Project Grant H79SM091097

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the State of Rhode Island Department of Health $735,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to implement BRIDGE RI, a statewide youth suicide prevention initiative.

RIDOH's Violence and Injury Prevention Program will strengthen Rhode Island's youth suicide prevention infrastructure by improving early identification, coordinated response, workforce capacity, family navigation, and postvention services for youth and young adults up to age 24 at elevated risk for suicide. The initiative will establish standardized suicide risk screening protocols within mobile response and stabilization services, family care community partnership regions, and certified community behavioral health clinics. BRIDGE RI will operationalize a statewide suicide risk response system that includes formalized referral pathways, safety planning protocols, warm handoffs, and coordinated follow-up care. A central component is the creation of a Rhode Island Pediatric Zero Suicide Learning and Quality Improvement Collaborative that brings together pediatric primary care, schools, emergency departments, and inpatient psychiatric providers to implement a comprehensive, evidence-based, trauma-informed approach across multiple youth-serving systems.

The award runs through September 29, 2031, with place of performance in Providence, Rhode Island. The program targets youth and young adults with particular emphasis on Medicaid-enrolled youth, youth involved in child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and youth residing in high-burden communities such as Providence County, where suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10–24.