Be the Bridge to Care!
Expanding Access to Mental Healthcare in Vermont
Vermont faces a growing mental health crisis: rising costs, insurance gaps, long waitlists, and a workforce shortage that leaves too many people without care. The Bridge to Care Fund for Mental Health Access was created as a direct, community-based response. Our goal is simple: ensure that no Vermonter is left behind when they need counseling, while also building a strong, sustainable counseling workforce for the future.
Who We Are
The Bridge to Care Fund for Mental Health Access is a developing Vermont fund dedicated to ensuring that all Vermonters can access quality counseling, regardless of insurance status or financial means. We exist to fill the widening gap in coverage caused by high deductibles, shrinking state and federal supports, and the strain on local mental health agencies.
Our Mission
The mission of the Bridge to Care Fund is twofold:
- Expand Access – Break down financial barriers by providing direct grants to underinsured, uninsured, and financially vulnerable Vermonters for mental health services through qualified providers statewide.
- Build the Workforce – Strengthen and grow Vermont’s counseling workforce by incentivizing counselors to enter the field, remain in practice, and step into supervision roles.
By addressing both access and workforce, the Fund creates a sustainable system that ensures care now while preparing Vermont for the future.
Who Qualifies
At this stage, the Fund supports:
- Clients of pre-licensed counselors (including rostered counselors and actively enrolled interns).
- Clients of recently licensed counselors whose clients were receiving grant-supported care at the time of licensure.
- Clients of clinical supervisors with at least one supervisee
This structure ensures that clients have immediate access while also incentivizing more counselors to enter the field and experienced clinicians to take on the critical role of supervision.
In the future, as the Fund expands, coverage will extend to clients of all licensed qualifying counselors and clinical social workers statewide.
All applicants are evaluated through a need-based objective scoring system to ensure fairness and equity. Clients of OpenGate Counselors receive no special preference—all applications are reviewed equally.
Why It Matters
Vermont is at a critical crossroads: thousands remain uninsured or underinsured, and agencies report long waitlists and staffing shortages. Without intervention, costs will rise, access will shrink, and communities will feel the impact in worsening crises of housing, substance use, and public health.
Get Involved
- For Clients: Applications will open in 2026.
- For Counselors: A statewide provider registry is in development, and opportunities to join will be announced soon.
- For Volunteers: There are many ways to contribute—administrative support, outreach, fundraising, and more. If you’d like to join this effort, please reach out for more information.
Together, We Build the Bridge
This initiative is about Vermonters helping Vermonters—neighbors with resources ensuring that neighbors in need are not left behind. By supporting both access and workforce, we turn a moment of crisis into a future of stability, resilience, and care.
OpenGate 