Excel Academy offers free and confidential assistance to our families in a variety of areas, including information related to immigration services and access to benefits like health insurance.

Call 617-466-9384 to speak with the Excel Academy Benefits Access Team about health insurance, SNAP, or any other questions.

Comprehensive Support Services

UnitedWay 2-1-1 Rhode Island

  • Free and confidential resources for assistance with housing, food, childcare, and so much more.
  • When unable to obtain or research for local resources, families can dial 2-1-1 to be connected with a trained professional who has knowledge of all local resources.

Health Insurance

Medicaid/Medicare Insurance

  • Options included Affordable Care Coverage, Katie Beckett, Medicaid for Elders and Adults with Disabilities (EAD); and Sherlock, which is Medicaid for working people with disabilities. We also determine eligibility for the Medicare Premium Payment Program for those with federal Medicare.
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Health Source RI

  • HealthSource RI was created because buying health insurance is complicated. HealthSource RI helps to cut through the confusion and connect Rhode Islanders with affordable, high quality coverage.
  • The state’s official marketplace for health insurance coverage. That means they are your only source for getting tax credits to lower the cost of your health insurance. If you don’t get affordable health insurance through a job or a family member, you can obtain health insurance through HealthSource RI.
    • Location: 401 Wampanoag Trail, East Providence, RI, by appointment only, Phone 1-855-840-4774

Immigration Services

Refugee Assistance Program

  • Working with Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island and the Diocese of Providence, the two official resettlement agencies in the state, the Refugee Resettlement program helps refugees and their families obtain employment, economic self-sufficiency and social integration within the shortest possible time after their arrival in Rhode Island.
  • These services include resettlement and placement, cultural transition, language education, job development, and social services.

Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island

  • Immigration help, assistance and information for residence of Providence
  • Eligibility and How To Apply
  • Location: 220 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI; Phone 401-784-8600

Progreso Latino

  • Programs include adult education, bi-lingual early childhood education, senior services, health and wellness, workforce development, youth development, domestic violence intervention and prevention programs, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, immigration and social services, and emergency food relief.
  • Location: 626 Broad Street, Central Falls, RI; Phone 401-728-5920

Nutrition

SNAP-RI

  • SNAP, formerly called food stamps, is the nation’s largest program for fighting domestic hunger. Federally funded and state administered through the Department of Human Services (DHS), who are committed to providing low-income individuals and families with resources to purchase food.

P-EBT Cards

  • Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) is a special SNAP benefit granted by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to further help families during the COVID-19 global health crisis that started in the spring of 2020.
  • There is no application. DHS works with the Rhode Island Department of Education and schools throughout Rhode Island to determine who is eligible.

Tax Assistance

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) – various sites throughout the state

  • VITA is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) initiative providing free tax preparation services for under-served populations. It assists those earning $55,000/year, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speakers.

Providence Housing VITA Program

  • Low and middle-income Rhode Islanders can get free help filing their taxes and applying for tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
  • Free File through the RI Division of Taxation

Rental & Utilities Assistance

Rent Relief Rhode Island

  • Rhode Island renters having challenges covering rent and/or utility payments due the COVID-19 pandemic may qualify for up to 18 months of assistance through the new RentReliefRI program. The program can pay for rent and utilities owed back to April 1, 2020 and can also cover up to three months of upcoming rent.
  • Phone: 1-855-608-8795

  • LIHEAP – Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program.
  • LIHWAP – Low Income Home Water Assistance Program helps eligible low-income households afford and maintain access to drinking water and wastewater services through federal grants. One-time payments are made directly to the household’s utility company. Program is only available until September 2023 or until all funds are exhausted.
  • Rhode Island Energy (Electricity and Gas) Assistance
    • Program has 6 different programs for customers: Discount Rate, More Time to Pay, Forgiveness Plan, Budget Plan, Grant Program (HEAP), and Shut-off Protection

Legal Resources

Mental Health Resources

  • Adult – BHLINK – 975 Waterman Ave., East Providence, RI, 02915, Phone 401-414-LINK
    • This is a Triage Center for immediate help with a substance use or mental health crisis.

  • Children – KidsLINK – Bradley Access Center, 1011 Veterans Memorial Parkway, East Providence, RI 02915, Phone: 1-855-543-5465
    • Operated through Bradley Hospital and is accessible to families to triage next steps for children’s mental health treatment if needed

Victims of Crime

  • Victims Services through the Rhode Island Attorney General
    • One of the most critical functions of the Attorney General’s Office is to assist victims of the crimes for which the Office is seeking justice. We strive to help victims navigate and participate in the felony process, while ensuring that their rights are protected.

  • Crime Victims Compensation Program
    • If you or a loved one has been a victim of violent crime in Rhode Island, the Crime Victim Compensation Program (CVCP) may be able to help.
    • Eligibility and How to Apply
    • Contact Information: Office of the Rhode Island General Treasurer, 50 Service Ave, Warwick, RI 02886, Phone (401) 462-7655

  • If you are undocumented and have been a victim of domestic violence, or if you are a victim of domestic violence whose immigration status is dependent on your abuser, there may be protections in the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that can help you stay in the country safely.

Homelessness Resources

  • Crossroads of RI – The leading provider of housing and services to those experiencing homelessness in Rhode Island. Using the best practices Housing First Model, we strive to help homeless or at-risk individuals and families secure stable housing.
    • Crossroads uses a nationally-recognized model, the Coordinated Entry System, to help address homelessness in Rhode Island. Coordinated Entry is a standardized assessment and referral process that helps rapidly end each household’s homelessness by connecting them with appropriate shelter, housing and resources as quickly as possible.
      • Phone: 401-277-4316

The Coalition to End Homelessness – The Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness works collaboratively with advocates, providers, and faith-based organizations to create and advance lasting solutions to prevent and end homelessness

Additional Resources

Child Care Resources

  • The Starting RIght Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) program can subsidize the cost of child care for families that are residents of Rhode Island. CCAP is available for children who are US citizens or legal residents and under age 13. The age can be extended to 18 if the child has special needs.

General Public Assistance

  • The General Public Assistance (GPA) program provides time-limited cash assistance to adults 18 to 64 years of age who have very limited income and resources and an illness or medical condition that keeps them from working while awaiting SSI determination.
  • Funeral or Burial Services
    • The GPA program also funds funeral and burial services for GPA recipients and indigent individuals. The cost of burial services is limited to $900 and is reduced based on the income and resources of the deceased and any legally liable relatives.
    • Eligibility and How To Apply

McKinney-Vento Act Protections for Students Experiencing Homelessness

The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for children and youth experiencing homelessness. It provides rights and protections for homeless students, such as:

• Immediate Enrollment: Homeless children must be immediately enrolled in school, even if they lack the required documentation (e.g., proof of residency, immunization records).
• School of Origin: Homeless students have the right to remain in their “school of origin” (the school they attended before becoming homeless or the last school they attended) if it is in their best interest.
• Transportation: Schools are required to provide transportation to the school of origin upon request.
• Support Services: Schools must provide homeless students with access to the same programs and services available to other students, including special education, free school meals, and other support.

Who is covered by McKinney-Vento?

  • Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals.
  • Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
  • Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
  • Migratory children (as defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended) who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above

Rights provided under the McKinney-Vento Act:

  • Immediate Enrollment: Homeless children must be immediately enrolled in school, even if they lack the required documentation (e.g., proof of residency, immunization records).
  • School of Origin: Homeless students have the right to remain in their “school of origin” (the school they attended before becoming homeless or the last school they attended) if it is in their best interest.
  • Transportation: Schools are required to provide transportation to the school of origin upon request.
  • Support Services: Schools must provide homeless students with access to the same programs and services available to other students, including special education, free school meals, and other support.