Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate committee hears support for early-childhood mental health hub pilot; bill held for further consideration
Summary
Lawmakers and advocates urged the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to advance Senate Bill 344, which would direct EOHHS to develop a budget and seek funding for a three-year pilot to train and place infant and early childhood mental health professionals; the committee voted to hold the bill.
Senate Bill 344, sponsored by Senator DeMario, would require the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to develop a budget and seek funding to establish an early childhood mental health hub to improve access to mental-health screening and evidence-based early interventions for children under 6 and their families.
Supporters told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that the measure is intended to build workforce capacity rather than immediately create a state-funded program. Jocelyn Antonio of the Hassenfeld Institute at Brown — testifying in her personal capacity — said the bill would require EOHHS to seek funding for a three-year pilot to train and support clinicians in infant- and early-childhood-specific…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
