Bridge Forward
Support Your Employees’ Wellness — and Give Them a Confidential Place to Call.
1:1 recovery and family coaching, so your people never have to guess whether you care.
We’re not an EAP — we’re the bridge to it. One confidential number, outside your building, with no case file and nothing reported back.
Your employees and their families get real 1:1 support: recovery coaching, family coaching, and help finding therapy or treatment that actually fits their insurance and their life.
It’s the difference between hoping your people know support exists and making it impossible to miss — before a hard season turns into a crisis, a call-out, or a resignation.
(516) 806-0703 — or schedule a discovery call.
Confidential for employees & families — simple for employers
Closing the gap between knowing someone is struggling and knowing what to do about it.
What You’re Actually Hiring
Your Employees’ Wellness Coach
When you hire Bridge Forward, you’re not adding another line to your benefits packet — you’re giving your team real people to call. We serve as your company’s dedicated Wellness Coaches.
We’re not your EAP. We’re not HR.
We run our own fully licensed and insured practice — independent from your company, with no case file and nothing reported back. That independence is what makes employees trust us enough to actually call.
Bringing me on tells your team one thing clearly: we see you, and we care enough to make support easy to find.
Let’s Be Clear
I’m not an EAP. I’m the bridge that gets people there.
Bridge Forward is a confidential phone call that is not connected to the workplace. No case file, no HR paperwork, no report back to a manager. Just a real person who helps someone find resources before a crisis happens — and, when more help is needed, gives them the confidence to say it out loud instead of suffering longer.
A call outside the building
Employees and their families call me directly — confidentially, on their own time, with nothing tied back to their job.
The bridge, not the destination
I complement your EAP, HR, therapy, and treatment — never replace them. I help people actually reach the support that already exists.
Courage to ask for more
If someone needs a higher level of care, I help them find the words and the confidence to ask, so no one keeps suffering in silence.
Now booking virtual and in-person appointments for workplace questions and answers.
Bring me your real situations: what to do when someone on your team is struggling, how to start the conversation, and where to send them next. Fewer call-outs, less guessing, and a workforce that knows support is there — designed to complement the benefits you already offer.
From someone who is in recovery herself and grew up the daughter of a business owner — I understand what your people are carrying, and what it costs your business.
Bernadette Bartsch
Founder of Bridge Forward
Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA)
Recovery Coach
As someone in recovery and a professional in the field, I excel at crisis intervention and creating support that is not one-size-fits-all. Growing up in a family business, I understand both sides — and I’ll always look out for both.
My goal is simple:
Start the conversations before a crisis happens.
How We Support Your Employees & Their Families
You hire us — We send you all the information and a confidential phone number for your employees.
We research and connect your employees and their families with trusted therapists, family therapists, mental health providers, inpatient and outpatient programs, recovery resources, and community resources that fit with your company’s insurance whenever possible.
We partner with gyms, yoga studios, health & wellness providers, and holistic practitioners to secure discounts and wellness opportunities for your employees.
We provide confidential recovery coaching and family support because recovery affects more than one person.
Why It Benefits Your Business
Early Intervention
Address concerns before they become crises.
Confidential Support
Employees have a safe place to call without fear.
Resource Navigation
We do the research and connect them.
Recovery & Hope
Stronger employees. Brighter futures.
Stronger Together
A healthier workplace and stronger culture.
A Small Investment. Big Impact. No Risk.
Bridge Forward Wellness is a separate, confidential resource that shows you care about your employees’ health — with a small cost and no risk to your company.
It becomes part of your wellness package and gives your people a safe place to call for themselves, their family, and their co-workers.
Partnership, Not Paperwork
Why Employers Partner With Bridge Forward
Show employees they are supported before they need help.
Encourage conversations early instead of waiting for a crisis.
Connect employees and families with trusted recovery, mental health, and wellness resources.
Improve employee retention, morale, and workplace culture.
Demonstrate a genuine commitment to employee well-being.
“Many employees still don’t ask for help.”
The Gap We’re Closing
Most companies have HR and an EAP
Most companies have Human Resources and an Employee Assistance Program. Many employees still don’t ask for help.
- Some worry about privacy.Reaching out feels risky when people aren't sure who will know.
- Some fear how reaching out could affect their job.The cost of speaking up feels higher than the cost of staying quiet.
- Others simply don't know where to begin.Even with benefits in place, the first step is rarely obvious.
Bridge Forward helps close that gap by providing compassionate, confidential support that encourages employees to take the first step while helping employers build a healthier, more supportive workplace.
About the Founder
Why I Started Bridge Forward
I know this journey from both sides.
As someone in long-term recovery and a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, I’ve experienced what it’s like to need help. Today, I help others navigate recovery every day.
I also understand the responsibilities of business owners. My father owned a business while raising eight children, including one with autism. I saw firsthand how deeply he cared about both his employees and his family.
That perspective became the foundation of Bridge Forward.
And I don’t do this alone. Bridge Forward is backed by a team of professionals who work in the recovery and wellness field — people with real lived experience who understand what your employees and their families are going through.
My goal is to help employers create workplaces where employees feel supported before a crisis happens while respecting that every business must also protect its operations.
I believe one conversation at the right time can change a life.
Our Partnerships
Choose the Level of Support That Fits
Flat, predictable pricing. No per-case billing. No program for your team to run.
Bridge Foundation
Starting at $299/month
A simple way to give every employee access to confidential support and trusted resources.
- Confidential 1:1 support with a CRPA & Recovery Coach
- A personalized support plan
- Recovery, mental health & community connections
- Family support resources
Bridge Partnership
Starting at $799/month
Expanded support with personalized employee guidance, check-ins, and wellness resources.
- Personalized implementation
- Employer consultation
- Employee wellness planning
- Family education & customized resource planning
Always Free
Resources for Anyone Who Needs Them
You don’t need to be part of a partner workplace to use these. Recovery, wellness, mental health, family, and crisis resources—open to everyone.
Recovery Support
24-hour online AA meetings, peer support, and trusted treatment connections.
Mental Health
Counseling directories, crisis lines, and everyday wellbeing tools.
Family Guidance
Education and support for anyone caring for a loved one.
Wellness Navigation
Help understanding options, benefits, and next steps—free of charge.
Questions, Answered
What We Do, Who It’s For, and How Privacy Works
The questions people ask before they reach out—answered plainly, so no one has to guess what happens when they do.
You Don’t Have to Wait for a Crisis to Show You Care.
Let’s build a workplace where employees know support is available before they need it.
Bridge ForwardSupporting employees. Strengthening workplaces. Changing lives—one conversation at a time.