South Kingstown Police Get 2 Federal Grants For Mental Health Services

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — The South Kingstown Police Department was awarded two federal grants, totaling a combined $655,000 for mental health services, Police Chief Matthew Moynihan said Monday.

The South Kingstown Police Department applied for funding under two separate U.S. Department of Justice programs to establish a hub for behavioral health services in Washington County and hire clinicians to work with police officers on crisis intervention teams.

The South Kingstown Police Department was awarded $400,000 from the Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and $255,000 from the Department of Justice, Connect and Protect program. South Kingstown police's proposal was one of only 33 awarded the highly competitive U.S. Department of Justice Connect and Protect grant.

"We are thrilled to be awarded funding for our behavioral health initiatives," Moynihan said. "We have more than 50,000 calls for service every year and approximately 15 percent have a mental health or substance abuse nexus. By establishing a regional crisis intervention team hub at SKPD, we will be able to provide enhanced services for our town in the most cost-effective way possible. We are so thankful for the support from our federal delegation, the other Washington County police departments, and our partners in behavioral health who aided our efforts to secure this funding."

If you or someone in your life is struggling with substance abuse, including alcohol, or mental health issues, help is available. Call the SAMHSA hotline at 1-800-662-4357 for confidential free help to find substance use treatment and information.

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