An article in this week’s Sunday Providence Journal, entitled “State of Health: The Red Tape Blues,” provides a real time depiction of today’s struggle with providing the appropriate level of care for Rhode Island’s population diagnosed with mental health and substance abuse disorders (both adult and adolescents).

While reading the Projo’s article, it made me think of the behavior issues at Bristol-Warren schools that have been in the spotlight. Bringing the problems being had in our school district to everyone’s attention, has lead our local school committee to take immediate and considerable action.

Unfortunately, I feel that we as a collective group are looking at the problem backwards. Our behavioral health system has been increasingly losing ground for a significant period of time, even more so since Managed Care companies have been brought in. I have been in direct care in the behavioral health field for 15 years; I have seen it firsthand.

That being said, up until recently, our response to this issue has been little to none. I want to point out that these two issues are mutually-exclusive to one another, and our lack of focus on treating not only the students of our towns (Bristol and Warren), but their parents/guardians for their diagnosed disorders, has brought us to where we are at today.

Without significant changes to our behavioral health system, the issues in our schools will not go away, they will only increase.

Due to the increasing amount of red tape, our local mental health agencies are now at a point where they have seriously been considering closing their doors. Direct-care staff do not have the ability to get cost of living raises, leaving a high amount of turnover. Not only are cost of living increases not being considered, staff are now facing pay cuts, positions being frozen and furlough days are being enacted.

To the school committee, teachers, staff, and administrators, please keep the current struggles within our behavioral health system in mind. Like you, we need your support.

Scott Proto
Bristol