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- Rhode Island is facing a crisis in children’s behavioral health, with increasing demand and limited resources.
- Newport Mental Health, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, is partnering with state agencies and other organizations to address the crisis.
- These partnerships aim to keep children out of hospitals, provide timely and appropriate care, and support families in need.
In October, the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families (RICCF) released a report titled “Children in Crisis Can’t Wait: The Case for System Transformation.” The report highlighted the increasing demand for behavioral health services for children in crisis, along with the growing gaps in the state’s ability to meet these needs. At the time, children were being sent to out-of-state psychiatric facilities for care, and the situation was dire.
Around the same time the report was released, Rhode Island was accepted into the federal Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) program. Newport Mental Health serves as the CCBHC for Newport County, offering a wide range of services for children and families (see our January 2025 column for more details). Today, the state, along with many partner agencies, including Newport Mental Health, is actively working to address the problems and close the gaps identified by RICCF.
Collaborative solutions for complex needs
“The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) is working very hard to bring back the children placed out of state” says Stephanie Lujan Rickerman, division director of children’s services at Newport Mental Health. “They are trying to get them out of hospitals and into treatment in the community, and we are partnering to help them do that.”
In Rhode Island, DCYF is responsible for the well-being of children, regardless of whether they are in the department’s care. With a dynamic new leadership and an ambitious strategic plan for 2025-2030, the agency recognizes Newport Mental Health, and all of Rhode Island’s CCBHCs, as key partners in providing the right behavioral health services at the right time, ensuring the “least restrictive” care possible (i.e., keeping children out of hospitals unless necessary).
Rickerman participates in biweekly meetings at DCYF’s Providence office, where agencies that provide children’s services, including CCBHCs, come together to discuss complex cases and find collaborative solutions. She cited an example of how CCBHCs provide essential wraparound services. In one case, a parent was ready to be reunited with their child, but housing was the only barrier to reunification. CCBHCs helped by connecting the family to housing assistance resources.
Newport Mental Health’s newly introduced Intensive In-Home Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS) program (developed by Yale University and operating in Connecticut) is also playing an important role. Newport Mental Health is working to take the program statewide through partnership expansion. Since its launch, DCYF has referred seven children to the program at NMH.
Rickerman recalls a recent case where IICAPS was combined with services from Child & Family, a family-focused nonprofit based in Middletown. One sibling enrolled in IICAPS, while another continued treatment with Child & Family.
“Our families are incredibly complex,” explains Marty Sinnott, president & CEO of Child & Family. “It takes a well-integrated system of care – of which Newport Mental Health is an essential part – to meet the diverse needs of these families.”
Newport Mental Health and Child & Family collaborate through the Family Care Community Partnership (FCCP), a program that wraps services around families experiencing stress, whether related to finances, behavioral health, substance use, housing security, or other challenges, and develops a comprehensive support plan.
“We need to look at how all these pieces fit together,” Sinnott says, referencing IICAPS, FCCP, and other services, including hospitalization. “Newport Hospital is taking steps to increase capacity for adolescent inpatient care. The IICAPS program can help prevent some kids from needing that level of care. We have to find the best ways to maximize our resources and create the biggest impact.”
“It’s so important to have Newport Hospital here,” adds Rickerman. “Sending a child to Providence for treatment can put a huge strain on the family. There are transportation challenges, and parents often have to take time off work. Having a facility on the island makes it easier for families – kids get the care they need, and parents can keep their jobs and participate in family therapy.”
Reaching the children and families who need help
Newport Mental Health has also partnered with Aquidneck Pediatrics to enhance care coordination. A nurse from Newport Mental Health’s children’s team regularly attends meetings to share information, discuss client needs and review referrals. Recently, one of our school-based clinicians spoke with a pediatrician about concerns regarding a child’s eating habits. In another case, a young client with eczema was found to also have asthma, prompting our nurse to coordinate care through the East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP), a nonprofit providing health and human services support such as medical and dental care. Integrated care like this is crucial to a child’s – and family’s – overall well-being.
We also collaborate with many Newport County schools and organizations, including Looking Upwards, the Newport County YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Bradley School in Portsmouth. Some initiatives are already in place, while others are in the planning stages.
Statewide leadership
“The partnerships between Newport Mental Health and state and local agencies offer several important benefits for Rhode Island,” says Richard Leclerc, director, RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals. “These collaborations help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of behavioral health services, which can lead to a range of positive outcomes and benefits for the individual, the community, and the state. Some of these improvements include stronger community support networks, such as the collaboration between Newport Mental Health and state and local agencies to ensure individuals have access to a wide range of services. This would include counseling, psychotherapy, care coordination with primary care and other services, medications, and assistance with supported housing and employment. When we improve the access and effectiveness of services, we improve the quality of life. Access to care allows individuals to maintain employment and become more self-sufficient, reducing stress and fear.”
As the first CCBHC in the state (a designation we first received in 2018), Newport Mental Health has a head start in developing our programs, all of which are replicable, and science based. Because CCBHCs operate statewide, every community has the potential to access these lifesaving, client-centered services like IICAPS — if the state continues to support behavioral health.
Children and families represent the future of Rhode Island, and it is essential that we invest in their well-being. Supporting children is our top priority. A healthier Rhode Island means stronger economic growth and improved quality of life for all. By focusing on the needs of children today, we can make a lasting, positive impact on the future of our state. Newport Mental Health is actively collecting and tracking data to show the outcomes of the high standard of care being delivered, and we look forward to sharing the results.
Dayna Gladstein is president & CEO of Newport Mental Health in Middletown. Peace of Mind, which is co-written with Kristan McClintock, appears monthly in The Newport Daily News and online at newportri.com.
Newport Mental Health is a 501(c)3, charitable nonprofit and a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) that provides mental health and substance use treatment to those who live, work, and study in Newport County, regardless of their income, insurance, or ability to pay. Newport Mental Health offers programs and services for children and adults; immediate access to care is available by calling 401-846-1213. For more information, please visit newportmentalhealth.org
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