East Providence Nonprofit Receives $30,000 For Youth Drop-In Center Services

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — Foster Forward received $30,000 to expand overdose prevention, addiction treatment referrals and recovery-oriented services at its Youth Drop-In Center in East Providence.

Last year, 180 youth received help through the center, where they can engage with a full-time clinician and a peer support specialist with lived experience of foster care and homelessness.

“Our center is a trusted space where youth experiencing housing instability can find food, showers, clothing and peer and clinical support," Lisa Guillette, Foster Forward’s executive director, said in a media release.

"It is a vital bridge for youth navigating complex trauma, substance use and disconnection from systems of care," Guillette said. "This population includes many of the highest-risk youth who may be dealing with family disconnection, co-occurring disorders and trauma histories,” Lisa Guillette, Foster Forward’s executive director."

The project anchors the East Providence organization’s overdose prevention and recovery support activity. It integrates validated screening tools for substance use risk, expanded clinical hours, referrals to treatment partners, and group and individual mentoring. Youth will receive overdose prevention education, naloxone kits and medication lockboxes.

The grant is one of 19 made to nonprofits across the state by the Rhode Island Foundation, in partnership with Governor Dan McKee’s Governor’s Overdose Task Force.

“My administration is pleased to partner with the Rhode Island Foundation on this important grant program that supports our mutual goal of saving lives,” McKee said in the release.

The Foundation received 59 applications for funding. The grants are fully funded with proceeds from the state’s Opioid Settlement Agreement.

“The consequences of this tragic epidemic are felt in every corner of our state. We are glad to play a role in ensuring this crucial funding is put to work building a stronger and healthier Rhode Island for everyone,” David N. Cicilline, the foundation’s president and CEO, said in the release.