The Bridge Inc.

The Bridge was founded in 1974 in Gadsden, Alabama as a local “Drug Alert Center.” A Gadsden minister, Ray Crowder, volunteered his time for several years to assist addicted individuals and combat the growing drug problem in northeast Alabama. Reverend Crowder's vision and tenacity were the primary ingredients for the development of The Bridge. He enlisted the help of the Etowah Baptist Association and the Gadsden Kiwanis Club to have a “hot line” telephone put in his home. The number of calls for help was both astounding and overwhelming. Crowder then contacted the Alabama Department of Mental Health regarding grant money to open a counseling center in Gadsden. He was successful in securing a grant to open The Bridge in July, 1974. It opened with three employees and served 37 clients during the first year.  

Today The Bridge, Inc. is Alabama’s largest provider of adolescent substance abuse and behavioral rehabilitation programs. The organization operates 13 programs licensed or certified by the Alabama Department of Youth Services or the Alabama Department of Mental Health – Division of Substance Abuse Services. These programs operate under a single mission to serve adolescents through honor, excellence and integrity.