Meeting the Needs of the Community
Nearly 12,000 Rhode Islanders turn to The Providence Center each year for innovative mental health, substance use and primary care programs and services that help people recover.
No Wrong Door to Accessing Primary or Behavioral Health Care
- Rhode Island currently ranks the highest nationally for mental illness with 24.2% of the population reporting any mental health illness and 7.2% reporting serious mental illness. (SAMHSA 2012)
- The life expectancy of persons with severe mental illness is 25-30 years less than the general population.
- Mental health disorders are the third most commonly reported chronic disease after pulmonary conditions and hypertension at 30.3 million people diagnosed annually.
- One in five people suffer from mental illness—about 57.7 million Americans each year.
The Providence Center has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the
health needs of the community by introducing integrated care to Rhode
Island. Through innovative partnerships and wellness-based programs, The
Providence Center has ensured that there is no wrong door to accessing
the care people need to achieve optimal outcomes. Integrating primary
and behavioral health care teams to treat the whole person enhances
patients’ access to services, improves the quality of their care and
lowers overall health care costs.
Clients can access primary and behavioral health services at:
- Providence Community Health Centers at North Main, Rhode Island's first integrated primary and behavioral health center located at The Providence Center.
- The Providence Center's outpatient mental health clinic located at Prairie Avenue, in the Providence Community Health Centers newest facility.
Recovery Is Possible
- Rhode Island has the highest percentage in the nation (12.5%) of residents 12 and older who used illicit drugs in the last month. (SAMHSA 2012)
- 10% of Americans are in recovery. (Partnership for a Drug-free America, 2012)
Recovery is possible. That’s the guiding philosophy behind The Providence Center’s recovery services. The Providence Center believes that by meeting people where they are in their recovery, helping them achieve their goals, finding their strengths and overcome barriers with supportive community-based services, people with mental health and substance use problems can and do recover.
The Providence Center developed programs that give people in recovery the tools they need to live full and productive lives:
- Anchor Recovery Community Center, Rhode Island's first recovery center, offering peer-to-peer coaching, 12-step groups, support groups and trainings, vocational services, health and wellness activities, case management and housing support and social activities.
- Anchor Learning Academy, Rhode Island's first recovery high school for students who have completed substance use treatment
The Right Amount of Care at the Right Time
- In 2010, there were 4.9 million drug-related emergency department visits. (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, SAMHSA 2012)
- About 12 million of the approximately 95 million emergency room visits made in 2007—one in every eight emergency room visits—involved people with a mental health disorder, addiction, or both. (Open Minds 2010)
The Providence Center’s
Crisis Stabilization Unit provides short term, 24/7 specialized care to patients experiencing an acute psychiatric and/or substance use crisis that could escalate to a point of requiring hospitalization, or as a step-down for transition between levels of care. At the Crisis Stabilization Unit, the highly skilled team of psychiatrists, nurses, clinicians and case managers responds to the mental health and substance use treatment needs of clients. Patient-focused, recovery-based services reduce symptoms, support each patient’s individual needs, goals and strengths, and include individualized aftercare plans for continuing their recovery after discharge.