A C OMMUNITY G UIDE TO M ENTAL H EALTHCARE IN R HODE I SLAND WELCOME to THE COMMUNITY GUIDE to MENTAL HEALTHCARE in RHODE ISLAND hen you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness or personal problems, it may seem hard to know where to turn Wfor help. You know that there are services that can help, but how do you know which ones are right for you? Even a small state like Rhode Island has hundreds of providers and services. Sorting through so many possibilities may feel overwhelming. Finding someone who can help might not be as easy as finding a florist in the yellow pages. There are many different types of therapists and services, and it’s hard to know where to start. This guide offers a starting point for finding help in Rhode Island. It is easy to read, and it explains which types of providers might be able to help. In the booklet, you will find descriptions of some of the most common mental health concerns, including symptoms, and how to get help. For each topic, you will find listings of providers, services, and their contact information. No one should have to face mental illness alone. I hope that this guide will make it easier to find help in Rhode Island. I thank the healthcare providers listed in this directory for sharing their information with us as we prepared the guide. Without you, this guide would not be possible. Sincerely, Patricia Ryan Recupero, JD, MD President and CEO, Butler Hospital TABLE of CONTENTS UNDERSTANDING MENTAL ILLNESS Addictions . .2 Alzheimer’s Disease . .3 Anxiety Disorders . .4 Body Image Disorders . .5 Borderline Personality Disorder . .6 Children and Adolscents . .7 Eating Disorders . .8 Mood Disorders . .9 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder . .10 Schizophrenia . .11 FINDING A PROVIDER Provider matrix . .12 Organizations . .24 Individual providers by location Psychiatrist . .41 Psychologist . .45 Therapist . .54 Mental Health Counselor . .62 Social Worker . .67 Clinical nurse specialist . .84 Support organizations/government agencies . .87 Note: Nothing in this Guide is medical advice. Readers of this Guide should not rely on the information contained in it for diagnosing or treating any illness, condition, or disorder. If emergency medical or mental health care is needed, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Neither Butler Hospital nor any of the Guide’s authors is responsible for how readers use the information in this Guide. This Guide is compiled as a public service by Butler Hospital. The information regarding mental health providers contained in the Guide was provided to Butler Hospital by the individuals and organizations listed in the guide. Butler Hospital has made no independent investigation or assessment of this information, or of the skills, experience, expertise, or credentials of the individuals and organizations listed in the Guide. The inclusion of an individual or organization in this Guide does not constitute an endorsement or warranty by Butler Hospital of the skills, experience, expertise, credentials, or services of that individual or organization. Nor does the inclusion in this Guide of an individual or organization constitute a referral to, or recommendation of, that individual or organization by Butler Hospital. Readers of this Guide are solely responsible for conducting such investigation of the individuals and organizations listed in this Guide as each reader sees fit. Neither Butler Hospital nor any of the Guide’s authors is responsible for any errors or omissions regarding information in this Guide. AN OVERVIEW OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTIONS A LAN G ORDON, MD Alcohol and drug addictions are common problems that can of addictions and behaviors including the effect of mood on affect people regardless of their economic background, job status, teenage smokers, the impact of exercise on reducing drug and level of education, gender, age, or cultural heritage. alcohol use, and the use of motivational interviews in helping people reduce alcohol use. What are addictions? Addictions are disorders of the brain that cause people to become psychologically and/or physically dependent on alcohol or other substances such as cocaine, crack, heroin, prescription drugs, Warning signs or tobacco. The following behaviors might signal a substance abuse problem: Causes • Missing school or work Addictions are caused by a combination of genetics, personality • Drinking or drugging because of feeling uncomfortable type, and lifestyle factors, including exposure to risks or in social situations situations that might trigger addictive behavior. There is strong • Using drugs or alcohol to build up self-confidence evidence that addictions are actually biological in nature, and • Drinking alone can run in families. • Using substances to deal with worries about family, work, or school A widespread problem • Feeling guilty or depressed after drinking or taking The 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted drugs by the Office of Applied Studies shows how widespread • Using drugs or alcohol to change the way they feel alcohol and drug addictions are. about themselves • More than 19 million Americans aged 12 or older use illicit • Having relationship problems with family members drugs. or friends • Marijuana is used by 14.6 million; two million use cocaine. • Having financial problems • Hallucinogens are used by nearly one million people. • Promising to quit but never being able to do it • More than seven million people use pain relievers, tranquilizers, • Getting and resenting complaints about using stimulants and sedatives for non-medical reasons. • More than 120 million Americans aged 12 or older are current drinkers of alcohol; of these, 55 million are binge drinkers For more information and 16.7 million are heavy drinkers. Please visit www.butler.org or call (401)-455-6220 for a Treatment referral to area resources. The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration is an excellent source of information. There have been dramatic advances in the ability to treat the Visit their web site at www.samhsa.gov or call 1-866-252-3784. urges and cravings that characterize alcohol and drug addictions, including: • New medications Alan Gordon, MD, is chief of alcohol and • Patient and family education and information drug treatment services at Butler Hospital, and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry • The use of 12-step programs and human behavior at Brown Medical • Individual, group and family therapy that help people learn School. He has extensive experience in addiction lifestyle changes and new skills (assertiveness, refusal), and psychiatry and has been involved in cutting- how to set goals and prevent relapse. edge research on such topics as substance abuse and anxiety disorders, the use of Research benzodiazepine and mood stabilizers for Research is critical to increasing our knowledge of the causes treating alcohol dependence, problem gambling, of various addictions and will lead to improved diagnosis and and exercise in recovery. treatment. Research at Butler Hospital and the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies looks at a variety 2 U NDERSTANDING M ENTAL I LLNESS A COMMUNITY G UIDE to M ENTAL H EALTHCARE in R HODE I SLAND AN OVERVIEW OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE S TEPHEN P. S ALLOWAY, MD If you have a parent or loved one who keeps forgetting things, Early diagnosis is important gets lost in familiar surroundings, or sustains frequent acci- dental injuries at home, they may be suffering from dementia. A dementia such as AD can be diagnosed by a doctor, who Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia that affects might use one or more of the following “tools” to diagnose millions of people. probable causes: • Questions about the person’s general health, past medical What is Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? problems, and ability to carry out daily activities Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a brain disorder that slowly and • Tests to measure memory, problem solving, attention, gradually affects a person’s thinking, memories, and the abil- counting, and language ity to think and live independently. Dementia is not a specif- • Tests of blood, urine, or spinal fluid ic disease but a term for a collection of brain disorders, includ- • Brain scans ing AD, vascular dementia, and Huntington’s disease. An early, accurate diagnosis gives families time to discuss care Causes options while the patient can still participate in the decision- making process. Early diagnosis also offers the best chance for AD is caused by the abnormal accumulation of substances in successful treatment. the brain called amyloid and tau proteins. These substances interfere with the brain’s normal nerve cell functions. Connections Treatment between the nerve cells gradually decrease causing memory loss, There is currently no cure for AD, but some medications have confusion, and difficulty with speaking. been developed to help people maintain quality of life for a Three stages of AD longer period of time. For those in the early and middle stages of the disease, drugs such as tacrine (Cognex®), donepezil (Ari- • Early Stage – People may exhibit erratic episodes of cept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), or galantamine (Razadyne®, difficulty remembering recent events, activities, the names formerly known as Reminyl®) may help prevent some symp- of familiar people or things, or solving simple math toms from becoming worse for a limited time. Memantine (Namen- problems. da®), has been approved to treat moderate to severe AD, also • Middle Stages – Forgetting how to do simple activities like with only limited results. brushing teeth or combing hair is common. People find it hard to think clearly and may fail to recognize familiar people Research and places. They demonstrate problems with speaking, Research here at Butler and around the world holds the only understanding, reading, or writing. hope for eventually finding a completely effective treatment and/or • Late Stage – People with AD require around-the-clock care cure for AD and related types of dementia. Medications are and supervision and may be unable to communicate or respond currently being tested to lower the appearance and impact of to others around them.