Take Action Mental Health in Your State

Rhode Island

By The Numbers

147,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

11,000
Children with major depressionii
6,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:838

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:686

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:420

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in
Rhode Island

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW RHODE ISLAND COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

24

4

7

15

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

7,000 / 9.00%

10,000 / 13.3%

10,000 / 13.4%

11,000 / 14.64%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

4,000 / 39.5%

5,000 / 53.4%

6,000 / 64.9%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

7,000 / 10.2%

7,000 / 9.5%

6,000 / 8.3%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

3,000 / 48.3%

3,000 / 41.2%

1,000 / 20.4%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

2,024 / 15.48%

1,618 / 12.49%

1,600 / 12.38%

1,610 / 12.34%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

4,712 / 33.6%

2,000 / 5.8%

2,000 / 5.3%

1,000 / 3.8%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

5,000 / 6.89%

3,000 / 4.69%

3,000 / 4.05%

3,000 / 4.58%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
Rhode Island

By The Numbers

147,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

11,000
Children with major depressionii
6,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:838

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:686

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:420

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in
Rhode Island

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW RHODE ISLAND COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

24

4

7

15

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

7,000 / 9.00%

10,000 / 13.3%

10,000 / 13.4%

11,000 / 14.64%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

4,000 / 39.5%

5,000 / 53.4%

6,000 / 64.9%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

7,000 / 10.2%

7,000 / 9.5%

6,000 / 8.3%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

3,000 / 48.3%

3,000 / 41.2%

1,000 / 20.4%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

2,024 / 15.48%

1,618 / 12.49%

1,600 / 12.38%

1,610 / 12.34%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

4,712 / 33.6%

2,000 / 5.8%

2,000 / 5.3%

1,000 / 3.8%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

5,000 / 6.89%

3,000 / 4.69%

3,000 / 4.05%

3,000 / 4.58%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.

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School Mental Health Professionals

Little or no progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

 

Current Policy:

  • School Psychologists: Rhode Island has one school psychologist for every 838 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).  
  • School Social Workers: Rhode Island has one school social worker for every 686 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
  • School Counselors: Rhode Island has one school counselor for every 420 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Invest in further improving the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers, and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in mental health.

School-Family-Community Partnerships

Substantial progress achieved

Policies that support and enable schools to engage with families and community partners.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Family/community engagement: State statutes and regulations require districts to adopt plans, policies, or strategies to engage parents and families in the educational process.
  • Community schools: I. Gen. Laws § 16-73-1.1 (effective July 2, 2018) Rhode Island has created a community school initiative known as “child opportunity zones”, which are sites at or near a school that provide early childhood initiatives, before-school, after-school, and summer enrichment programs, health and mental health services, parent engagement, adult education, workforce development training, or any combination of these programs. 
  • Advisory council:  The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has implemented the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), the purpose of which is to advise on policies, programs, and practices that promote equitable access to high quality school and community-based mental health and related services for youth and their families.

Teacher and Staff Training:

Some progress achieved

Policies that support training of teachers and staff in mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

 

Current Policy:

  • Teacher/staff training: H5353 (2021) requires annual training of teachers and school personnel regarding suicide awareness and prevention.

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand on existing training requirements to ensure K-12 teachers and staff receive regular training on mental health and substance use conditions, including available school and community-based services and resources.

Funding Supports

Little or no progress achieved

Policies that help support funding of school mental health services for Medicaid-eligible students.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Medicaid coverage: State Medicaid program does not cover school-based mental health services for all Medicaid-eligible students.
  • Medicaid telehealth: State Medicaid program does not cover school-based mental health services delivered via telehealth

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand Medicaid billing to include school-based mental health services, including via telehealth, for all Medicaid eligible students (beyond students with an IEP).
  • Ensure the state Medicaid program covers services delivered by school psychologists, social workers, and school counselors.

Well-Being Checks

Little or no progress achieved

Regular checks of mental wellness that help identify students and staff who may need support.  

 

Current Policy:

  • No well-being checks required. 

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require annual well-being checks for all students and staff in K-12.

Healthy School Climate

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that foster safe, supportive schools, including anti-bullying policies, school climate surveys, inclusive environment (anti-discrimination) policies, excused absences for mental health, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and suicide prevention programs.

 

Current Policy:

  • School climate survey: SurveyWorks is Rhode Island’s Department of Education (RIDE) survey suite, which solicits students, parents, teachers/staff, and administrators for feedback.
  • Anti-bullying:
    • I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-34 (2011) In accordance with Rhode Island’s “Safe Schools Act”, bullying and cyber-bullying are prohibited in its schools.
    • I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-24 (effective July 11, 2013) Rhode Island schools are required to develop policies, procedures, and strategies to establish anonymous reporting mechanisms for school violence (includes bullying).
  • Suicide prevention:  H5353 (2021) requires training in suicide awareness and prevention of all students starting in grade 6 and through grade 12 each academic year. Requires each school district to adopt a policy on suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Enact legislation to address additional healthy school climate policies, such as promoting an inclusive environment through anti-discrimination policies, permitting excused absences for mental health concerns, and requiring adoption of alternatives to exclusionary discipline that keep youth in school, with services and supports to get their lives on track. 

Skills for Life Success

Meaningful progress achieved

Skills, such as responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self-management, that help students succeed in school and life.  

 

Current Policy:

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Build on existing standards and require evidence-based life skills education for K-12, including making the training in the curriculum available to parents and caregivers.

Mental Health Education

Substantial progress achieved

Health education in K-12 that includes instruction on mental health.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Mental health education: Rhode Island regulations require that K-12 health education include mental and emotional health.