Martha DeWitt is a case worker at Mental Health Resources, a Twin Cities nonprofit and Bridging agency partner. MHR offers community-based mental health and substance use disorder services to adults and youth recovering from serious mental illness.

As a Co-occurring Recovery Specialist on a Hennepin County Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, Martha and other team members work alongside individuals as they navigate life in the community. The ACT team offers intensive case management and support 24/7 to help each person achieve stability, safety, and well-being.

Martha and her colleagues offer assistance and support to clients as they go about their daily routines.  She might accompany someone to the store, a medical appointment, or food shelf, or assist with securing housing and a referral to Bridging. Relationship building is vital to this work, as the ACT team may work alongside clients for months or many years.

“The clients that are referred to our team have intensive and persistent mental illness. Many people we work with have a hard time navigating the community and holding down jobs. Many have transitory living situations, and securing stable housing can be challenging. We help them get into housing, to find stability. Often, they don’t have belongings, so Bridging is a lifesaver.”

According to the 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study, 61.8 % of individuals interviewed said they had been given a mental health diagnosis by a doctor or nurse in the past two years.

There are many misconceptions about mental health, and Martha observes microaggressions toward people with severe and persistent mental health issues while out in the community.

According to Martha, the opposite is true at Bridging: “At Bridging, the volunteer is solely looking at the client, not me — the caseworker. They are looking at the client for their answers, about what they would like in their home. The volunteers are really well-trained. It has been so consistent. And it is so refreshing. It’s so huge. It’s not the norm out there.”

Martha shares that many individuals she works with live with symptoms of schizophrenia or psychotic disorders that include disordered thinking, delusions, and anxiety. She consistently observes instances where Bridging team members have listened and responded with empathy and respect.

“The clients I work with are excited to come to Bridging to get furnishings for their homes. When someone enters the large warehouses at Bridging, it can be overwhelming. When volunteers guide someone through section by section, it becomes more manageable.’

“The volunteers ask questions and give suggestions. Many people I work with have never been asked, ‘What would you like for your home?’ or had the privilege of shopping for items for their home. They might not have thought of getting pots and pans. I’ve seen clients tickled to get pictures for the walls, and they might think an extra pillow would be great!”

From beginning to end, Martha sees the dignity and excellent service at Bridging.

“One of the clients I work with was so excited to be getting a mattress. The two Bridging delivery team members, the client, and I were going up the elevator to his apartment. I could tell the client was starting to feel a lot of anxiety. When we got into his apartment, he kept pointing to put the bed ‘here.’ And then he directed to ‘put it over here.’ He was trying to decide.”

The two delivery team members were so wonderful. They just said, ‘Sure, that sounds good. Sure, okay.’ They just rolled with it. They were understanding. It helped put the person at ease.”

“We feel 100% comfortable referring to Bridging for three reasons: 1) We know it’s going to be a good experience. 2) Clients have a good experience, and 3) They can go back if needed, and it can be needed if people lose their housing and later get rehoused.”

Martha appreciates that Bridging offers a full household setup of furniture, new beds for purchase, and delivery service, each at an affordable price. From her perspective, the costs (subsidized by MHR) and services eliminate the financial burden and stress of coordination for individuals who participate in MHR’s programs.

A furnished home and the Bridging experience can have a personal and powerful impact. Martha recalls a Bridging experience that sparked curiosity and new possibilities for someone she works alongside at MHR:

“Recently, a gentleman who I went along with at Bridging was looking at a bookshelf. He said, ‘I really like it, but I don’t have any books.’ The volunteers said, ‘Well, you could put other things on it.’ He decided to get the bookshelf. Later, I went over to his house. He had one book on it. He said, ‘I am going to go to Little Free Libraries and start my own collection.’ It was special moment.”