Founded by individuals seeking services for their own families
The Bridge team uses its deep knowledge of how to fully navigate the system to help others see that those with physical or intellectual disabilities needn’t think that nursing facilities and institutions are their only options. Instead, they can move beyond their limitations with confidence, remain at home, and thrive.
Our Mission
A Bridge to Independence promotes independent living by connecting individuals with disabilities to personalized home- and community-based services, empowering them to remain active in their communities.
Our Values
Bridge believes that every person has the right to lead an independent, meaningful life. This is reinforced in the person-first intellectual approach we take in our supports and service coordination.
Executive Team
Our Story
After identifying a need for case management for obtaining services for their own family members, the founders of A Bridge to Independence formed a partnership of three Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to help individuals in Pennsylvania.
The three CILs — Voices for Independence in Erie, Pa.; DON Services in New Castle, Pa.; and Tri-County Partnership for Independent Living in Washington, Pa. — operated service coordination internally within each separate agency until December 2012.
Having maintained separate regional offices with location-specific boards of directors, Bridge consolidated offices in 2013 and served individuals throughout 15 counties of Western Pennsylvania. Summer 2015 brought about relocation to EBCO Park in Erie, and to the location off Chestnut Street in Washington.
In 2018, Bridge was approved to provide service coordination in 57 counties throughout Pennsylvania. It then opened an office in Allentown to better serve individuals in the Central and Eastern areas of the state. After being approved in 2019 to provide Office of Developmental Programs Service Coordination for the Adult Autism Waiver, Bridge expanded its service area to all 67 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
