Community Submission

PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee today announced that the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answered more than 6,000 calls during its first year of operation in Rhode Island, significantly increasing the number of people being connected to mental health resources even as the state continued to have one of the highest local answer rates in the nation.
Rhode Island fielded 6,285 988 calls from July 2022 through June 2023, a 58 percent increase over the 3,986 calls fielded during the previous year through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline before the launch of 988.
At the same time, Rhode Island was at or near the top nationwide each month for the percentage of 988 calls answered in-state and average speed to answer, meaning a greater likelihood of connecting callers with the help they need.
“Making it easier for people to call and answering their calls quickly increases the chances that they will get the help they need, and it can also save lives,” said Governor McKee. “That’s why it is important to recognize Rhode Island’s efforts with 988 and to continue to spread the word about 988, so that people know that finding help is as easy as dialing those three numbers.”
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline went live in July 2022, providing access to help previously available through a 10-digit national Lifeline number and a local Rhode Island number.
“The ease of pressing those three digits is leading more people to seek help, and that means the 988 Lifeline is making a difference,” said Dr. Louis Cerbo, Interim Director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. “It’s also important that the vast majority of Rhode Island calls are being handled locally, because the Rhode Island call center has services and can make connections that will help people in a timely manner.”
Legislation to create the 988 Lifeline was spearheaded by U.S. Senator Jack Reed, who advocated for the importance of having a three-digit number that would make it easier for people to seek help.
“I helped create the national 988 Lifeline to make it easier for people to access the help they need, because behind every call and every text is a person in crisis. I’m grateful to the experienced counselors who staff these free, 24/7 confidential lifelines, and I commend Governor McKee and his community partners for coordinating to ensure a smooth transition to 988,” said Senator Reed. “In its first year of operation, 988 has helped thousands of Rhode Islanders and millions of Americans find help and support. We’ve got to ensure the resources are there to save lives. I’m committed to ensuring that mental health care is available and accessible, and anyone in crisis can call 988 to be connected to hope, healing, and expert care.”
Nationwide, the 988 Lifeline fielded nearly 5 million calls, texts, and chats during its first year, helping people through a network of more than 200 local and state crisis centers.
Here in Rhode Island, 988 calls, texts, and chats go to a trained 988 staff that is backed up by BH Link, the state’s one-stop 24/7 behavioral health triage/crisis center, which in addition to the 988 call center has clinicians, nurses, psychiatrists, peer specialists, and case managers who can help people and connect them to the most appropriate care.
“BH Link and the 988 Call Center is here and ready to serve all Rhode Islanders,” said Dr. Cliff Cabral, CEO of Horizon Healthcare Partners, which oversees BH Link and 988. “We are asking residents across our state’s 39 cities and towns to help us spread the word to their co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family so that everyone knows where they go can for help if they are experiencing a mental health or substance use issue.”
The Rhode Island call center has consistently been the best or among the best in the nation for answering local calls, with at least 95 percent answered each month during the first year of 988.
Approximately 42 percent of those calls resulted in specific behavioral health and/or community resources provided, and less than 2 percent resulted in first responder dispatch.
Call responses over the past year have included everything from basic emotional support, sharing of information and resources, referrals to care or recovery services, and collaboration with other agencies’ crisis responders, including mobile crisis, to reach people where they are. The important message for Rhode Islanders to remember is there is no wrong door and whether someone calls 988 or walks into BH Link, support and help will be available.
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PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is informing users of the East Bay Bike Path that a stretch of the path in Riverside will be closed for about three hours on the morning of Monday, July 17, for a paving repair project weather permitting.
The bike path borders a spur of Bullock Cove, which opens to the Providence River to the south and extends deep into Riverside. The site is on a small bridge a few hundred yards north of Crescent View Avenue. The contractor, Hartford Paving, will install temporary signage indicating the closure at points north and south of the work area. There are two small sinkholes in the pavement that must be cut out. Then the contractor will do subsurface work and repave the area. The crew is expected to start at 7 AM and finish at around 10 AM.
Built in four phases between 1987 and 1992, the East Bay Bike Path connects India Point Park in Providence to Independence Park in Bristol, covering 14.5 miles and passing many state and local parks and recreation areas. It is the state’s first bike path and is very popular with recreational users and commuting cyclists alike.
For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) today announced that the first set of mosquito samples of the 2023 season tested by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) State Health Laboratories has confirmed no positive isolations (findings) of West Nile Virus (WNV) or Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). These results are from the 101 pools (samples) collected from 26 traps set statewide on June 5 and 12. To date, neither Connecticut nor Massachusetts has reported any EEE or WNV findings.
WNV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States and is much more prevalent than EEE. Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people. Fortunately, most people infected with WNV do not feel sick. About one in five people who are infected develops a fever and other symptoms. About one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. DEM and RIDOH advise Rhode Islanders to reduce their exposure to mosquitoes until the first hard frost. (A hard frost is when the air and the ground freeze below 32°F for three hours or below 28°F for two hours.)
During the 2022 testing season, one EEE detection was made: from a mosquito sample from a trap set in South Kingstown on Aug. 9. Three mosquito samples tested positive for WNV detections during the season: two from Westerly traps set on Aug. 9 and Aug. 23 and one from a trap set in North Kingstown on Sept. 7. During the 2022 season, there was one human case of WNV involving a Providence County resident in their 70s that was reported on Sept. 26 and two human cases of Jamestown Canyon Virus, one involving a Washington County resident in their 50s reported on Aug. 1.
National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, taking place June 18-24 this year, is an annual campaign developed by the American Mosquito Control Association that sheds light on the critical importance of managing mosquitoes in local communities and reducing the prevalence of locally transmitted mosquito-borne diseases. Local communities voluntarily participate with mosquito control through DEM’s larvicide distribution program, which provides municipalities with a limited free supply of mosquito larvicide briquettes that release environmentally-benign bacteria over a 90-day period in underground stormwater catchment basins that are prime breeding areas of mosquitoes, requiring only one application per season.
Residents can participate in mosquito control by removing backyard larval habitat. The Asian Tiger Mosquito has become prevalent in Rhode Island urban environments, and it is expected to be common again this season. It is notable as a daytime biter encountered in shaded backyards. It has a striking black and white pattern evident to the naked eye. It develops from eggs laid in artificial containers, so residents are urged to remove standing water from containers such as buckets, pots, wheelbarrows, boats, and pools. Clogged rain gutters and puddles formed on tarps also can support the larvae of this species. The Asian Tiger Mosquito is known to transmit several diseases, including WNV.
Personal protection is the first line of defense against mosquitoes that may carry WNV, EEE, or other diseases – and the most effective way to avoid infection. The following precautions are advised.
Protect yourself
o Put screens on windows and doors. Fix screens that are loose or have holes.
o At sunrise and sundown (when mosquitoes that carry EEE are most active), consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you must be outside, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and use bug spray.
o Use EPA-approved bug spray with one of the following active ingredients: DEET (20-30% strength), picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus or paramenthane. Always read the label and follow all directions and precautions.
o Do not use bug spray with DEET on infants under two months of age. Children should be careful not to rub their eyes after bug spray has been applied on their skin. Wash childrens’ hands with soap and water to remove any bug spray when they return indoors.
o Put mosquito netting over playpens and baby carriages.
Remove mosquito breeding grounds
o Remove items around your house and yard that collect water. Just one cup of water can produce hundreds of mosquitoes; an unused tire containing water can produce thousands of mosquitoes.
o Clean your gutters and downspouts so that they can drain properly.
o Remove any water from unused swimming pools, wading pools, boats, planters, trash and recycling bins, tires, and anything else that collects water, and cover them.
o Remove or treat any shallow water that can accumulate on top of a pool cover. Larvicide treatments, such as Mosquito Dunks can be applied to kill immature mosquitoes. This environmentally friendly product is available at many hardware and garden stores and online.
o Clean and change water in birdbaths at least once a week.
Best practices for horse owners
Horses are particularly susceptible to WNV and EEE. Horse owners are advised to vaccinate their animals early in the season and practice the following:
o Remove or cover areas where standing water can collect.
o Avoid putting animals outside at dawn, dusk, or during the night when mosquitoes are most active.
o Insect-proof facilities where possible and use approved repellents frequently.
o Monitor animals for symptoms of fever and/or neurological signs (such as stumbling, moodiness, loss of appetite) and report all suspicious cases to a veterinarian immediately. If you are unsure if your horse is properly vaccinated, you should consult with your veterinarian.
Visit health.ri.gov/mosquito for additional mosquito prevention tips, videos, and local data. Mosquitoes are trapped weekly by DEM and tested at the RIDOH State Health Laboratories. DEM issues advisories on test results from June through September, with additional reports as necessary. Typically, positive test results trigger additional trapping to assess risk.
For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.