BankNewport Awards $10,000 to Newport Mental Health to Fund Critical Emergency Crisis After-Hours Line

NEWPORT, R.I. – BankNewport has awarded Newport Mental Health (NMH) a $10,000 charitable grant to support its after-hours Emergency Crisis Services.

“It is so important, as a community, that we have in place the resources to provide immediate care to those who struggle with mental health issues,” said Sandra J. Pattie, President and CEO of BankNewport. “The after-hours crisis line meets an essential need in Newport County and is a program that we are proud to support.” Accessible toll-free, the 24/7 NMH Crisis Line is staffed by mental health professionals, including licensed therapists and an on-call psychiatrist. Newport Mental Health staff serves as the first point of contact for individuals in crisis, providing confidential phone triage to assess the immediate level of need.

“BankNewport has been an invaluable community partner. BankNewport’s most recent $10,000 award helps us make it easier for anyone to receive the help they need, when they need it. They have also been one of our major corporate sponsors for our golf tournament and annual gala,” said President and CEO Jamie Lehane of Newport Mental Health.

Lehane added that the NMH Crisis Line works in close collaboration with law enforcement, the new BH Link Crisis Program and NMH’s After Hours Mobile Crisis Clinician, who assists police on emergency calls that involve individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. “The NMH Crisis Line also helps to reduce the volume of behavioral health services delivered in the hospital emergency department, the likelihood of psychiatric hospitalization, and sometimes incarceration,” said Lehane. He explained that 76.3 percent of the NMH Crisis Line callers were diverted from the hospital emergency department and the average cost of one emergency room visit is about $1,300, which can save residents and overburdened hospital staff time and money.

Overall, the Crisis Services help individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. If an urgent need for intervention is necessary, emergency services are mobilized including NMH’s mobile crisis staff. In all cases, the initial phone assessment leads to referrals for assistance or treatment, which may include the person being seen the next day at Newport Mental Health’s same day, walk-in Access and Referral Center.

During 2019, the NMH Crisis and Emergency Services fielded over 889 calls, providing an effective alternative for de-escalation and resolution of a crisis event while producing more holistic evaluations, solutions, and referrals. The program is of growing importance as Rhode Islanders in all age demographics face rising rates of mental health and substance use conditions, suicide and overdose. Anyone with a behavioral health need can call the crisis line at (401) 846-1213.

About BankNewport
Founded in 1819 and headquartered in Newport, BankNewport offers a full suite of loan and deposit products and services for families and businesses throughout Rhode Island.  With $1.9 billion in assets, BankNewport is one of the oldest community banks in the United States and, as a mutual organization, is committed to the financial success of its customers, employees and communities. BankNewport has 18 branch locations, with commercial
lending offices in Cumberland and Providence.

BankNewport business lines include OceanPoint Marine Lending, specializing in consumer marine and recreational vehicle financing programs, and OceanPoint Insurance, a Trusted Choice independent insurance agency, providing a broad range of property casualty insurance products, including employee benefits and marine related insurance products.

Through a relationship with LPL Financial, a leader in the retail financial advice market, BankNewport is able to offer access to investment products and services with OceanPoint Investment Solutions*.

*Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. BankNewport and OceanPoint Investment Solutions are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using OceanPoint Investment Solutions, and may also be employees of BankNewport. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, BankNewport or OceanPoint Investment Solutions. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are: