The Bridge - a Therapeutic Middle School
The Bridge is a New Orleans middle school that features counselor-enriched classrooms as well as therapeutic and wrap-around services for students who have experienced social or academic difficulties in a traditional school setting. Fill out this form if you'd like to refer a student, or read below for more information.
** If you are looking for more information about the district-wide Rapid Response Program follow this link**
Started in 2019 as a space for students to complete expulsion terms while receiving quality academic instruction and individualized SEL programming, The Bridge has since expanded to accept students via referral by their original school.
The Bridge is specifically designed for students who:
- Demonstrate continued behavioral struggles in school;
- Have not been successfully responsive to intervention plans;
- Present recurring social-emotional barriers across multiple treatment attempts;
- Are transitioning back to school from secure care or behavioral health care settings.
Length of stay at The Bridge is at least one semester and up to one full school year. The goal is for students to successfully transition back to the sending school or another traditional school setting.
Case Management
Our support for students doesn't end when they leave the building for the day, or leave our school at the end of the school year. We work hard to connect students and families to helpful community resources and additional wrap-around services, and we provide comprehensive support upon completion of our program to ensure a student's successful transition to their next school.
Referrals
If you believe you have a student who would benefit from instruction at The Bridge? Fill out this form, or contact either of our Principals, listed below.
Additional information for schools considering a referral can be found here.
The Bridge Team
Leadership
Our leadership team is made up of educators and therapists who have spent their careers re-imagining how schools can best serve their students; by providing unconditional care grounded in a relational and restorative approach.
| Leadership Team | |||
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Trisha Botello, LPC
Principal, Social and Emotional Learning
tbotello@eqaschools.org
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Mindy McConnell
Principal, Academic
mmcconnell@eqaschools.org
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Cortland Henry
Dean of Students
chenry@eqaschools.org
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Logan Crowe
Dean of Students
lcrowe@eqaschools.org
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Academics
At The Bridge, we ensure that students continue to receive rigorous and standards-aligned coursework. Our curricula are project-based and differentiated to meet the academic needs of each individual student.
| Academic Team | |||
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Ben Lamport
Humanities
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Shante Wise
STEM
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Corey Allen
Enrichment
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Kristin McConnell
Special Education
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Social and Emotional Learning
Beginning with a thorough assessment led by a licensed clinician, students at The Bridge receive constant support from our team of experienced therapists and counselors. Our goal-oriented individual counseling aims to provide mental health support, build upon resiliency factors, and reinforce coping strategies that will build the foundation for lifelong success and our daily group therapy sessions help students practice learned skills and develop prosocial competencies.
Each classroom is co-led by a counselor to help empower students to build social-emotional skills in furtherance of their academic goals.
| Social and Emotional Learning Team | |||
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Therapist
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Christina Spann, MSW
Classroom Counselor
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Audie Cerrato
Classroom Counselor
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Amy Karr, LMSW
Classroom Counselor
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For information on programming, please contact The Bridge Co-Principals:
Mindy McConnell: mmcconnell@eqaschools.org 504-931-7929
Trisha Botello: tbotello@eqaschools.org 504-645-2667
Mindy McConnell: mmcconnell@eqaschools.org 504-931-7929
Trisha Botello: tbotello@eqaschools.org 504-645-2667