth mental health services, is the reason for teens in the age group of 14-19 years, to to have suicide the second highest reason for death in Nova Scotia, according to Statistics Canada . It is time the province assist with supporting the needs of this fragile age group children, and schools like Bridgeway are an important step to realizing a positive future for our troubled youth.

Sherry