Quality mental health services are critical to people struggling for access to limited resources. Thanks to Bridgeport Hospital’s REACH Program, patients in Fairfield County are able to receive life-altering care. “We couldn’t be offering this type of program without the support we receive from the community,” said Charles Morgan, MD, chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Bridgeport Hospital. “Th e funds that we have attracted this year have gone directly into quality patient care and it’s something that we’re really proud of.” REACH is an intensive, outpatient psychiatric program for children, adolescents and adults designed to help them manage their illness through mental health assessments, group therapy, medication management, case management and after-care planning. “This is not just a Bridgeport issue,” added former Bridgeport Hospital Foundation board member Sonja Narcisse, who helped spearhead the program’s initial fundraising push. “This is an issue that impacts all of us and if we don’t provide mental health support early on, that gap in care will create even larger issues for everyone down the line.” Despite the REACH Program’s importance, insurance funding often fails to fully meet the need. “Mental health services aren’t reimbursed appropriately,” Dr. Morgan explained. “I know that Yale New Haven...