We are turning to you—our donors, partners, and friends—to help us bridge the gap and ensure that vulnerable children, the LGBTQ+ community, veterans and young working families have the support they need to thrive even in the face of future instability or unreliability in federal aid sources.

Family Service of Rhode Island exists to serve those most at risk—like parents working tirelessly to provide for their children and struggling to find stability, or teens seeking a safe place to turn and many more. These are human lives, not statistics or figures on a balance sheet. They are our neighbors and given the collective actions and rhetoric exhibited in the initial days of this new White House administration, they are facing a whole new level of uncertainty and fear.

Our mission—to advance equity, opportunity, and hope—stands in stark contrast to policies and platforms that threaten the well-being of the very people we serve. Yet, while policy is at the forefront of everyone’s minds with these recent federal actions, we must persist in keeping the people we serve front and center.

This is a wake-up call. The need is urgent, and we cannot do this alone. Your support today can mean the difference between stability and crisis for families in Rhode Island.

Please, stand with us. Donate today to help us ensure stability and continuity of this critical work.

With gratitude,

Margaret Holland McDuff
Chief Executive Officer
Family Service of Rhode Island

Prior to joining FSRI, Kristen served as the Director of Development for Rhode Island PBS and The Nonviolence Institute, where she led fundraising initiatives that significantly increased community support for the organizations. She was also the Founding Executive Director of Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education, an organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities for children impacted by parental incarceration.

Kristen is deeply committed to community service and currently serves on several local boards, including the Rhode Island Black Business Association, reflecting her dedication to promoting equity and inclusion throughout the state.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kristen to Family Service of Rhode Island,” said Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO of FSRI. “Her proven leadership and passion for making a difference will play a key role in strengthening our philanthropic efforts and expanding our impact.”

As Vice President of Philanthropy, Kristen will oversee all aspects of fundraising, donor relations, and strategic partnerships, ensuring FSRI’s programs have the resources needed to address Rhode Island’s most pressing challenges.

###

About Us: At Family Service of Rhode Island (FSRI), we succeed by lifting others. Founded in 1892, our long history of non-profit service has always been tailored to meet the unique and ever-changing needs of the diverse Rhode Island community in which we serve. We have three offices located in Providence, but our employees provide impactful services state-wide. We are engaged, committed, and passionate about our work helping others, and care deeply about our mission to advance equity, opportunity, and hope in our communities.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Will Tregaskis at 401-744-3565 or emailtregaskiswi@familyserviceri.org.

The CCBHC model represents a national standard for delivering high-quality, coordinated behavioral health care. This model is designed to address the critical needs of individuals facing mental health challenges and substance use disorders, ensuring they receive the support and services they deserve.

The Importance of Access to Behavioral Health Services

Access to substance use and behavioral health services is more important now than ever. Many individuals and families struggle with mental health issues and substance use disorders, often feeling isolated and without the necessary resources to seek help. The CCBHC model helps bridge this gap by offering a comprehensive range of services, including:

• Outpatient Mental Health Services
• Substance Use Treatment
• Home and Community-Based Services
• Crisis Services
• Primary Care Coordination
• Community Education and Support

By integrating these services, we can provide holistic care that not only addresses immediate needs but also fosters long-term recovery and wellness. This approach has been shown to improve community health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and support providers in delivering higher quality, more sustainable services.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

“The certification as a CCBHC is more than just a designation; it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make generational change to the behavioral health system in our state. It allows us to expand our reach, improve the quality of care, and ultimately enhance the lives of the individuals and families we serve. Our commitment to healthy families and strong communities drives everything we do.” Said Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO of Family Service of Rhode Island.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward in our journey as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, we remain dedicated to creating a healthier community for all. We invite you to join us in this mission, whether by seeking help for yourself or a loved one, advocating for mental health awareness, or supporting our programs and initiatives. Together, we can build a future where everyone has access to the behavioral health services they need to thrive. Thank you for being a part of our community, and we look forward to sharing more updates on our progress in the coming months.

If you are passionate about social work, healthcare, administration, or community outreach, we have opportunities waiting for you! Find our available positions online at www.familyserviceri.org/careers

Find Help

For more information about our services or to find help, click here or call (401) 519-2280. Your wellness is our priority, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Family Service of Rhode Island Is your partner in Health, Hope, Healing, and Home.

24/7 Crisis Support Line Available –

If you are having suicidal thoughts, experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, or are witnessing someone in crisis, please call 988 or (401) 854-6678.

Life Threatening & Medical Emergencies –

For a health emergency, like severe chest pain, trouble breathing, seizures, or a head injury, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. You should also call 911 if you or someone you care about are in immediate danger or threatening to hurt themselves.

To the families and friends of the fallen, I am one of the many Rhode Islanders whose hearts are broken by this senseless tragedy. I am so very sorry for your loss. Beyond being sorry, I commit myself to taking the actions needed to prevent this from happening again, over and over. And I call on my colleagues and peers in this state, families with children, as well as all of our neighbors across the country to join me in action – to go beyond “thoughts and prayers.”

The first step is sensible gun control – keeping assault rifles out of the hands of our kids. But this is not the only step. We need to get serious and make real changes and investments in children’s mental health – which are at emergent levels now and have been for some time. During the decade before 2020, our youth faced persistent sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors at staggering rates. And COVID’s academic disruption and social isolation further exacerbated those conditions. Study after study has shown that our kids’ levels of anxiety and depression continue to skyrocket. We need to change the status quo radically, or these tragedies will continue.

Here’s what I suggest: 1) Require that every child and teen to get a mental health check, just like an annual physical, each year and those identified as needing support be immediately linked with their family, to behavioral health services in their community. 2) Increase in-school mental health supports for kids. Teachers are not trained to address the types and levels of concerns that kids are bringing with them to the classroom every day; get more child and family behavioral health professionals into the schools to help our struggling kids. 3) Treat the mental health crisis among kids as seriously as we would for adults – meaning we need to invest, significantly, in the programs and the people to address this crisis. Waiting lists are unacceptable! Our kids need help and they need it now.

With this said, I have asked my colleagues at Family Service of Rhode Island to be on standby. If your kid needs help, right now, call us at 401-519-2280. Our children’s mobile crisis team can respond to your home or community and help you and your kid get the support you need and hopefully prevent the need for psychiatric hospitalization or harm to themselves or others. And finally, 4) Invest in programs like FSRI’s nationally recognized Go Team police partnership model, where social workers go out on patrol with police officers to prevent violence and when bad things happen they support the victims to reduce the impact of trauma, especially on children, so that one traumatic event does not perpetuate into a cycle of violence that is passed down across generations.

I urge you, reading these words right now, to pick up your pen or open your email and let me know if you agree with Family Service of Rhode Island that beyond expressing some sad rhetoric, our kids deserve real change. Join us! We need partners, investment and action, NOW. Contact me at info@familyserviceri.org or at Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO, Family Service of RI, PO BOX 6688, Providence RI 02940 and let me know how you want to get involved. Our kids deserve better. And together, we can make that happen for them.

Kane joins FSRI with over 20 years of experience in financial leadership roles across various sectors, including nonprofit, healthcare, and corporate environments. Her strategic vision and operational acumen have consistently driven organizational growth and efficiency, making her an ideal fit for FSRI’s mission-driven work.

“We are thrilled to welcome Addy Kane to our executive leadership team,” said Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO of Family Service of Rhode Island. “Her deep understanding of financial strategy and her passion for serving the community align perfectly with our goals as we continue to enhance our services and outreach. We look forward to the contributions she will make to advance our mission.”

In her new role as CFO, Kane will oversee all financial operations at FSRI, including budgeting, financial planning, and reporting. She will work closely with the executive team to ensure the financial sustainability and growth of the organization, supporting FSRI’s programs and initiatives that address the needs of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable populations.

“I am honored to join Family Service of Rhode Island, an organization with a long history of making a positive impact in the community,” said Kane. “I am excited to contribute to the important work being done here and to help shape the financial strategies that will support FSRI’s continued success and expansion.”

Family Service of Rhode Island has been a cornerstone of support in the community for over a century, offering a wide range of services, including mental health counseling, child and family welfare, and educational programs. The addition of Kane to the leadership team comes at a pivotal time as the organization looks to expand its reach and continue its legacy of service. For more information about Family Service of Rhode Island and its services, please visitwww.familyserviceri.org.

###

About Us: At Family Service of Rhode Island (FSRI), we succeed by lifting others. Founded in 1892, our long history of non-profit service has always been tailored to meet the unique and ever-changing needs of the diverse Rhode Island community in which we serve. We have three offices located in Providence, but our employees provide impactful services state-wide. We are engaged, committed, and passionate about our work helping others, and care deeply about our mission to advance equity, opportunity, and hope in our communities.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Will Tregaskis at 401-744-3565 or emailtregaskiswi@familyserviceri.org.

So many of us have struggled through these last few difficult years. Now just imagine what it’s been like for our kids. These mental health stressors have hit our Rhode Island children especially hard– collateral damage of the uncertainty and isolation of COVID-19.

One out of every 3 kids is facing a serious mental health challenge– and all too often, help is not available.

We cannot sit still or stay silent.

We must act now!

So this year we’re doubling down on our efforts to end the children’s mental health crisis in Rhode Island, and making it our number one priority. And we’re asking you to join us.

We plan to expand our Children’s Mobile Crisis program, which provides immediate assistance to kids where and when they need it– 24/7.

Beyond offering acute care from our outpatient clinic at 55 Hope Street, we are rapidly expanding our staff to meet the needs of communities, schools, and homes– eliminating the lack of transportation as a barrier to care. We are committed to ensuring each family is able to connect with the services they need to thrive.

FSRI will be here for RI kids this year and always– and we hope you will be here for us. Will you help us get the word out about the crisis? Will you reach out to your personal and professional network to support this work? Will you volunteer with us? Will you make a donation today?

We realize that money is tight right now for so many– but we are hoping that many can give a little so that all can benefit a lot. Will you donate $50, $100, $500, or $1,000 to help OUR kids?

Right now, you can help end this crisis by ensuring that children who are suffering receive the support they need.  #JoinFSRI

With love and kindness for all,

Margaret Holland McDuff

You’ve stuck with us through thick and thin these last few years, helping your neighbors get through the toughest times of their lives, and we are so grateful for you!

This year we’re striving for a little less stress and A LOT more love–  we’re making this happen by supporting kids’ emotional wellness.

Did you know 50% more RI kids need help with anxiety, stress, depression, and loss since the pandemic? We’re frustrated that there are not enough therapists to meet this need.

We all know the mental health of our children is far too important to ignore– and FSRI is making this our primary focus in 2023.

Join us.

• Sign up to receive FSRI text messages
• Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter
• Sign up to volunteer with us
• Work with us

• We helped over 23,000 family members to achieve healing and stability.
• Over 2,300 children were served through our early childhood programs.
• Rhode Island Government Leaders supported significant investments in the housing and human service sectors.
• We were thrilled to promote internal talent into leadership positions, including three to Vice Presidential roles for Hope, Home, and Equity & Community Development.
• We were excited to return to in-person events including the APRI Run/Walk and our biggest Brighter Futures Luncheon to date.

PROVIDENCE, RI, December 6, 2022—The holiday season is a time for celebrating with family and friends, enjoying good food and special treats, and the joyous sounds of happy children exploring presents left beneath the tree. For some, it is a season of plenty. But many in our own community don’t get to experience the incredible blessings that most of us take for granted. 

For those in our most vulnerable communities, the holiday season is often associated with feelings of increased anxiety and stress. One in seven children – nearly 12 million – are living in poverty, making children the poorest age group in the nation, according to the United States Census Bureau, Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019 Report. 

“The generosity of our neighbors and businesses is extraordinary and inspiring,” said Kayla David, Vice President of the Home Division at FSRI. “We know that now, more than ever many families are struggling to make ends meet and our annual holiday support program provides much-needed relief to the families that we support.” 

Each year Family Service of Rhode Island (FSRI) seeks to disrupt this norm by teaming up with organizations throughout Rhode Island like Shaw’s Supermarket, and the Rhode Island State Police to collect gifts for families in need, providing much-needed relief to parents are caregivers alike.  

“During this season of giving, we look forward to spreading holiday cheer across our hometown communities,” Mike Goulart, Shaw’s District Manager. “We are truly thankful for the customers who join with us, and our nonprofit local partners, to help make the holiday season brighter for children and families across Rhode Island.” 

To donate a new, unwrapped gift – you bring it to any Greico Automotive Dealership or Shaw’s Supermarket (District 18) from now until December 16th. A list of commonly needed items is available here.

Find Items on our Amazon Wishlist:

• Gift Cards – https://a.co/6p6l3tQ
• Infants/Toddlers – https://a.co/gTcp4yF
• Teen List – https://a.co/9PUlqXj

Click here if you’d like to make a monetary donation.