IN 1973 RHODE ISLAND REPORTED 79 DEATHS DUE TO SUICIDE, YIELDING A RATE OF 8 PER 100,000 PEOPLE, PLACING THE STATE BELOW THE NATIONAL RATE OF 12 PER 100,000. FROM 1969 TO 1973 (THE LATEST YEAR FOR WHICH FIGURES WERE AVAILABLE), RHODE ISLAND SUICIDE RATES WERE CONSISTENTLY THREE OR MORE POINTS BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. THERE ARE NO PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY ORIENTED TOWARD SUICIDE PREVENTION CURRENTLY OPERATING IN RHODE ISLAND; THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SIX AGENCIES OFFERING TELEPHONE INFORMATION, REFERRAL, AND CRISIS COUNSELING. THE WORK OF EACH OF THESE AGENCIES IS DESCRIBED, AND THE NUMBER OF SUICIDE CALLS RECEIVED BY EACH IS NOTED. FROM THIS REVIEW OF EXISTING SERVICES IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE AGENCY, THEY ARE NOT DEALING SIGNIFICANTLY WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING EMOTIONAL CRISIS, AND THEY RARELY RECEIVE SUICIDE CALLS. A QUOTED STUDY REPORTS THAT 15 PERCENT OF RHODE ISLAND'S POPULATION (APPROXIMATELY 150,000) MAY NEED SOME KIND OF PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE. WHILE STATISTICS DO NOT SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SERVICES DEALING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE PROBLEM OF SUICIDE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT A CENTRAL CRISIS INTERVENTION AND REFERRAL SERVICE BE ESTABLISHED TO STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEM TO PROVIDE MANY MORE PEOPLE WITH QUICK ACCESS TO IT WHEN THEY MOST NEED IT. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT SUCH A PROGRAM WOULD BE JOINTLY SUPPORTED BY UNITED WAY AND THE STATE. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS 1973 RHODE ISLAND SUICIDE STATISTICS BY AGE GROUP AND SEX. (RCB)