A lot has changed since the first Mental Health Awareness Week back in 1949.
What started as a seven-day observance now lasts all of May, and we have no shortage of events to raise awareness about mental health.
Far more important is the progress we’ve made.
Treatments for mental health conditions have improved, care is more accessible, and many stigmas long associated with mental illness are slowly fading.
With the support of the McKee Administration, some of the most notable developments are happening right before our eyes.
Here in Rhode Island, that includes licensing eight Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics during the fall of 2024. Known as CCBHCs, these clinics — and a ninth we expect to license this year — represent a shift in our approach to behavioral health care, offering evidence-based services for anyone who needs help with mental health or substance use challenges, regardless of their age, or insurance status, or ability to pay.
CCBHCs are also subject to standards for staffing and staff credentialing, timely delivery services, and the availability of 24-7 crisis management services, as well as health screenings, care coordination, and data reporting and tracking.
In short, CCBHCs are a huge step forward in our quest to make behavioral healthcare accessible to all.
Another significant step is the expanding role of 988 – the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Since going live in July 2022, 988 has become a key component of our crisis response system for mental health. It truly is a lifeline — a direct connection to compassionate clinical expertise for mental health and substance use crises, capable of providing immediate help and connections to ongoing care and support.
In Rhode Island, 988 continues to help increasing numbers of people who call or text. More than 40,000 calls have been answered, and the state has been at or near the top nationwide each month for the percentage of 988 calls answered in-state, and for the average speed to answer — less than two seconds.
This brings me to another important development — the state’s ability to respond through its providers directly to someone experiencing a behavioral health crisis. This adds a new dimension to care, shifting the focus to person- and family-centered responses delivered in the home or community, which can divert people from emergency rooms or jail and connect them with the care they need.
As we talk about mental health awareness, it’s also important to note that behavioral health conditions are more treatable than ever. We have ever-improving medications available today that can treat symptoms and help people to function, restoring a quality of life that would not have been possible in the past. This does not mean that we have cures, but it does mean that we are making progress, and it is a reason for people who seek treatment to have hope.
Of course, nothing I have said changes the fact that our behavioral health challenges are great — for the people experiencing them, and for families and loved ones. It can be a lonely, excruciatingly painful battle. We still deal with stigma, and we have a lot of work ahead of us as we continue to build and expand our continuum of care. But help is available and more accessible, we have treatments that work, and as we observe another Mental Health Awareness Month, we want Rhode Islanders to know where they can turn for help.
Richard Leclerc is Director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals.
