Rhode Island
Rhode Island suicide prevention plans and initiatives
Rhode Island’s suicide prevention efforts are housed within the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). The program is jointly coordinated by the Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) and Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH). VIPP provides data and technical assistance to communities and policymakers to implement programs and policies that aim to reduce suicides. BHDDH maintains the state’s suicide mortality and morbidity data and sponsors the Prevent Suicide Rhode Island website. Most recently, BHDDH released the Rhode Island Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan 2023-2030 with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Community Mental Health Services COVID-19 Block Grant Supplemental funding. The Rhode Island Governor’s Council on Behavioral Health houses the Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee (SPAC), which includes AFSP-Rhode Island as a member. SPAC provides guidance for suicide prevention partners and stakeholders in the state.
Rhode Island laws
Key:
- Required by law
- Encouraged by law
- No law in place
Crisis lines and 988 implementation
- Addresses 988 infrastructure and provides for telecom user fee
- Addresses 988 infrastructure but does not include telecom user fee
- 988 law limited to creating an exploratory commission, advisory committee, or task force
Mental health parity
- Public health plans (e.g., Medicaid) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
- Private health plans (individual and group) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
K – 12 school suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Student allowances for excused mental health absences
- School personnel must report student suicide risk to a parent and/or guardian
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, annual
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, not annual
- Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention policies/programming
- Student education on suicide prevention
Health professional training in suicide assessment, treatment and management
- Mental health professionals receive regular training
- Mental health professionals receive one time training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive regular training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive one time training
Conversion therapy bans
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with minors under 18 years of age
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with vulnerable adults
- Prohibits use of state funds for any purpose related to conversion therapy (e.g., conducting, making a referral for, or extending health benefits coverage for)
University and college campus suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Students receive information on available mental health and/or suicide prevention services and/or resources
- Adoption of suicide prevention/awareness policy or program
Firearms
- Process for extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs)
- State voluntary do not sell list