Jim Theofelis, founder of NorthStar Advocates, speaks during Tuesday’s event celebrating the opening of Bridge Pointe Housing in Kirkland.
Photo by Michael B. Maine
Kirkland-based nonprofit Friends of Youth has opened a short-term, voluntary housing program to support young adults ages 18-24 who are transitioning from inpatient behavioral health treatment.
The new location in Kirkland, Bridge Pointe Housing, offers up to 90 days of stable housing and wraparound support services to help participants continue recovery and build independence, according to a news release from Friends of Youth.
The program provides on-site mental health therapy, substance use recovery support, medication coordination, peer-led groups, and daily life-skills coaching. Staff also help residents connect with education, employment, and long-term housing resources, the release added.
Bridge Pointe is part of a statewide initiative made possible through House Bill 1929, passed in 2024 and sponsored by state Rep. Julio Cortes, among others, and created by NorthStar Advocates, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending youth homelessness. The bill funds transitional “bridge care” housing for young people leaving inpatient behavioral health facilities, helping them stabilize and plan for their return to the community.
“While not magic, inpatient treatment can break the pattern of addiction and provide a fresh perspective to reignite a young person’s hope,” Jim Theofelis, founder of NorthStar Advocates, said in the release. “Inpatient treatment offers the opportunity to return to the table of community, but only if supported with safe housing and support immediately upon being discharged.”
To qualify for the housing, which is located near Friends of Youth’s Kirkland office, residents must be between 18 and 24 years old, discharged within 30 days from an inpatient behavioral health facility, and currently without stable housing. Participation is voluntary and designed for young people who benefit from a structured, supportive environment. Referrals can be made by providers, family members, or the young people themselves by calling (425) 891-3385 or emailing bridgepointe@friendsofyouth.org.
The nonprofit serves more than 6,500 children, youth, and families annually among all its services, which include overnight youth shelters, family support for young parents, behavioral health treatment, therapeutic foster care, and transitional housing for homeless youth and teen mothers.
Bridge Pointe’s opening follows two other facilities Friends of Youth opened to serve the needs of its young clients.
The organization in January 2024 opened a new overnight emergency shelter, the Willows Youth Services Center, on Willows Road Northeast in Kirkland. Later that year, in July, it opened a small residential community on Northeast 68th Street, Iva Place Kirkland, at below-market rents for young adults earning 30-50% of area median income.