This column was originally featured on Newportri.com.
In the first four months of 2025, we’ve welcomed nearly 28% more new clients to Newport Mental Health. That number speaks volumes—it means more people are reaching out, and they’re finding the care they need. It’s a powerful reminder that our community is learning it’s okay to ask for help, and more importantly, that help is available. Thanks to the strength of our Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) and the 988 crisis line, there’s a reliable, compassionate safety net in place—for everyone in Newport County and beyond.
The Gold Standard for Crisis Care
At Newport Mental Health, our commitment to being a strong, reliable safety net is reflected in the way we’ve built our crisis services, which are rooted in national best practices and designed to meet the unique needs of our community.
Newport Mental Health’s crisis care model was designed and follows the best practices outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This model offers a science-based, tested framework for how communities can effectively respond to individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises.
This approach is built around three core components:
- Someone to talk to (24/7 crisis hotline)
- Someone to come to you (mobile crisis teams)
- Somewhere to go (crisis stabilization services)
Newport Mental Health meets all of these benchmarks:
- 24/7/365 Help Line: By calling (401) 846-1213, option 1, people in Newport County can speak to a trained mental health professional anytime, day or night.
- Mobile Crisis Response: Clinicians are on-call to go directly to a home, school, or any location in the community to provide on-site crisis support. We respond on site within an hour, and we do this night and day every day of the year.
- Open Access for Walk-Ins: Individuals can walk in weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to be seen without an appointment. There are no waiting lists for our services.
- For those who might not reach out on their own, the Rhode Island Outreach (RIO) team conducts community outreach and helps connect people to services before a situation becomes an emergency. It’s proactive care that meets people where they are—literally.
SAMHSA’s guidelines stress that crisis care should never be a “one-and-done” service—it should lead directly to stable, long-term support. CCBHCs like Newport Mental Health provide just that. After a crisis, individuals are offered follow-up care and case management, including access to additional services like vocational support, housing assistance, and other critical services to help them stay on track and avoid future emergencies.
Newport Mental Health serves children, teens, adults, and families with more than 30 programs and services to meet a wide range of behavioral health needs. Insurance is accepted and there is a sliding scale fee to $0.
We do all of these things in Newport County. Plus, we take calls from 988.
Crisis Lines Are Here When You Need Help in Newport County – and Beyond
Since becoming a CCBHC in October 2024, the Newport Mental Health crisis helpline has responded to 1,142 calls, and RIO has logged 3,876 encounters. So far in 2025, the 988 Crisis & Suicide Lifeline call center in Rhode Island has answered 2,724 calls. Call volume is steadily increasing, yet both 988 and Newport Mental Health have the capacity to support more people.
“Sometimes people hesitate to call, thinking, ‘I’m not in crisis enough,’” says Katie Anderson, Vice President of Acute Services at Community Care Alliance (CCA), which oversees Rhode Island’s 988 call center. “But there’s no threshold for calling. Whether you need someone to talk to, help finding a therapist, or you’re in serious distress, we have the staff and resources to support you.”
The same philosophy applies for the Newport Mental Health helpline. “Crisis” is defined by you; if you would like help, or you have questions for yourself or someone else, just call.
The 988 Lifeline is a nationwide network, where calls are routed by the caller’s location, with a national backup when needed. In Rhode Island, over 98% of calls are answered by the in-state call center —usually in under two seconds—making Rhode Island a national leader in local connection.
“It is a very quick and immediate connection to somebody with an intimate understanding of our state resources,” says Anderson. “Our staff is extensively trained on resources throughout the state, be they mental health centers, food pantries, or domestic violence resources. We understand the mental health landscape, but also social determinants of health to help with basic needs. We know those can be really closely intertwined.”
The 988 Lifeline works in close partnership with Rhode Island’s six Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)—Community Care Alliance, Thrive Behavioral Health, Gateway Healthcare, Newport Mental Health, Family Service of Rhode Island, and The Providence Center—to connect individuals to care and coordinate mobile crisis response.
What you may not know, is that both 988 and the Newport Mental Health helpline are for all ages. Trained counselors are available, and, depending on the age and needs of the caller, either Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) for children and youth, or a mobile crisis clinician for adults, may be dispatched. For this in-person response, counselors with 988 provide a “warm handoff” where they contact the appropriate CCBHC, share the caller’s information, and inform the caller that the local crisis team will follow up directly.
Across Rhode Island, the themes that emerge from 988 calls are strikingly similar. “You realize how universal the human experience can be and how, regardless of your zip code, your income level, or your age, so many folks are struggling with depression and anxiety, even severe forms of mental illness and substance use, and needing resources,” says Anderson.
Remember, you can call 988 on behalf of someone else, even if they live outside of Newport County. Encourage your friends and family to reach out for support, no matter where they are.
Answer the Call with Us—How to Support Crisis Care in Rhode Island
Currently, funding for 988 is from short-term sources. “It’s not sustainable and it also doesn’t fund all of our costs,” says Anderson. “We need dedicated long-term funding.”
You can help by writing or calling your elected officials and let them know you support:
- Long-term funding for 988
- Funding for CCBHCs
You can also make contributions to the Annual Funds of Newport Mental Health or other CCBHCs, which will help cover the cost of care for uninsured and underserved populations.
