Transitional Outpatient Program

What is the Transitional Outpatient Program?

The Transitional Outpatient Program (TOP) provides a variety of treatment services to patients who recently have been discharged from the hospital. The program is designed to be short-term and focused on the initial months following a hospital stay so that patients can continue on their path to recovery. The program offers the extra help, support, and treatment needed so that patients are better equipped to navigate their personal health and wellness goals. The TOP team includes a range of professionals, including a psychologist, advance practice nurse, licensed counselor, and case managers with experience working with patients following psychiatric hospitalization.

TOP clinicians and case managers will help patients manage their appointments, set them up with community resources, and offer them short-term therapy and medication management sessions until their long-term outpatient care is established.

Contact Information:

Butler Hospital
345 Blackstone Blvd
Providence, RI 02906

P: (401) 415-8868
F: (401) 415-8880

Please note:  We are not accepting direct referrals to TOP at this time.  If eligible, patients are enrolled during their hospital stay and begin the program following their discharge

What is unique about our program?

TOP recognizes that patients leaving the hospital face a number of unique challenges and obstacles where additional support and assistance are valuable in maintaining functioning. During the post-hospital transition, individuals are often starting new therapies or could benefit from additional services. In TOP, we provide patients with personalized help during the initial weeks and months following discharge. This increased contact and follow-up helps to ensure that the transition will go smoothly and that patients’ mental health and substance use goals will continue to be addressed.

Our Treatment Philosophy

We have a team-based approach to care and believe that it is important to support the personalized recovery goals of each patient. We strive to ensure that individuals have the services that will make their recovery most successful and that they are provided with extra support during this period of transition. We seek to assist patients in identifying and treating all the areas that promote recovery, including the biological, psychological, and social factors that lead to long-term success.

Customized services for each TOP member:

We offer services to address a patient’s mental health and substance use needs based on evidence-based practices that lead to proven results. Patients may receive one or more recommended services based on their individual needs and treatment goals.

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  • Individualized counseling with a licensed therapist
  • Ongoing medication evaluation and management
  • A range of case management services including:
    • Finding long-term outpatient providers to continue therapy and medication management
    • Applying for benefits such as SNAP, SSI, SSDI, HealthSourceRI, TDI, and Unemployment
    • Applying for subsidized housing
    • Finding a primary care doctor
    • Connecting with community resources such as area senior centers, volunteer jobs, and NetworkRI
    • Connecting with support services to help with substance use

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island

Butler Hospital is partnering with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) to offer the TOP program to its adult members following a hospitalization.

  • The TOP program offers its members short-term case management services in addition to medication and counseling.
  • If a patient’s plan has a deductible, the monthly co-payment will apply after they have met their deductible.
  • We will work with each person to estimate the total cost of the deductible, co-payment, or coinsurance before enrolling in TOP.

Meet the Team

Brandon Gaudiano, Ph.D.

Program Director and Staff Psychologist

Dr. Gaudiano received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He also is Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a Research Psychologist at the Providence VA Medical Center. Dr. Gaudiano has spent his career researching and implementing novel therapies to address the needs of those transitioning between levels of care, such as the time immediately following a psychiatric hospitalization. A licensed psychologist for 15 years, he is an expert in cognitive behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness.

Mary-Kate Earley, PMHNP-BC

Mary-Kate studied at the University of Rhode Island where she obtained her bachelor’s degrees in both Nursing and Psychology, and later received her master’s in Nursing at Regis College specializing in psychiatric mental health. She has been working at Butler Hospital since 2013 in both the inpatient and emergency department settings, and previously worked in intensive care medicine. Mary-Kate recently joined the Butler Transitional Outpatient Program, where she continuously strives to bridge the gap between medical and psychiatric nursing, in an effort to foster wellness and promote healing.

Marybeth Ferretti, LMHC

Marybeth is a licensed mental health counselor who enjoys helping her clients enhance their sense of self-worth and gain a positive outlook. She began her journey as a therapist when she was an associate pastor at her church and counseled both individuals and couples from a faith-based perspective. She also enjoys helping people overcome the debilitating effects of trauma and abuse and strives to tailor her interventions to the specific needs of each person. Outside of work, she enjoys Bible study, playing the guitar and piano, and having fun with her cat Bella.

Michelle Nadeau-Hicks

Michelle has been in human services for 10 years and the last 8 years as a case manager in the behavioral health field. Michelle has her degree in adventure therapy from a small environmental college. One of the main reasons Michelle enjoys being a case manager is helping others find resources in their local community. She often meets clients outside “office settings” in their local community, because sometimes getting to the office can be a barrier to getting treatment started. Michelle’s approach indoors or outdoors involves focusing on a person’s strengths and helping them contribute their strengths to their local community.

Karen Norton

Karen has been a case manager in the behavioral health field for 15 years, starting at a community mental health center and working for the last seven years at HealthPath, a Butler outpatient program. Karen enjoys using her knowledge of Rhode Island resources, as well as kindness, validation, and a dash of humor in assisting clients with their needs.