Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals

The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment for Eleanor Slater Hospital is a comprehensive study aimed at monitoring community health and identifying challenges to inform a three-year Community Health Improvement Plan. It focuses on four key priority areas: behavioral health and substance use disorders, chronic disease prevention and management, social determinants of health and health equity, and access to rehabilitation and specialized services. The plan seeks to enhance patient outcomes, optimize patient flow, and improve the overall health and well-being of Rhode Islanders.

This report serves as a three-year blueprint for Eleanor Slater Hospital to address Rhode Island's most critical health disparities. The strategic direction aligns with the Governor's Rhode Island 2030 Plan, focusing on key areas such as improving behavioral health outcomes, reducing homelessness and promoting housing stability, and strengthening Rhode Island's healthcare system. The hospital aims to improve well-being, health equity, and access to care for citizens by coordinating institutional efforts with the state's broader vision.

This document is the FY 2026 Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Report for Rhode Island, outlining strategic priorities, goals, objectives, and strategies for the period of July 2024 to June 2025. Key focus areas include reducing substance use among youth, decreasing overdose deaths for persons who inject drugs, ensuring housing stability for individuals experiencing homelessness, increasing access to behavioral healthcare for youth and young adults with early serious mental illness, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations for adults with serious mental illness, connecting pregnant women and women with dependent children to substance use disorder services, increasing referrals from first responders to triage centers, enhancing behavioral healthcare access for children with serious emotional disturbance, and reducing the incidence of tuberculosis.

This Mental Health Block Grant Report for FY 2026 outlines the state's priorities and strategies for behavioral healthcare services. Key focus areas include reducing youth substance use, decreasing overdose deaths among persons who inject drugs, ensuring housing stability for individuals experiencing homelessness, and increasing access to behavioral healthcare for youth and young adults with early serious mental illness/first episode psychosis. Additionally, the plan aims to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations for adults with serious mental illness, connect pregnant women and women with dependent children to substance use disorder services, divert behavioral health clients from emergency rooms to triage centers, and expand services for children with serious emotional disturbance through Mobile Response and Stabilization Services. Finally, it addresses the reduction of tuberculosis incidence within the state.

The 2025-2029 Strategic Plan for the State of Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH) focuses on substance misuse prevention. The plan prioritizes the use of high-quality data to demonstrate the effectiveness of prevention programs and secure dedicated state funding. It aims to improve coordination among prevention funders and community providers, expand the use of prevention science and evidence-based practices, and address health disparities by tailoring services to meet the needs of diverse populations. The plan also emphasizes collaboration with various state agencies and non-governmental organizations to maximize the reach and impact of prevention efforts.