The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI

What The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI does

SUMHLC (The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of Rhode Island) is a 501(c)-style nonprofit coalition founded in 1984 and headquartered at 15 Messenger Drive, Warwick, RI. It serves as the central coordinating body for Rhode Island's behavioral health ecosystem, with a membership network of 31 Full Member organizations (substance use treatment providers, mental health agencies, and community action programs such as AdCare Rhode Island, CODAC, The Providence Center, and Gateway Healthcare) plus 17 Associate Members. The organization pursues a three-pillar mission of collaboration, advocacy, and training, with a particular focus on addressing the opioid epidemic and Rhode Island's behavioral health workforce shortage.

The organization's core product is the TRAIN RI Initiative (Training Resources and Information Network of Rhode Island), launched in February 2025 as a continuing education training program for mental health and substance use professionals. TRAIN RI delivers live online trainings via Zoom Webinars covering topics such as crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, cultural competency, and addiction treatment, with courses awarding 1.0 to 3.0 CEUs accredited by NBCC (ACEP No. 8008), NASW-RI Chapter, RI Certification Board Chemical Dependency, and RIMHCA. The organization transitioned from LearnUpon LMS to Zoom Webinars in April 2025 to streamline delivery. Complementary offerings include Recovery TV (video content), the OTP HH Initiative (Opioid Treatment Program Housing), Go Team Police Liaison crisis intervention services, and a Recovery Friendly Workplace program.

SUMHLC's business model combines three revenue streams: tiered membership dues (Single Membership at $300/year, Associate Membership at $1,150/year, and Full Board Membership priced by member organization revenue); training fees processed via PayPal for individuals and by check for groups of 5+; and state appropriations including a $100,000 Governor's budget line, $20,000 in legislative grants, and a 2026 RIHEBC Capital Grant for infrastructure expansion. The organization also benefits from Senate Bill 2557 (2024), which established a dedicated behavioral health education checkoff fund on Rhode Island personal income tax returns. Operationally the organization runs with 1-10 employees led by President/CEO John J. Tassoni Jr. and Director of Training Sophia Elanani.

Name

The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI

Legal name

The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of Rhode Island

Website

https://sumhlc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SUMHLC is a Rhode Island nonprofit coalition founded in 1984 that coordinates 31 Full and 17 Associate member behavioral health organizations, delivering CEU-accredited workforce training through its TRAIN RI program and advocating for substance use and mental health providers at the state level.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Training and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK)

Keywords

• Behavioral health training
• Continuing education
• Substance use treatment
• Mental health advocacy
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Welwick

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from Full Board Members (tiered by annual revenue), Associate Members ($1,150/year), and Single Members ($300/year). Full members receive legislative alerts, funding updates, professional development access, networking opportunities, conference room use, volunteer opportunities, and business discounts.
2. Training Course Fees: Fees for professional training courses offering continuing education units (CEUs). Courses range from 1.0 to 3.0 CEUs. PayPal is used for individual transactions. Organizations with 5+ participants from the same organization can pay by check.
3. Government Grants and Appropriations: State funding including $100,000 in Governor's budget appropriation, supplemental $10,000 House of Representatives grant, $10,000 Senate grant. Also received Capital Grant Funding from Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation (RIHEBC).
4. Behavioral Health Education Training Coordination Fund: Senate Bill 2557 established the behavioral health education, training, and coordination fund, allowing SUMHLC to receive checkoff contributions from Rhode Island personal income tax returns for training of staff requiring CEU for higher education to receive and maintain licenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SUMHLC delivers affordable, NBCC-approved continuing education training to mental health and substance use professionals in Rhode Island through the TRAIN RI program (live online sessions via Zoom Webinars offering 1.0 to 3.0 CEUs). The organization also operates a tiered membership model for behavioral health organizations (Full Board, Associate) and individual professionals (Single Membership), and runs specialized programs including Recovery Friendly Workplace, OTP HH Initiative, Recovery TV, and Go Team Police Liaison crisis services.

Product overview

The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI (SUMHLC) operates as a coalition-based organization offering behavioral health services rather than a unified software product. The primary offerings include: TRAIN RI (the core training program providing CEUs for mental health and substance use professionals via Zoom); membership tiers (Full Board, Associate, and Single memberships offering varying levels of access to communications, networking, and professional development); and specialized programs such as the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative and Go Team Police Liaison crisis intervention services. The organization coordinates a network of member organizations providing comprehensive community-based mental health and substance use prevention and treatment services across Rhode Island.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TRAIN RI: Training Resources and Information Network of RI - a training program offering affordable continuing education courses for mental health and substance use professionals.

Products and services

• TRAIN RI (Training Resources and Information Network of RI) A primary training program offering live online continuing education courses (1.0 to 3.0 CEUs) for mental health and substance use professionals in Rhode Island. Courses cover crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, addiction treatment, clinical documentation, and cultural competency, and are approved by NBCC (ACEP No. 8008), NASW-RI Chapter, RI Certification Board Chemical Dependency, and the RI Mental Health Counselors Association.
• Full Board Membership Tiered annual membership for behavioral health organizations based on annual revenue, including legislative alerts, funding updates, professional development, networking with member organizations, conference room use, and business discounts.
• Associate Membership Annual membership at $1,150/year for partners supporting the behavioral health field, offering alerts and insights on funding/policy changes, networking with member organizations, professional development access, volunteer opportunities, and conference/training space use.
• Single Membership Individual professional membership at $300 per year for independent professionals and small private practices, providing SUMHLC communications access, non-voting participation in Board meetings, and use of the SUMHLC Proud Member logo.
• Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative A workplace initiative supporting individuals in recovery from substance use disorders by helping employers create welcoming and supportive work environments. SUMHLC is itself designated as a Recovery Friendly Workplace by the State of Rhode Island.
• OTP HH Initiative Opioid Treatment Program Housing initiative focused on treatment services for opioid use disorders, supporting housing stability alongside medication-assisted treatment.
• Recovery TV Video content platform featuring recovery-related programming and educational materials for individuals in or seeking recovery and their support networks.
• Treatment Services Coordination Client-driven mental health services navigation including residential availability information, treatment coordination, and referrals to specialized healthcare providers across Rhode Island.
• Go Team Police Liaison Crisis intervention and police liaison service providing on-scene support to individuals, children, and families exposed to trauma, working collaboratively with law enforcement across Rhode Island communities including Newport.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSUMHLC is approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 8008). Programs that qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified in their training catalog. SUMHLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
• New England Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored training program 'Managing the Room: Navigating Conflict, Silence and Encouraging Peer Support in Group Therapy' with New England ATTC.
• Rhode Island Police Chiefs AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSUMHLC plans to partner with the RI Police Chiefs Association and local trade unions as part of the TRAIN RI initiative to provide training beyond the direct behavioral health field.
• National Association of Social Workers – RI ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CEU accreditation of SUMHLC training programs. Multiple trainings offer CEUs approved by NASW-RI Chapter.
• RI Certification Board Chemical DependencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CEU accreditation of SUMHLC training programs. Multiple trainings offer CEUs approved by RI Certification Board Chemical Dependency.
• RI Mental Health Counselors AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CEU accreditation of SUMHLC training programs. Multiple trainings offer CEUs for Licensed Mental Health Counselors through the RI Mental Health Counselors Association.
• RIPINminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShamus Durac, Senior Attorney/Health Policy Analyst at RIPIN, serves as trainer for Mental Health Parity 101 training course.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Social Workers (NASW): National professional association providing CEU-accredited training and state-chapter advocacy for social workers. Already partners with SUMHLC for NASW-RI Chapter CEUs.
• American Counseling Association: National professional association providing CEU accreditation and training programs to licensed counselors, mirroring SUMHLC's NBCC-approved continuing education role but at national scale.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Largest US behavioral health association offering training, advocacy, and convening for community mental health providers. Operates at national scale across overlapping member and advocacy missions as SUMHLC.
• Mental Health America: National nonprofit combining advocacy, public education, and training programs for the mental health workforce and consumers. Overlapping member-coalition model and public-policy function.

Direct peers

• Faces & Voices of Recovery: National recovery advocacy and training organization that convenes recovery community providers and offers events (Rally) and CE-eligible programming, directly parallel to SUMHLC's Rally 4 Recovery and TRAIN RI offerings.
• NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals: National membership and certification body for addiction counselors, offering CEUs and advocacy for the same behavioral-health workforce SUMHLC serves. Highly comparable as a professional association delivering CEU-accredited training.
• NAATP (National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers): Trade association representing addiction treatment providers, which closely matches SUMHLC's Full Member organizations (AdCare, CODAC, Zinnia, etc.). Membership and training economics are highly comparable.

Emerging players

• C4 Innovations: Behavioral-health workforce-development nonprofit focused on peer support and recovery workforce training. Smaller and more specialized than SUMHLC but operates in the same BH training/coaching niche.

Regional players

• New England Association of Recovery in Higher Education: Regional peer-recovery and workforce-training organization for New England, comparable in scale and mission to SUMHLC's TRAIN RI workforce development work.

Others

• Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC): National SAMHSA-funded workforce training network that already co-sponsors trainings with SUMHLC. Functions as both a peer and a partner in evidence-based addiction practice training.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theleadershipcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/substance-use-and-mental-health-leadership-council-of-ri

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI