Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2015
On October 23, The Providence Center and Anchor Recovery Community Center joined its fellow Care New England member Butler Hospital and Mental Health Consumer Advocates of RI to present The Power of Peers, a roundtable discussion on recovery led by former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy at Ray Conference Center on Butler’s campus.
“We have lots of opportunities to change the dialogue,” said Kennedy. “My goal is that Rhode Island can be number one in this space. I look forward to being part of it.”
Kennedy’s presence is the only Rhode Island stop on his national book tour, promoting "A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction." Copies were available for purchase and Kennedy spent time signing copies before and after the event.
“This is an important event for Rhode Island, as almost 50,000 people each year in our state are diagnosed with serious mental illness, and nearly half do not seek treatment, either out of fear or because our system is not adequately set up to address their needs,” said Dr. Larry Price, president and COO of Butler Hospital.