Reviving Mental Health Care in Rhode Island

Akos Antwi ’14 was working as a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner when she noticed a chronic problem: a lack of mental health resources for individuals after discharge would lead to a revolving door of patients who would end up back at the hospital in renewed crisis. Building on a decade of nursing experience, Antwi partnered with her sister to go into private practice and fill part of the void they were seeing in Rhode Island.

Revive Therapeutic Services quickly emerged as a leading provider of behavioral health services in Rhode Island and Massachusetts with over 55 providers and 3,500 clients, creating a compassionate and streamlined environment for addressing all mental health needs.

“We wanted a place where the client would have options if they needed an additional service and they wouldn’t have to look elsewhere. They could just get that service in-house,” Antwi says. Revive supports each client’s journey to wellness by creating a “one-stop shop” approach, battling waitlists, and eliminating the stress that can come from finding multiple providers.

Clinical rotations at URI’s Nursing Education Center ignited Antwi’s passion for psychiatry when a professor connected her to Butler Hospital to work part-time during school. She continues to stay connected to URI, and in 2024 she received a 10 Under 10 award from the URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement. Honoring her dedication to the field of nursing and compassionate approach in her work that has helped countless individuals overcome mental health challenges and achieve their full potential.

Her work is currently expanding into wellness workshops that support the community and encourage them to think bigger about mental health and wellness—especially among healthcare professionals. She’s hoping to encourage care providers to prioritize their own mental health to keep the field of healthcare fueled by passionate people like herself. “I just want to make sure that everybody knows we’re out here,” she says. “We’re here to help, even if you don’t reach out to us. There’s always someone around that you can reach out to. Don’t be afraid to just do it.”