RIDE Launches “Commissioner's Care Team” to Strengthen Student Mental Health and Wellness Supports Statewide

Published on Friday, October 30, 2026

PROVIDENCE, RI – Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today announced applications are now open for the inaugural Commissioner's Care Team, a statewide professional learning cohort designed to strengthen schools' ability to recognize, respond to, and support student mental health and wellness.  

The Commissioner's Care Team will participate in specialized training from Stanford University's Building Resilience in Schools program and Pure Edge, nationally recognized leaders in resilience, wellness, and school-based mental health supports. Participants will receive training focused on understanding the effects of stress and adversity on learning and development, as well as practical strategies that can be embedded into daily school practice to support wellness, emotional regulation, and resilience. 

"The Commissioner's Care Team initiative reflects our belief that student wellness and academic success go hand in hand," said Governor Dan McKee. "Rhode Island has made historic investments in literacy, mathematics, high-quality curriculum, career pathways, and college readiness. Ensuring students have the mental health and wellness supports necessary to access those opportunities is essential to our state's continued progress." 

"Student success depends on far more than academic instruction alone," said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. "We know that when students are struggling with their mental health or experiencing chronic stress, it can become more difficult to attend school regularly, engage in learning, and take advantage of the learning opportunities available to them. The Commissioner's Care Team aims to build a stronger system of support around our students so that every child can succeed." 

“True school-wide resilience happens when classroom teachers and school mental health professionals share the same understanding of how trauma impacts the developing brain," said Dr. Victor Carrión, Director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program. "By equipping both educators and mental health specialists with practical tools to identify adversity and foster regulation, we create a unified safety net for all students. Stanford is immensely grateful to join the Commissioner’s Care Team in bringing this integrated approach to Rhode Island schools."  

"Educators do so much more than teach - they are often the first to recognize when a student is struggling, which is why equipping them with the skills and tools to support student well-being is so important," said Pure Edge, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Chi Kim. "Rhode Island's commitment through its Commissioner Care Team demonstrates that student mental health is a priority, and we commend the state for investing in the educators who make that support possible." 

Through the Commissioner's Care Team, Rhode Island will bring together 100 educators, counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, mental health professionals, principals, and superintendents committed to building school communities where every student has the support they need to thrive. Participants who complete the training program will receive a $1,000 stipend and will bring their learning back to their schools through job-embedded professional development and peer leadership opportunities. 

The initiative comes as educators nationwide and internationally continue to see the impact that anxiety, stress, trauma, and other mental health challenges can have on student attendance, engagement, academic success, and overall well-being.  

The initiative is designed to complement and strengthen districts' existing Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) and other student support efforts. Rather than placing responsibility solely on counselors or mental health providers, the Commissioner's Care Team promotes a whole-school approach to student wellness that engages every adult in a school community. 

Rhode Island has already made significant investments in student mental health and wellness through initiatives such as SAMHSA Project AWARE and trauma-informed schools grants, USDOE school-based mental health programs, tele-behavioral health services, educator wellness supports, and other statewide school-health initiatives. 

Under Commissioner Infante-Green's leadership, RIDE has secured more than $100 million in competitive grants and resources to support students, educators, and schools, including $1.5 million to expand tele-behavioral health services and professional development for educators in rural communities, and $6 million to increase access to school psychologists and strengthen supports for caregiving youth. 

Applications are open to Rhode Island public school teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, school-based mental health providers, nurses, principals, and superintendents. RIDE will select a diverse statewide cohort representing various regions, school levels, and professional roles. 

Click here to access the application for the Commissioner's Care Team! Applications submitted before November 18, 2026 will be prioritized.