Dawn Allen, Interim CEO and Chief of Staff
When a child is facing a mental health crisis, time to address it is of the essence. We never think about what we would do in that situation as parents until it’s staring us right in the face, but we hope those supports exist when we need them. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed. Police may not be equipped to respond. Schools are already stretched thin.
There is, however, a proven solution operating quietly and effectively across Rhode Island to help children and families: Mobile Response and Stabilization Services, or MRSS.
At Thrive Behavioral Health, a Warwick-based Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, or CCBHC, we are proud to partner with Tides Family Services to deliver MRSS to youth and families in Kent County. MRSS is an evidence-based model that provides immediate, in-person behavioral health care support to children experiencing mental health crises. Providers and specialists meet families where they are – at home, in school or in the community – to stabilize, de-escalate and provide critical follow-up care and family support.
When adequately supported financially and operational, this is a proven approach that works. Since its inception in Rhode Island, MRSS has helped divert more than 90% of youth from psychiatric hospitalization. Not to mention, it’s just plain fiscally responsible. To date, MRSS has saved the state an estimated $2.2 million by reducing unnecessary emergency department visits.
But despite its positive outcomes and track record of success, MRSS is at risk.
Right now, Thrive and our nonprofit partners are funding this crisis response system for all youth in Rhode Island, but we are only reimbursed when the youth in crisis is covered by Medicaid and enrolled in a CCBHC. That means families with private insurance, who make up nearly half of our MRSS calls, are relying on a lifesaving service that their insurance plans do not cover. As a result, Thrive is operating at a deficit of more than $15,000 each month just to serve privately insured youth at their most vulnerable. That funding gap is not the result of inefficiency or mismanagement – it is the result of a system that has not kept pace with the needs of our children and families.
But there is hope.
There is currently legislation before the Rhode Island House that would reinforce the importance of MRSS as a vital part of Rhode Island’s behavioral health continuum. House Bill 6118 would require all insurers – private and public – to reimburse for MRSS just like any other behavioral health service. House Bill 5527 would direct Medicaid to establish MRSS as a reimbursable program through a State Plan Amendment, ensuring its long-term sustainability.
Families in Cranston, Johnston and Warwick are already benefiting from MRSS. But without enacting this legislation, those services are in jeopardy. Our families cannot afford to exist in this current system, where access to emergency mental health care depends on who insures your child. We cannot continue asking nonprofit providers to shoulder the cost of a statewide crisis intervention system alone.
Passing H6118 and H5527 would level the playing field in behavioral health crisis care. It would ensure that all children in Rhode Island – regardless of their insurance coverage – can access timely, professional mental health intervention when they need it most. And it would strengthen our broader system by reducing the burden on hospitals, school systems and law enforcement.
As a provider rooted in the Warwick community, Thrive Behavioral Health urges continued support from our local legislators. We are grateful for their longstanding commitment to mental health and know they understand what’s at stake. With these legislative fixes, we can build a stronger, more equitable, and more responsive system for all families in Rhode Island.
Let’s make sure no child in crisis falls through the cracks, especially when it’s avoidable and has a solution.