A collaboration between #MiddletownRI, Newport and social service providers, The Situation Table has met for a little more than a year. In that time, the group has addressed 100 cases, getting people the help they need. Thanks to The Table for its work.
GETTING ON TOP OF THE SITUATION
MIDDLETOWN, RI (MARCH 16, 2026) – Every Wednesday morning, a group comes together in the meeting room of the Fire Station on Wyatt Road.
Middletown and Newport police officers, firefighters, municipal officials and multiple social service providers are represented.
Before the doors to the brick and glass lined space are closed, everyone is reminded they must complete a nondisclosure agreement, where they pledge not to reveal any of the confidential information discussed inside.
After brief introductions, The Situation Table gets down to the business of helping.
They move efficiently through each case, determining who’s assisting, what more can be done for the person in need and other approaches that could yield results.
The goal is to provide guardrails and care as much as possible in hopes that none of the individuals discussed wind up in crisis or catastrophe.
So far, the time, energy and compassion are yielding positive results in an area that can be extremely difficult on success stories.
“The thing that first drew me to The Situation Table idea was an ability for things our firefighters are seeing the field was a way to report that up to get help to people,” said Newport Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Ferreira, who’s taken the lead role with the organization. “I’ve seen that that’s really working. The interoperability between all the resources we have in the community between Newport and Middletown are working better together than they ever have as a result.”
To watch a video about The Situation Table, visit https://mdl.town/Situation online.
Like most things government, The Situation Table didn’t come together overnight.
After a Department of Public Works employee spotted a person outside in the rain with all their belongings and brought the matter to the attention of his co-workers in the summer of 2023, Middletown officials looked into the man’s story.
Thankfully, he received the support he needed that day through the Middletown Outreach Department and others -- including temporary housing.
What became clear was several organizations and providers were familiar with him, but none had the complete picture, making care and coordinating next steps difficult.
With emergency and social service providers having similar experiences in Newport, both communities agreed to pay for training that could bring everyone to the same table.
During training sessions led by consultants Cordata at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Newport campus, the realization was the partnership between Middletown, Newport and a number of social service agencies could work.
Meeting since January 2025, The Situation Table recently passed its one-year anniversary and shows no signs of letting up.
The data indicates the group has addressed 100 “situations” -- or individual cases -- to date, assisting more than 120 people.
Some deal with unhoused individuals, others involving older adults with health needs, those with self-care concerns and more. No two cases are the same or require the same solutions. The data shows on average, there are five “risk” factors involved per “situation.”
About 80 percent of the “situations” are referred to the group by local emergency service providers. The remainder filter through social service agencies, who are in regular contact with various people in need.
In addition to the Middletown and Newport Fire and Police departments as well as the Middletown Outreach Department, the following organizations have a regular seat at The Situation Table:
- Child & Family Services of Newport County
- CODAC Behavioral Healthcare
- Conexion Latina
- Crisis Intervention Teams of Rhode Island
- East Bay Recovery Center offered through the East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP)
- The Edward King House
- Family Service Of Rhode Island
- Healthy Living In Recovery
- The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center
- Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
- Newport Health Equity Zone
- Newport Hospital
- Newport Housing Hotline
- Newport Mental Health
- No Wrong Door Behavioral Health
- The Ocean State Trauma-Informed Community Coalition (OSTICC)
- The Salvation Army
- Turning Around Ministries
As word has spread, Middletown Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships Lori Turner said more community providers are looking to get involved to find ways to help their populations.
Just last week, a new face arrived at a Situation Table meeting, representing a local elderly care facility, she said. Recently hired to a new job, the elderly care provider found Turner’s business card and sought assistance for several clients in her nonprofit’s care.
“I’m really grateful for our first responders from Middletown and Newport and our community partners and nonprofits that have made this Situation Table possible,” said Turner, who serves as the lead liaison from Middletown to the group. “Without their support and continued involvement and collaboration this Table and our residents wouldn’t be getting the help they need.”
She thanked Ferreira specifically for his leadership and helping push The Situation Table to the fore.
“I want to recognize Deputy Chief Mike Ferreira from the Newport Fire Department,” Turner said. “His leadership has been instrumental in making this collaboration possible. Working with him has been seamless as we’ve brought our two communities together. We work in tandem with the Table’s data recorders, Sean Palumbo of No Wrong Door Behavioral Health and Carmela Geer of the Edward King House Senior Center. Ultimately, it’s the commitment of everyone around the table that makes this work.”
Rogers High School Senior Isaiah Montevirgen said the Wednesday meeting was the first time he’d ever heard of The Situation Table. Doing an internship with the Newport Police Department, Isaiah said he was thoroughly impressed with what he saw and experienced.
“I thought it was pretty special,” Isaiah said. “To know there are so many people coming together around one table to talk about people who need help, I’m surprised, in a good way.”
Considering a career in law enforcement, Isaiah said he’s done a ride along with an officer across the City-By-The-Sea and other experiences to get a better feel for the job.
“Honestly, I always wondered what (communities) did about the homeless and other ‘at risk’ people,” Isaiah said. “I’m happy to know we’re doing this here and getting them the help they need.”
Moving forward, those involved said in addition to getting people help, they hoped The Situation Table drew even more attention to the need that exists in Middletown, Newport and beyond.
“I think this is an excellent idea where a collection of support services meet weekly to address a common goal — safe, sound and secure housing,” said Jimmy Winters, founder of the Newport Housing Hotline. “These agencies work diligently to make sure everyone is housed and each week, case after case is brought up and we address these problems."
“This group has changed lives, I can say that with all honesty,” said Heather Hole Strout, executive director of the MLK Center. “Working together with dozens of other nonprofits, civic leaders, municipal police and fire departments has made such a huge difference in being able to talk about and help people who are in crisis week after week.”
“The Situation Table, in my eyes, as well as our organizations, have helped significantly with partner relationships and collaborations across the island,” Palumbo said. “I’ve only been working here professionally for about a year and a half, but in my time here, working with The Situation Table, has really helped me connect out with other organizations and be able to bring resources to our residents.”
“This program is a really good program and it’s life changing for some people,” Middletown Police Lt. Joanne Alboum said. “I think it’s saved some lives…and it’s changed a lot of lives. You have to actively work this program though. We have to get out there and keep track of people and fill in the gaps for them for some of the services they need. That’s what we’re doing, we’re filling gaps and they’re very important gaps. They’re very important gaps because some people fall through the cracks for various reasons.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-100
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
Media Contact
Matt Sheley
Public Affairs Officer
401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.gov