Children's Behavioral Health Consent Decree
On January 7, 2025, the State of Rhode Island entered into a formal agreement (Consent Decree) in the United States District Court after a federal investigation found violations to federal civil rights laws concerning psychiatric hospitalizations of youth from 2017 to 2022.
What were the results of the investigation?
- The investigation’s findings allege that children with behavioral health disabilities in the care and custody of Rhode Island’s child welfare agency are unnecessarily segregated in an acute-care psychiatric hospital.
- The State acknowledged the findings, although the State disputes aspects of those findings.
- Rhode Island worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop a consent decree to resolve the allegations.
What does the decree do?
- Creates a shared vision
- To foster and strengthen community-based services for those children with behavioral health disabilities in the care and custody of DCYF, so they are treated in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.
- To transition children who have been hospitalized at Bradley Hospital to family settings with needed community-based services.
- To prevent children with behavioral health disabilities from experiencing avoidable or unnecessarily prolonged psychiatric hospitalization.
- Requires a remedial plan
- The State will be monitored as it works with a consultant to design and implement an agreed-upon remedial plan.
About the Monitor
The State's progress toward compliance with the Consent Decree will be monitored by Elizabeth Manley, LSW. She serves as the senior advisor for health and behavioral health policy and is an assistant extension professor at University of Connecticut School of Social Work Innovations Institute (UCONN-II).
About the Consultant Team
The Department of Children, Youth & Families is being supported by expert consultants from the Innovations Institute, based at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work (UCONN-II). Innovations Institute provides training, technical assistance, facilitation, analysis, consulting, implementation support and research and evaluation. Their faculty and staff have nationally recognized expertise, education and leadership in health and human services systems. Innovations Institute has experience working in and with all 50 states and D.C., as well as with several tribes and territories.
Learn more about the University of Connecticut Innovations Institute.
About the Steering Committee
This committee of State officials guides our activities recommended by UCONN-II’s monitoring report.
Meeting Date: October 8, 2025
10-8-2025 Steering Committee Agenda
10-8-2025 Presentation to Steering Committee
Meeting Date: November 17, 2025
11-17-2025 Steering Committee Agenda
Meeting Date: December 16, 2025
About the Advisory Committee
This committee of state officials, community-based service providers, DCYF staff, youth with lived experience, parents and caregivers assists with proposed policy and regulatory and procedural changes relevant to the Consent Decree Implementation Plan.
Meeting Date: July 30, 2025
7-30-2025 Advisory Board Agenda
Meeting Date: September 17, 2025
9-17-2025 Advisory Board Agenda
Meeting Date: November 19, 2025
11-19-2025 Advisory Board Agenda
11-19-2025 Presentation to Advisory Board
Meeting Date: January 28, 2026
About the Quality Assurance Committee
This committee is composed of professionals from the State entities responsible for implementing the Consent Decree.
Coming Soon
Consent Decree Information and Resources
Reports and Presentations
RI Consent Decree Monitoring Plan (May 2025)
Baseline Data Report (July 2025)
Baseline Data Report Presentation (September 2025)
Monitoring Report (November 2025)
System of Care Review Presentation (January 2026)
Transition Coordinators
Youth in the DCYF system are labeled as the focus population who experience delayed discharge from psychiatric hospitals and inconsistent care coordination. A Transition Coordinator (TC) Unit is being created to improve the timeliness and quality of discharge planning and transitions to the most integrated setting. A Transition Coordinator will be assigned to hospitalized youth who have an open case with Family Services Unit or the Children’s Behavioral Health Family Navigation Unit. Youth who are admitted to Bradley Hospital, Butler Hospital, Hasbro Seyla 6 and Newport Children’s Inpatient Hospital will be assigned a TC. Youth stepping down from an inpatient psychiatric hospital to Bradley Center (ARTS) will continue to have their TC. Youth boarding at Hasbro Hospital or a local community hospital who are awaiting a psych bed will be assigned a TC.
The TC leads or co-leads discharge planning meetings, collaborates with the hospital team and coordinates with community-based providers and placement resources. Barriers to discharge often include provider availability, complex clinical needs, limited placement options, family readiness and insurance or administrative delays. The TC works with partners to document barriers, escalate systemic concerns and implement mitigation strategies that support timely discharge.
After the youth is referred, the Transition Coordinators will maintain engagement by prioritizing early and consistent contact with the youth, family and foster family. TCs will use motivational engagement strategies, regular check-ins and strengths-based communication to build trust and rapport. They will involve families in all planning decisions, ensure their voices guide the discharge plan and address barriers to participation such as scheduling conflicts, transportation or communication challenges. TCs will maintain weekly contact, offer flexible meeting formats (in-person, virtual, phone), provide clear updates about the hospital process and ensure families understand their role in the transition plan. TCs will also conduct Family Team Meetings (FTMs), collaborate with providers to align expectations and use culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to support ongoing engagement.
To learn more about Transition Coordinators, watch the video below in English or Spanish.