Thrive Behavioral Health has recently been awarded two grants totaling $121,000. The Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation (RIHEBC) awarded a Capital grant to Thrive totaling $100,000 to make necessary improvements to The Eleanor Briggs School in Warwick. Secondly, the City of Warwick has awarded its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in the amount of $21,246 for Thrive’s Victims of Trauma and Homeless Outreach program.

The RIHEBC grant of $100,000 will allow Thrive to replace the roof of The Eleanor Briggs School which has fallen into disrepair over the years due to lack of funding.  Michael Foley, Director of The Eleanor Briggs School, said, “We are grateful to RIHEBC for providing us with this funding to make critical improvements to our school in order to ensure the health and safety of the children and staff for years to come.”

As part of Thrive’s Youth & Family program, The Eleanor Briggs School has been a leader in the field of special education for grades 1-12 and children’s mental health since 1980. It was designed for children whose behavioral and emotional difficulties significantly impede their progress in public school.  Licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Education, the school provides a 2:1 student to staff ratio and a maximum school capacity of 40 children, ensuring that Briggs’ students receive the personal attention they need to capitalize on their strengths and abilities. The school is located on private grounds in Warwick abutting Greenwich Bay.

The City of Warwick also awarded Thrive $21,246 for its Victims of Trauma (VOT) and Homeless Outreach Programs through the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The Victims of Trauma (VOT) and Homeless Outreach Program connects victims of trauma and individuals affected by homelessness with comprehensive behavioral health services.  The funds will be used to provide behavioral health services and facilitate recovery to individuals living in Warwick who have been impacted by traumatic events or homelessness.  Services include mental health and substance use counseling, psychiatric evaluations, medication monitoring, case management, Homeless Management Information System access, and 24 hour emergency care.

“Thrive’s mission is to improve the quality of life of people in its community by promoting growth, mutual interdependence and recovery.  Thrive’s Victims of Trauma and Homeless Outreach program does just that for Warwick residents who are survivors of trauma or suffer from homelessness. This CDBG grant enables Thrive to continue to offer these critical services to our Warwick community,” said Dan Kubas-Meyer, President and CEO of Thrive Behavioral Health.  

The Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation (RIHEBC), established in 1966 by the General Assembly of Rhode Island, is a quasi-public agency that assists the state’s healthcare and private and public educational institutions in gaining access to low-cost financing for facilities construction and renovation.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides the City of Warwick with the opportunity to develop viable communities by funding activities that provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and economic opportunities for people with low and moderate income.  Funds are awarded to carry out a wide range of community development activities directed toward neighborhood revitalization, economic development and the provision of improved community facilities and services. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Thrive Behavioral Health has provided services in Rhode Island since 1976. It offers comprehensive behavioral healthcare programs and services annually to 4,000 children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Thrive is committed to improving its clients’ quality of life through an extensive range of community-based and outpatient mental health, substance use, educational, and housing services that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and family-focused. Thrive is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Thrive is a federally Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic and is a founding member of Horizon Healthcare Partners (HHP), comprised of three Community Mental Health Centers (Community Care Alliance, Newport Mental Health, and Thrive), CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, as well as Tides Family Services, Child & Family Services and The Galilee Mission. For more information on its programs and services, visit ThriveBHRI.org or follow it on social media @ThriveBHRI.