Letter from the Director

     Welcome to The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI’s new website!

     The Leadership Council (or SUMHLC) was formed in 2015 through a merger of The Drug and Alcohol Treatment Association (DATA) and the Rhode Island Council of Community Mental Health Organizations (RICCMHO), two agencies which had been the voices for mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention services in RI for over 30 years. The Leadership Council is the main advocacy organization in Rhode Island representing agencies that provide mental health and addiction treatment, substance abuse prevention, primary health, and wellness services to over 20,000 individuals annually.

     The Leadership Council advocates and supports our member agencies at the RI state legislature and works closely with all state and federal agencies on their behalf. We offer a range of pertinent training, technical assistance and professional development opportunities, and are pleased to provide the Statewide 24 hour/seven day/week drug overdose warm line.

     I hope you’ll find this website easy to navigate and a valuable source of information about local mental health and substance abuse resources and about state and national initiatives in the behavioral health field. I welcome your feedback and suggestions.

     David Spencer,
     President/CEO