Laurie-Marie Pisciotta - Providence Business News

New bill introduced to increase insurance reimbursements to mental health providers

Government 02/26/2023

PROVIDENCE – A new bill introduced by a state lawmaker would increase the rate that insurance companies pay for outpatient mental health services. Under current...

VITAL SERVICE: Ashlee Austin, right, site inclusive health clinician at Thundermist Health Center, meets with a patient at the  center’s West Warwick location. PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Mental health providers are overwhelmed in R.I.

Health Services 10/28/2022

As COVID-19 began to creep into Rhode Island in early 2020, Michelle Crossley saw a steady increase in emails from people wondering whether they...

THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION of Rhode Island released Thursday a new report highlighting the current state of behavioral health care in the Ocean State.

MHARI report: R.I.’s continuum of mental health care has ‘gaping holes’

Government 09/01/2022

PROVIDENCE – A new report released Thursday by the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island highlights what the association’s executive director describes as “gaping...

SOLUTION NEEDED: Susan E. Enck, a licensed clinical psychologist at Brown Medicine’s Warwick Primary Care, says the mental health system was near its breaking point before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now it’s in crisis. / PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Pleas to fix R.I.’s ‘broken’ behavioral health system

Coronavirus 04/15/2022

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, treatment providers, advocates and lawmakers are calling for Rhode Island to confront its problems with access to...

Laurie-Marie Pisciotta became executive director of the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island in March 2019. The Providence-based nonprofit promotes mental health through advocacy, education and policy development. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Prioritize staff mental health

Nonprofit 02/04/2022

Laurie-Marie Pisciotta | Mental Health Association of Rhode Island executive director Make no mistake: Living through a pandemic the past two years has taken a toll...

AT A SECOND public comment meeting on the proposed Lifespan Corp. and Care New England Health System merger, many participants voiced concerns that the integrated health system, which would include Brown University, would monopolize the state's health care.

Monopoly concerns dominate second Lifespan-CNE public comment meeting

Health Services 01/26/2022

PROVIDENCE – Throughout a two-hour meeting held on Wednesday on the proposed Lifespan Corp. and Care New England Health System merger, many attendees raised...

MHARI: State lacks diversity among mental health workers

Education 12/30/2021

PROVIDENCE – The Mental Health Association of Rhode Island on Thursday said the state needs a more diverse pool of behavioral health care workers...

RETAINING PROVIDERS: Jennifer Gaviria, co-founder of the Latino Mental Health Network of Rhode Island, says salaries for multilingual mental health providers need to be raised to retain them. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Study: Diversity crucial in mental-health field

Health Matters 08/21/2020

Racial and ethnic minorities in Rhode Island are facing many barriers when seeking mental health treatment and services, according to a report released recently...

New report says racial, ethnic minorities in R.I. face barriers when...

Health Services 07/21/2020

PROVIDENCE – A newly published report says racial and ethnic minorities are facing many more barriers when accessing mental health treatment and services across...