“The Clinic” at Amos House receives $1 Million from Papitto Opportunity Connection

Photo: POC founder Barbara Papitto and Amos House Executive Director Eileen Hayes

The Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) is investing $1 million in a first of its kind program working to increase access to behavioral health and primary care services for justice involved individuals and people in recovery in Rhode Island. The $1 million Innovation Challenge Grant, awarded to The Clinic at Amos House, highlights POC’s continued dedication to initiatives that drive systemic change across the state. The Clinic currently operates on a small scale out of Amos House’s Community Center in Providence that is visited daily by over 1,000 individuals. 

“POC operates as a trust-based philanthropy, working to empower RI non-profits that create pathways to success in communities facing the most need. We are confident The Clinic will remove barriers to essential medical services,” said POC Founder Barbara Papitto. “Since 2022, Amos House has more than doubled their program’s capacity, increasing employment placement rates and wages by over 30%. We’re proud to support these outcomes.”   

Designed to meet the unique needs of marginalized Rhode Islanders, The Clinic is a licensed behavioral health and ambulatory care facility that will offer mental health and substance use counseling, psychiatric care, integrated medical care and other support services. In addition to helping patients access health insurance, The Clinic pledges to serve all clients regardless of their insurer, insurance status, or ability to pay for care.

Since its pilot year in 2024, The Clinic has made tremendous progress in a short period of time. Clinicians have provided behavioral health and medical care to 208 individuals who had struggled to access care in the traditional setting. To date, 100% of client satisfaction survey results have been positive.   
 
“Over the years, Amos House has developed holistic programming that offers RI’s most vulnerable residents the resources and supports they need to pursue a pathway to stability and wellness. For our community, healthcare access has been the missing link in our services. With the development of The Clinic, people with barriers to care can now access health care in a space where they feel safe, understood, and comfortable,” said Amos House President and CEO Eileen Hayes. 
 
One person The Clinic has benefited is Dawn, who relied on Amos House services for years. “I have a long history of substance use disorder and mental health challenges. In 2022, I went through the 90-day recovery shelter program and then moved into recovery-focused permanent supportive housing. When I heard about The Clinic, I jumped at the opportunity to get services here, which is new for me,” Dawn said. “This is the first time I have ever voluntarily sought help on my own, and it was because I had an existing relationship with Amos House. I already knew my clinician, Laura, and was more willing to seek out help because I trusted her. Receiving mental health help is such a scary thing, but with Laura, I didn’t have to recount everything all over or feel defensive about my past actions.” 

POC’s $1 Million Innovation Challenge Grant supports programming that creates systemic change in the areas of education, skills training, entrepreneurship, healthcare or housing. Rhode Island-based non-profit organizations can apply for this grant in either June or December each year.

The first POC $1 Million Innovation Challenge Grant was awarded to Brown University Health’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Treatment program in 2024.   

Papitto Opportunity Connection 
The Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) is a non-profit private foundation dedicated to listening and working together with Rhode Island’s communities in need to empower and create systemic change by investing in education, job skills training, health care and entrepreneurship. Established in December 2020, POC has invested more than $100 million dollars to support programs that provide crucial services that uplift Rhode Island’s communities in need. Learn more at POCFoundation.com.