The Providence Center, a state leader in the realm of mental health and addiction recovery, has a new president.

Jillian Roy, a Warwick resident, began her new role Oct. 10.

Roy has been with The Providence Center since 2010, working as a case manager in the agency’s Crisis Stabilization Unit.

To Roy, behavioral-health issues have a wide impact, and she is passionate about the work being done in this field. She believes that many will have experience with a behavioral-health issue, whether they struggle with it or know someone who is struggling with it.

“I think it impacts everyone at some point in their life,” Roy said. “We all go through difficult times. So, for myself, I do have family members that have struggled with mental health and substance use disorders, so that really is what drew me to do this type of work.”

She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Rhode Island and her associate’s degree in nursing from the Community College of Rhode Island. She went on to get a master’s degree in nursing with a specialty in patient safety and quality from Southern New Hampshire University.

“I am very passionate about education. I think I’ve learned so much through my master’s in nursing and then I am currently getting my MBA right now as well,” she said.

As an advocate for education and developmental growth, Roy built out various programs at The Providence Center.

“So here at the center, several years ago, I was the director for workforce development,” Roy said. “I did a lot of work to bring career ladders here so that people have the opportunity to do additional training, get additional education and then have salary increases associated with that.”

Her career has included a variety of other roles, such as a registered nurse in acute care, and developing many innovative community services, including an early elementary-age partial hospital program. Her deep experience has served to inform her work in her new role as president.

“A lot of my work dealt with people at their most vulnerable state, and I had to really learn as a clinician to assess where that person was at and then figure out what’s the best approach that I can take to get through to that person…” Roy said. “And so those skills, I tell all of my leadership team, really helped me when I transitioned to management roles and then ultimately to the president role …”

A leader’s perspective after 14 years

Roy says serving The Providence Center’s president means the world to her.

“To ultimately be where I am after 14 years and to be able to lead the organization is just the

most humbling, amazing experience for me,” she said. “I care so much about this place. This

really is my second home. I grew up here, for lack of a better term …”

The Providence Center became a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic on

Oct. 1, and under her leadership, the center has expanded its business hours and crisis

services.

On Tuesday night, The Providence Center hosted its annual Circle of Stars event at the Rhode Island Convention Center, raising more than $500,000 for crucial mental health support. Donors and supporters gathered in person to learn about the emergent need for mental health and addiction services for those struggling with behavioral-health issues.

Roy, reflecting on that occasion, said “I’ve worked in behavioral health care for many years, and the joy I receive from seeing so many members of the community join us to show their support is indescribable. I am so grateful to our donors, as well as the tireless efforts of our clinical staff who work every day at TPC to improve the health and well-being of Rhode Islanders. Without our supporters, we would not be able to provide the excellent standard of care we are known for or help so many get back to living their best life, which lies at the core of our mission.”

“I would also like to thank our board of trustees and our donor community. Their unwavering leadership and financial support have helped us to sustain vital programs and fund new innovation needed to change lives and even save lives,” she added.

The center achieved accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities in 2023, and with Roy at the helm, secured more than $3.5 million in grant/contract revenue over a five-year period.

Looking to recharge the agency’s mission

One of Roy’s priorities now is to resume the agency’s outreach.

“The most important thing to me is to increase our community engagement. Since the

pandemic, we got away from a lot of that, and so I really want to bring that back,” she said.

With much more to do, taking care of yourself is just as important, especially for a busy woman

like Roy. One of her favorite ways to take care of her mental health is to spend time with family.

“Now, I go home, and I play with my baby, and it just makes me so happy,” she said. “It helps

me disconnect from anything that’s going on that’s stressful during the day. It’s really just

spending that time with family, that’s what I do.”