WARWICK, RI (September 8, 2021) – Thrive Behavioral Health was awarded $70,000 in grant funding by Rhode Island Foundation. The funds will be used by Thrive Behavioral Health’s Housing First RI (HFRI) program to provide food and housing stability to adults who have been homeless. Participants in HFRI’s program are often unemployed and have diminished mental or physical health. These funds will help these individuals to pay for security deposits, tenant application fees, rent, moving costs, household furnishings, and pest extermination.
“This funding establishes equity for our clients who have been formerly homeless by removing barriers to entry, helping them acclimate to tenancy, and assists them in their goal of having stable and secure housing,” said Tami Ringeling, Director of Housing and Homeless Services at Thrive Behavioral Health.
The Housing First RI (HFRI) program addresses the intersection between behavioral health, housing, homelessness and financial stability. It establishes equity for the chronically homeless population by providing them with a permanent place to live while offering them the opportunity to participate in psychiatric evaluations, drug rehabilitation programs or mental health services. There is an estimated 5,000 Rhode Islanders who experience homelessness each year. Thrive’s HFRI program increases access to stable and affordable housing for over 250 clients.
“By providing this funding to support the individuals in our Housing First RI program, Rhode Island Foundation demonstrates our shared dedication to improving the lives of some of our most needy citizens,” said Dan Kubas-Meyer, Thrive’s President and CEO.
Thrive Behavioral Health has provided services in Rhode Island since 1976. It offers comprehensive behavioral healthcare programs and services annually to over 3,700 children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Thrive is committed to improving its clients’ quality of life through an extensive range of community-based and outpatient mental health, substance use, educational, and housing services that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and family-focused. Thrive is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
Thrive is a nationally Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. It is a founding member of Horizon Healthcare Partners (HHP), comprised of three Community Mental Health Centers (Community Care Alliance, Newport Mental Health, and Thrive), CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, and Tides Family Services, a community-based service organization for youth and families. For more information on its programs and services, visit ThriveBHRI.org or follow it on social media @ThriveBHRI.