CRANSTON – After launching a dedicated recovery support phone line – (401) 942-STOP (7867) – last June, the state of Rhode Island is now making the phone line available round-the-clock, 365 days a year.
Licensed chemical-dependency counselors staff the phone line and connect individuals in crisis with treatment and recovery supports; Spanish-speaking counselors are also available.
“The phone line, (401) 942-STOP, serves a critical need. Those who suffer from substance-use disorders and call the recovery support line want to get help; the ability to reach out 24/7 will make a difference,” Rebecca Boss, acting director of the R.I. Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals, said in a BHDDH statement. “We know that addiction is a disease and recovery is possible. We encourage all of our community partners to help raise awareness of this added support for those in need.”
Funding for the 24/7 hotline comes from a joint effort between BHDDH and the R.I. Department of Health, which used grants from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respectively.
More than 1,000 individuals have died from drug overdoses in the last five years. The phone line is part of Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force Action Plan aims to save lives from overdose in part by strengthening connections to treatment and recovery services.
For more information about the recovery support line and the prevention campaign, visit www.preventoverdoseri.org.
