A Star-Spangled Salute to One of Our Region’s Brightest Forces for Good
By Sherry Jones
Not all fireworks burst in the sky.
Some ignite in the silence-when a man battling anxiety walks into his first therapy session. Some flicker in the courage of a woman leaving a life of addiction and fear behind. And some burn brightest in the quiet commitment of a team that never stops showing up for others.
In Northwest Florida, that spark has a name: Bridgeway Center, Inc.
As we reflect on what freedom means this month, we celebrate not just our nation’s history, but the people and places who are helping others reclaim their personal independence every single day. For over 60 years, Bridgeway Center has been on the frontlines of healing-providing hope, dignity and direction to individuals facing the hardest battles of their lives.
Nationally accredited by CARF – Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities; Nonprofit Best of the Emerald Coast 2024; 3rd year in a row as a Florida Trend Best Place to Work; In 2025, BCI is set to receive the prestigious National Mental Health Association Gold Bell Seal.
Walk into their Fort Walton Beach location on any given day, and you’ll see what that looks like. A mother with tear-stained cheeks waits quietly for a family therapist. A young man, barely out of high school, nervously clutches intake paperwork for outpatient recovery. A veteran sits in the lobby, shoulders square, but eyes weary, waiting to speak to someone who won’t judge what he’s seen–or what he’s lost.
Bridgeway meets them all where they are, and community workers are out in our community.
Serving communities throughout Okaloosa County and beyond, Bridgeway delivers a full spectrum of care: mental health counseling, psychiatric support, substance use treatment, crisis intervention, outpatient recovery, primary care for the uninsured, housing special needs and working with the homeless. They help people weather mental illness, grief, trauma and poverty-sometimes all at once. They serve individuals, couples, families, children, seniors and veterans.
Among their essential services is a Pre-trial Forensic Unit-a 90-day program for people who have been arrested because of their mental illness. At the conclusion, clients gain mental health stability, jobs and hope for their future.
Other services include:
- Primary care
- Anger management
- Case management for children and adults
- Detoxification unit (outpatient)
- Outpatient mental health therapy
- Outpatient substance use counseling
- HUD-permanent supportive housing
- Post-overdose support team
And, they do it with grace.
This work isn’t glamorous-but it’s life-changing. It happens behind closed doors, in counseling offices, homeless camps, people’s homes, case management meetings, anywhere in the community and late-night crisis calls. It happens when someone finally says, “I need help,” and someone else answers, “We’ve got you.”
At the heart of this mission is Bonnie R. Barlow, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, a woman whose leadership is rooted in both purpose and persistence. With over 40 years of service to Bridgeway, Bonnie has walked the halls, listened to the stories and shaped a culture of integrity, compassion and accountability. From her early days as a probation officer and DUI administrator to her current role as President and CEO, she has been a driving force behind Bridgeway’s growth and transformation.
In 2025, BCI was honored as one of the TOP 100 Women-led Businesses in Florida.
Bonnie holds dual national certifications in human resources, serves as Chair-Elect of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, and serves as treasurer of One Okaloosa EDC, Healthy Start, and the Northwest Florida Health Council. In 2023, she was inducted into the Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame, and in 2025, she was appointed to the Florida Rehabilitation Council by Governor Ron DeSantis. “People deserve to be seen, heard, and helped-and we’re here to say yes whenever we can.”
Bonnie’s leadership style is approachable but strategic-she’s the kind of executive who knows her staff by name and her clients by heart. She doesn’t hide behind a desk. She shows up, advocates fiercely and is never afraid to say the hard things in rooms that need to hear them.
Under her guidance, Bridgeway has continued to evolve-adding more wraparound services, expanding partnerships and responding to emerging issues like the opioid epidemic, youth suicide and the growing need for affordable mental health care in our region.
One of Bridgeway’s most impactful collaborations is with One Hopeful Place, the region’s only shelter and transitional housing for single homeless adults. While OHP offers immediate shelter and stability, Bridgeway provides the long-term support-including on-site mental health evaluations, therapy, recovery programs, case management, and connections to critical health services.
Together, they’re not just housing people. They’re helping them build a new life.
And the impact doesn’t end when someone walks out Bridgeway’s doors. It spreads-to families reunited, to employers welcoming people back into the workforce, to children who finally get to grow up with healthy, present parents. It shows up in classrooms, in churches and in neighborhoods once written off.
Bridgeway isn’t just saving lives-they’re restoring community. They’re proving what’s possible when care is consistent, leadership is compassionate and no one is ever treated as a lost cause.
Freedom from addiction, trauma, homelessness, mental illness, and hopelessness.
That kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. It happens because people like Bonnie Barlow-and the incredible team at Bridgeway Center-refuse to give up on anyone.
Thank you, Bridgeway Center. Thank you, Bonnie Barlow.
Because of them, freedom isn’t just something we celebrate. It’s something we get to live.
If you need help at Bridgeway, contact 850-833-7500 or visit https://bridgewaycenter.org.