After his mother died and the family home was sold, Brian Cooper had no place to go. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 19, he’d cycled through jobs but his social anxiety and psychiatric hospitalizations often left him unemployed. He wound up crashing on friends’ couches.
After a third hospitalization last year, Brian realized he needed ongoing support. The 36-year-old enrolled in NewBridge Services Adult Psychiatric Day Treatment program in Pompton Plains, where he grew up. Known as Crossroads, the location offers individual and group therapy. Brian attends five days a week.
“They have been tremendous help to me,” he said. Treatment “helps me get a better understanding of my emotions and my diagnosis.”
Brian said he feels understood and respected by NewBridge staff: “They don’t look at me like a disability, they look at me like a person.” They also connected him with Melissa Reiley, who runs NewBridge’s housing supports program, set up to prevent homelessness among people on Medicaid with health problems.
That took some adjusting. “I was so used to doing things on my own,” he said. But the process of applying for financial assistance for housing and food was complicated, and he felt grateful for the guidance. “When I put that wall down and let other people help me, it went really smoothly,” he said.
In May, Brian moved into a Lincoln Park home shared with two other NewBridge clients. Reiley also connected him with a transportation service so he can get to Crossroads and other locations.
“I have a roof over my head. I’m not worried about whose couch I’ll be sleeping on next, you know? That was huge for me,” Brian said.
“Brian has come a long way, and having a stable home has given him the security to focus on his recovery,” said Reiley, Assistant Director of Community Outreach and Support at NewBridge. “For people living with mental illness, a safe, consistent home provides a foundation for managing symptoms, engaging in treatment, and maintaining daily routines. It also helps people strengthen connections with family and friends, participate in their communities, and pursue their recovery goals.”
Brian is transitioning to NewBridge’s Community Support Services, which provides ongoing case management, ensuring he has supports in place to live successfully in the community.
Brian said therapy is helping him build resilience and manage anxiety through deep breathing and greater awareness of his feelings.
“I used to not be able to talk to people and if I met someone new, I would never shake their hand,” he said. “But now with the help I’ve gotten, I’m able to be more outgoing.”
He said he’s made a few close connections at Crossroads, and now has friends visit his home for games and coffee.
His newfound confidence has also prompted him to set a goal of participating in his first 5K run in 2027. He announced it in group therapy to solidify his commitment, he said.
Brian said he is incredibly grateful to NewBridge. “They came in in one of the darkest spots of my life and shined the light.”
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