Your (Unofficial) Guide to State-Sponsored Therapy in Rhode Island
There’s a way to get affordable mental health care that you might not know about. That’s Rhode Island’s mental health system.
If you qualify, you can get mental health care at a community mental health center for a small co-pay or a low sliding-scale fee. But even if you don’t qualify for services at a state-funded program, the Rhode Island mental health system can still give you information, referrals to affordable local providers, and other essential help for free.
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If you’re in a hurry and want to get the most important information about what’s available in the Rhode Island mental health system and who it’s for, you can read our quick start guide below.
Quick Start Guide
Quick facts about Rhode Island’s mental health system:
- Rhode Island has made significant updates to its mental health system over the last several years, launching BH Link in 2018 and the 988 crisis line in 2022, expanding mobile crisis teams, and using new mental health funding to update community mental health services.
- Public outpatient mental health services in Rhode Island are provided by programs called community mental health centers.
- All Rhode Island community mental health centers accept Medicaid and most offer low sliding-scale fees to people without insurance coverage.
What services are available?
- Rhode Island’s mental health system offers specialty and intensive mental health services that can be hard to find anywhere else, like case management, day treatment, and community-based support services.
- Outpatient mental health services including psychiatric evaluation, medication, and therapy are also available at most community mental health centers.
Who’s eligible?
- Some services, such as state and local crisis and information lines, are available to any Rhode Island resident without exception.
- Some services are only available to people who have severe conditions like major depression or schizophrenia. However, more people have one of these conditions than realize it! In fact, 1 in 10 Americans experience major depression each year.
Where can you get started?
- You can reach local mental health crisis and information services from anywhere in Rhode Island by dialing 988.
- You can find contact information for your local community mental health center (and your local crisis line) by scrolling to your region in the directory below.
To learn more about public mental health care in Rhode Island, keep reading. We’ve done the research to uncover essential facts about who’s eligible, what services you can get, when to go, where to call, and how it works so you can decide if Rhode Island’s mental health system might be right for you.
Who Is Eligible?
The Rhode Island mental health system can meet many people’s needs, but you should especially consider looking into it if you (or a loved one) are having a mental health crisis, have a severe mental health condition, have Medicaid, or have a limited income.
Everyone in Rhode Island can use the state-funded mental health emergency response system. If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can call a state or local crisis line to get the help you need, quickly.
PRO TIP
Use the State System When You're in Crisis
Public mental health services are usually the best option if you’re having a mental health crisis and need help right away.
State mental health programs are required to provide mental health crisis response services and are one of the fastest ways to get care when you’re having a mental health emergency.
The people who answer state and local crisis lines can provide caring attention and support as they help you determine the best response to a crisis, whether it’s inpatient treatment or an appointment with a counselor.
Even if you’re not in crisis, you can call a state or local mental health hotline for information about affordable mental health services in your area. When you call, you can find out whether you might qualify for state-funded mental health services, schedule an assessment or intake appointment, or get free information about other affordable local providers.
While some services have stricter eligibility requirements than others, in general, the Rhode Island public mental health system is pretty accessible. There are no statewide eligibility criteria for public outpatient mental health services in Rhode Island. Whether you’re eligible depends on the community mental health center you go to.
On their webpages, most Rhode Island CMHCs state that their services are available to any Rhode Islander who has a mental health condition. In addition, the Rhode Island mental health department states that you can access services at any CMHC in the state, not just the one closest to you.
Community mental health centers provide a range of mental health services including emergency services, case management, therapy, medication, and specialty and intensive community-based support services.
In general, specialty and intensive services have stricter eligibility criteria than basic outpatient services like therapy and medication.
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Check Out the State System If You Need Specialized Services
Community mental health centers in Rhode Island are great places to find specialized and intensive mental health services like case management and day treatment that can be hard to find anywhere else. These specialty programs can give you extra help when you’re dealing with severe symptoms.
A community mental health center is a great option if you’re a Rhode Island resident with a public insurance plan. All CMHCs accept Medicaid, and it can be hard to find other providers who do.
It’s also a good option if you have no insurance or don’t have good mental health coverage. You can get care in Rhode Island’s mental health system if you are uninsured, have a private insurance plan with limited mental health coverage or a small provider network, or have a limited income. Most CMHCs accept both private and public insurance and offer affordable sliding-scale fees.
Even if you don’t qualify for a discount, community mental health centers may still be an affordable option. To find out how fees for your local CMHC compare to fees for other providers, you can call the program you’re interested in and ask about their payment options.
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Check If You're Eligible for Medicaid
Medicaid is a great way to access the public mental health system in Rhode Island. Not only do community mental health centers accept it, but you can also use it to get services from many other programs and private practitioners.
Rhode Island accepted federal Medicaid expansion in 2014, so you’re eligible for Medicaid if your income is 138 percent of the federal poverty level or less. You may also qualify based on a combination of your income, your medical history, and your mental health condition.
If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible, it’s worth looking into. You can apply for Medicaid in person, by phone, or online. To learn more, you can go to a Department of Human Services office or fill out an online application on the Healthy Rhode Island website or Healthcare.gov.
You can find the number for your local CMHC in the directory below. You can call to learn more about what services they offer, whether you’re eligible, and whether there’s a waitlist. We encourage you to call even if you think a CMHC might not be the right fit for you.
Even if you’re not eligible, or if the program doesn’t offer the service you want, they can probably still help you. Community mental health workers are knowledgeable about local resources and will often give you free information or even referrals to other affordable providers nearby, including local non-profits that provide free or low-cost counseling.
Where Do You Call to Get Started?
The easiest way to learn more about state mental healthcare in Rhode Island is to call a CMHC or a state or local mental health hotline. You can find contact information for all Rhode Island CMHCs and crisis lines in the directory in the next section.
There are also many numbers you can call for help no matter where you are in Rhode Island. You can find the numbers for statewide helplines and hotlines in the information box directly below.
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Important Numbers in Rhode Island
The statewide Rhode Island mental health crisis hotline is 988.
The Crisis Text Line for the state of Rhode Island is 741741.
For help and referrals for mental health and many other needs, you can call 211.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline is 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
You can reach the non-emergency NAMI Rhode Island Helpline by calling (401) 331-3060.
If you just need to talk to someone, you can call the Samaritans of Rhode Island Listening Line at (401) 272-4044 or (800) 365-4044.
You can contact the Rhode Island mental health department by calling (401) 462-2339.
Public mental health services in Rhode Island are managed on the state level by the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH). For general information about Rhode Island’s system, you can contact BHDDH at (401) 462-2339.
However, you’ll probably get the best results by calling a community mental health center or a local mental health hotline. You can find contact information for all Rhode Island CMHCs (and local hotlines) in the directory below.
Rhode Island CMHC Directory
Public outpatient mental health services in Rhode Island are provided by community mental health centers. These comprehensive programs specialize in both outpatient and intensive community-based mental health services. Many have been around for decades.
In Rhode Island, community mental health centers aren’t limited to particular geographic service areas. As long as you’re a Rhode Island resident, you can go to any CMHC in the state, though you’ll probably prefer to go to the one closest to you.
Each CMHC has a main phone number you can call to get information about mental health services as well as a crisis line you can call to get help in a crisis.
You can find the contact information for all Rhode Island CMHCs, clinic locations, and local crisis lines in the directory below.
Rhode Island Clinics and Crisis Lines
- BH Link (short-term crisis and referral services only):
- 24-Hour Crisis Line: (401) 414-5465 or 988
- Triage Center Location:
- 975 Waterman Avenue (East Providence): (401) 414-5465
- Community Care Alliance:
- Main Number: (401) 235-7000
- Crisis Line: (401) 235-7120
- Intake Line: (401) 235-7121
- Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Locations:
- 800 Clinton Street (Woonsocket): (401) 235-7000
- 55 John Cummings Way (Woonsocket): (401) 235-7000
- 245 Main Street (Woonsocket): (401) 235-7000
- East Bay Community Action Program:
- Main Number: (401) 437-1000
- Crisis Line: (401) 246-0700
- Intake Line: (401) 246-1195
- Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Locations:
- 2 Old Country Road (Barrington): (401) 246-1195
- 610 Wampanoag Trail (Riverside): (401) 431-9870
- 6 John H. Chafee Boulevard (Newport): (401) 848-2160
- 100 Bullocks Point Avenue(Riverside): (401) 437-1008
- Fellowship Health Resources:
- Main Number: (401) 383-4885
- Crisis Line: (401) 383-4885
- Intake Line: (401) 383-4885
- Crisis Stabilization Unit: (401) 205-1730
- Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Location:
- 45 Sockanosset Cross Road (Cranston): (401) 383-4885
- Gateway Healthcare:
- Main Number: (401) 729-8701
- Crisis Line (Pawtucket): (401) 723-1915
- Crisis Line (Johnston): (401) 553-1031
- Crisis Line (Charlestown): (401) 364-7705
- Intake Line (All Locations): (401) 729-8701
- Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Locations:
- 101-1035 Bacon Street (Pawtucket): (401) 722-3560
- 1443 Hartford Avenue (Johnston): (401) 273-8100
- 1516 Atwood Avenue (Johnston): (401) 785-2666
- 4705A Old Post Road (Charlestown): (401) 364-7705
- Newport Mental Health:
- Main Number: (401) 846-1213
- Crisis Line: (401) 846-1213 x1
- Intake Line: (401) 846-1213
- Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Locations:
- 127 Johnny Cake Hill Road (Middletown): (401) 846-1213
- 65 Valley Road (Middletown): (401) 846-1213
- The Providence Center:
- Main Number: (401) 276-4020
- Crisis Line: (401) 274-7111
- Intake Line: (401) 276-4020
- Crisis Stabilization Unit: (401) 383-5150
- Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Locations:
- 530 North Main Street (Providence): (401) 528-0110
- 134 Thurbers Avenue (Providence): (401) 383-5051
- 355 Prairie Avenue (Providence): (401) 415-8844
- 174 Armistice Boulevard (Pawtucket): (401) 721-5330
- 345 Blackstone Boulevard (Providence): (401) 455-6528
- 215 Tollgate Road (Warwick): (401) 921-8670
- Thrive Behavioral Health:
- Main Number: (401) 691-6000
- Crisis Line: (401) 738-4300
- Intake Line: (401) 732-5656
- Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Locations:
- 2756 Post Road (Warwick): (401) 691-6000
- 50 Health Lane (Warwick): (401) 732-5656
- 25 Railroad Avenue (Warren): (401) 247-0173
If you need information after hours or aren’t sure whether you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, it’s okay to call a crisis line for help. The staff who answer are trained to quickly figure out what you need and can tell you what steps you need to take to connect with the right services.
Also Consider: Federally Qualified Health Centers
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another great way to get affordable publicly-funded mental health services in Rhode Island.
These federally-funded programs provide cutting-edge care in places where good primary healthcare was once hard to find. Most provide integrated care so you can get primary medical and mental health services at the same location. Each FQHC accepts Medicaid and Medicare and offers low sliding-scale fees if you don’t have insurance.
You can search for FQHCs near you by using the online search tool on the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration website.
Troubleshooting Guide
The state mental health system is complicated and can be confusing to navigate. If you’re having any issues, we’re here to help. Here are some of our solutions to common problems you might experience.
Problems and Solutions
1. You can’t get through to someone on the phone.
Except in extremely rare circumstances, someone should answer a state or local crisis line any time you call. But if you’re not in crisis, the person you talked to gave you another number to call, and you’re having a hard time getting through, you can try going to a walk-in clinic instead.
Many community mental health centers in Rhode Island run walk-in centers where you can be seen during regular business hours on Monday through Friday. Some let you walk in and wait without an appointment. You can often be seen the same day. If the wait is long or they don’t have availability, you can schedule an appointment and come back.
We recommend checking your CMHC’s website for walk-in locations and hours.
2. There’s a long waiting list.
State-funded services are often in high demand. Rhode Island is working to shorten waiting times and make sure you can get seen for essential services right away. However, if you’re not in crisis, you may still have to wait before you can be seen by a therapist or other mental health provider.
Sometimes, it’s worth it to wait if you’ve found a good therapist or service. You can read our article on what to do before your first therapy session for tips on how to maintain your mental health while you wait.
If your symptoms are getting worse and you’re worried you can’t wait, you should call a crisis line. The caring people who answer can help you figure out if you need help right away and tell you where and how to get the level of care you need.
If you’re not in crisis but don’t want to wait, you can call a state or local mental health hotline, an intake worker, the main number, or your contact person at the agency to ask if there are other options. There may be another affordable local program they could tell you about that could meet your needs but has a shorter waiting list.
3. You’re not eligible for state-funded services.
If you’re not eligible for services at your local CMHC, you’re not eligible for the service you want, or your local CMHC doesn’t offer that service, the people who work there should still be able to help you.
Intake workers usually keep lists of affordable local mental health resources for people who aren’t eligible or would prefer to go somewhere else. Ask for information, a printed resource list, or even a direct referral to another provider.
4. The state system doesn’t offer the service you want.
State mental health programs sometimes have to change or limit the services they offer based on their current funding. If you’re admitted to a community mental health center but it doesn’t offer the service you need, you have two options.
One is to try an alternative service that they do offer. The other is to ask if they can recommend an affordable alternative provider who does offer that service.
If they do offer the service you want, but it’s limited, stand up for yourself if they try to get you to do something else. Don’t accept getting pushed into something you don’t want just because it’s easier for them or because they can get you in faster.
If you’re willing and able to wait, tell them you would prefer to wait for the service you want, whether that’s therapy, medication, or something else.
5. You don’t like your therapist.
You should never accept bad therapy—or bad mental healthcare of any kind—for any reason. This is just as true in the public system as it is anywhere else. If you have a bad therapist, ask for a new one. Tell your main contact person at the agency, an intake worker, or a manager that you want to try a different therapist.
If you’re not sure whether you have a bad therapist, you can read our articles on how to spot an unethical therapist and how to do a background check on a therapist. If you don’t like your therapist but wonder if it the problem might be fixable, you can read our articles, “What If I Don’t Like My Therapist?” and “How to Fix Problems with Your Therapist.”
If you don’t like the first therapist you’re assigned, ask someone at the agency if they have a webpage or list of therapists you can review. You can read their bios and see if you think one might be a better match. Not all agencies do this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. You can read our article on how to choose a therapist for information on what to look for.
If you’ve run into a problem that we haven’t addressed, don’t give up. Call someone at the program (or a state or local mental health hotline) and tell them what’s going on.
You’re much more likely to get the help you need when you advocate for yourself and are persistent. Tell the person you talk to what you need or what problem you’re having.
If they don’t help the first time, call them back and tell them. If you keep calling and keep calm and focused, you should eventually get through to someone who can help you.
Deep Dive: How Does the System Work?
To understand Rhode Island’s mental health system, it helps to understand how it started and how it’s changed since then.
Public mental health services have been around for a surprisingly long time. But for over a hundred years in America, the only way to get them was in a psychiatric hospital.
In the 1960s, Americans started thinking differently about mental health care. Conditions in psychiatric hospitals were getting worse and new medications made it possible to provide mental health treatment on an outpatient basis.
In response, new laws were passed that required state and local governments to establish community mental health programs as alternatives to institutionalization for people with serious mental illness. The most important was the Community Mental Health Act, which President John F. Kennedy signed into law in 1963.
DEEP DIVE
For More Information
To learn more about what the public mental health system was like in the early days—and how psychiatric inpatient care has evolved since then—you can read our article “Do Insane Asylums Still Exist? The Surprising Past and Present.”
To learn more about what inpatient mental health treatment is like now, and the differences between how it works in general hospitals and specialized psychiatric facilities, you can read our article “How Inpatient Mental Health Treatment Works.”
Many state mental health programs trace their origins back to the 1960s when these important changes started to happen.
Rhode Island is no exception. The state founded many of its CMHCs (including The Community Care Alliance, The Providence Center, and Newport Mental Health) in the mid-to-late 1960s after the federal Community Mental Health Act was passed.
In fact, thanks to the work of Rhode Island state senator and national deinstitutionalization advocate John H. Chafee, Rhode Island had already passed its own community mental health law, the Chafee-Slater Act, in 1962.
Many of the CMHCs that were founded in the 1960s are still serving Rhode Islanders to this day.
DEEP DIVE
What Is the Structure of the Rhode Island Mental Health System?
Public behavioral health services in Rhode Island are managed on the state level by the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH).
In addition to overseeing the state network of community mental health centers, the mental health crisis response network, and other community-based services, BHDDH also oversees the three state psychiatric hospitals in Rhode Island (the two campuses of the Eleanor Slater Hospital and the Rhode Island State Psychiatric Hospital).
By the 1980s, Rhode Island was praised as a leader in the community mental health movement, with an excellent system that helped people get the mental health care they needed while living at home.
However, like many other states, Rhode Island eventually started cutting mental health funding, especially after the 2008 recession. The state’s system suffered as a result. In the last decade, many Rhode Islanders with mental health conditions have languished in jails or hospital emergency rooms waiting for a bed in a treatment center or placement in a community-based program.
Fortunately, Rhode Islanders have not forgotten their passion for mental health reform. In 2018, the state opened a major new crisis hotline and triage center called BH Link. The impact of BH Link on mental health outcomes in the state was significant. Thanks to BH Link and other advancements, Rhode Island was recognized in 2019 by The Commonwealth Fund as “A Most-Improved State in Health Performance.”
Rhode Island has continued updating its mental health system to keep up with increased demand since the pandemic. It has been expanding mobile crisis services and launched the statewide 988 crisis line (which routes to BH Link) in July 2022. It is using new funds and grants to expand community mental health services by implementing the certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC) model and expanding integrated care.
You can use these new state services to get the care you need. If you’re in crisis or need mental health care and aren’t sure what to do, you can start by calling 988 or a local crisis line—the people who answer know how the system works and will help you get where you need to go.
Conclusion
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 52 percent of people in Rhode Island who have mental health conditions get treatment for them. Many of the people who don’t get the care they need qualify for public mental health services but don’t know about them.
You can make a difference by reaching out and connecting with local mental health resources to get the care you need. If you’re not sure whether you qualify for Rhode Island state mental health services, call a community mental health center or a state or local mental health hotline. You may find out you can get mental health services at a CMHC or that there’s another affordable option nearby.
The most important thing is to get started—the help you need may be only a call or click away.
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