For over 50 years, the Bridge Peer Counseling Center has been a vital resource for Stanford University students, offering free, anonymous, and 24/7 support for mental health concerns. Now, however, the center faces the very real threat of defunding and eviction by the Office of Student Affairs. To ensure the Bridge’s continued existence, the Stanford community—students, faculty, and alumni—must rally to advocate for long-term funding and a stable location to sustain its crucial services.
The Bridge, founded in 1971, is Stanford’s only student-run, around-the-clock mental health resource. It provides students with a safe space to discuss everything from academic pressures to personal crises. Its volunteer counselors, all trained to offer confidential support, are the heart of the center, offering crucial services free of charge. For over five decades, the Bridge has been a lifeline for students in need, especially during hours when other campus resources, like Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), are unavailable.
The center’s residential model, where four student leaders—known as the “live-ins”—reside at the facility, has been key to its success. These students, who provide overnight counseling, are an integral part of the Bridge, ensuring that support is available to students no matter the time of day or night. However, recent changes in funding and location have placed the Bridge at risk of closure.
In 2020, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university moved the Bridge out of its longtime home in Rogers House to Munger Graduate Housing. This relocation significantly increased the center’s costs, as it now requires around $80,000 annually to cover rent. While Student Affairs initially offered funding for the move, financial support has dwindled over the years. Today, the burden of keeping the center operational has shifted to the live-in staff, who collectively pay more than $20,000 out of their own pockets to keep the Bridge open.
This financial strain, coupled with frequent relocations, has led to confusion among students, weakening the Bridge’s ability to provide consistent and reliable services. Despite the center’s critical role in the Stanford community, Student Affairs is now considering defunding it entirely. According to reports, two-thirds of the center’s counseling sessions last year took place outside the hours when other university resources are available. Nevertheless, Student Affairs has proposed eliminating the live-in model, effectively stripping the Bridge of its 24/7 capacity.
Without the live-ins, the quality of the Bridge’s services would be severely compromised. The overnight hotline, a crucial part of the center’s support network, would no longer be available, leaving students without a critical resource during late-night and early-morning hours. The loss of the live-ins would also disrupt the support system that helps the center’s volunteers during challenging counseling sessions, making it impossible to maintain the same level of care and support.
This is not the first time that the Bridge has faced threats to its existence. In 1979, Director of Student Activities Thomas Massey proposed dissolving the live-in roles and removing the Bridge from campus. A swift outcry from students and faculty resulted in the reversal of this decision. Similarly, in 1989, another attempt was made to dismantle the live-in model, but a powerful advocacy campaign led by a young live-in named Cory Booker ensured the Bridge’s survival.
Today, the Bridge is once again under threat, but with the support of the Stanford community, it can be saved. Students, faculty, and alumni are urged to voice their concerns to the Provost and advocate for long-term funding and a permanent home for the Bridge. By doing so, they can help preserve one of Stanford’s most cherished resources and ensure that no student ever has to face their struggles alone.
The Bridge’s continued existence is a testament to the compassion and dedication of Stanford’s student body. Now is the time to defend it and secure its future for generations of students to come.
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