Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Newport County Community Mental Health Center (NCCMHC) is requesting $1 million in HRSA-Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funds for build out related to the design and renovation of 23,600 square feet in an existing building in Middletown, RI (total cost: $7.4M) for the expansion of integrated behavioral health care services. This action will fund the interior renovation of an existing property as an integrated behavioral health center. When operating at full capacity, this building, located at 42 Valley Road in the city’s Newport East neighborhood, will be a “one-stop” healthcare home for the delivery of integrated behavioral health care services to over 2600 low-income people and families living within a ten-mile radius of the facility. The project will consolidate behavioral health services currently provided in another 12,000 square foot location (127 Johnny Cake Hill Road, Middletown RI) that is difficult to reach via public transportation, antiquated and overcrowded, and not conducive to expansion or improvements. The new site, currently an office building where NCCMHC has 5,100 square feet of space is located at 42 Valley Road, Middletown, RI and an additional 18,000 square feet will be repurposed and upgraded to become the new NCCMHC headquarters. The new facility will be more accessible to NCCMHC clients, will improve patient and staff safety, enable NCCMHC to expand their reach, enhance efficiency, and improve care effectiveness and health outcomes by increasing the number of patients receiving fully integrated behavioral health and primary care services. Available clinical space will increase by 25% percent, and will include administrative offices, clinical space (including a crisis response room, the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team Program, the Homeless Assertive Community Treatment (HACT) Team Program, the Integrated Health Home (IHH) Team, Adult Intake and Outpatient Services, Family and Child Intake and Outpatient Services, the Healthy Transitions Program, the Rhode Island Outreach (RIO), as well as a staff kitchenette and dining area and staff lounge, and storage space. The renovated facility will incorporate both behavioral health and agency administration at one site. In addition, space will be available for in-house workforce readiness, education, and training courses for our clients. Renovation of this building is the highest organizational priority for NCCMHC. It is important to note that the project is located within a Health Equity Zone, where vulnerable residents have health disparities, and NCCMHC desires to support and promote community-based strategies that promote and build healthy communities and residents. The new facility will enable the agency to better serve its target population, which reside in the low-income neighborhoods of Newport and Middletown RI and surrounding towns. This population is low-income and largely uninsured or underinsured individuals who suffer from high rates of chronic, toxic stress, mental health and substance use disorders, and high rates of chronic health conditions (hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, etc.) and would lack access to a permanent medical home without the presence of this NCCMHC facility. The facility will also serves specific vulnerable populations, eg., adults with Serious Mental Health (SMI), individuals with Co-Occurring Substance Use/Mental Disorders (COD), youth and adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED), etc.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).