The resolution addresses the need for Rhode Island to maintain a publicly funded behavioral and mental health care system that provides equitable access to high-quality services for all ages. It acknowledges the existence of two separate systems—one for children and families and another for adults over 21—which creates challenges in service navigation and transition. The resolution cites a Rhode Island Senate Report recommending the unification of these systems under the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Secretariat, specifically within a redesigned Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH). This unification is intended to improve resource leverage, expand best practices, and foster community integration.

The resolution requests the Secretary of the EOHHS to initiate planning for a unified system of care by July 1, 2026, with regular progress reports due by April 1, 2025. The unified system will be responsible for the organization, finance, management, and delivery of programs and services across the life-cycle. The Secretary is authorized to prepare an umbrella memorandum of understanding (MOU) for information sharing and to request assistance from relevant departments and agencies. The resolution also mandates cooperation from state departments and agencies to support the EOHHS in this endeavor. Finally, the Secretary of State is directed to transmit a certified copy of the resolution to the Secretary of the EOHHS.