Posted: Friday, March 30, 2018
Today it was announced that The Providence Center (TPC) will receive $54,000 in funding through the Rhode Island Group Health Association (RIGHA) Foundation Fund, made possible by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. TPC’s award, given as part of more than $280,000 in grants for everything from providing medical care to uninsured Rhode Islanders to reducing non-emergency EMS runs, will allow clinicians from its School Counseling and Support partnership with Providence Public Schools to increase coordination with students’ primary care providers.
“A child’s primary care provider often has a critical role in recognizing behavioral issues, and improving connections with these providers will allow our school clinicians to treat these issues more effectively and reduce gaps in services,” said TPC President and Chief Operating Officer O’Brien.
The RIGHA Fund’s mission is supports projects, programs, and organizations that improve health outcomes in Rhode Island through primary care-related initiatives. Other grantees awarded through the RIGHA Fund include The Rhode Island Free Clinic, The City of Central Falls, and Blackstone Valley Community Health Care.
“Developing an inclusive primary care system that promotes healthy lives is one of our core strategic initiatives. These grants will advance our continuing efforts to make quality health care more accessible and affordable,” said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO.
The School Counseling and Support program embeds eight clinicians in seven schools throughout Providence, working with at-risk students and their parents to treat behavioral health issues. The program comes at no cost to the school district, and the goals are to prevent student suspensions, reduce classroom disruptions and increase instructional time.
Currently, the program operates at:
“Families sometimes aren’t totally plugged into everything going on with their child, especially if they have multiple kids,” said Linda Tavares, Associate Director of Outpatient Services in TPC’s Child and Family division, who oversees the program. “This coordination with primary care providers will help to keep everyone on the same page, and provide a coordinated approach.”
Pictured: RI Foundation President Neil Steinberg