Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-1.10-3. Powers assumed by department

(1) Plan, establish, and maintain treatment programs as necessary or desirable;

(2) Make contracts necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers, including contracts with public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals to pay them for services rendered or furnished to alcoholics or intoxicated persons;

(3) Solicit and accept for use any gift of money or property made by will or otherwise, and any grant of money, services, or property from the federal government, the state, or any political subdivision of the state or any private source, and do all things necessary to cooperate with the federal government or any of its agencies in making an application for any grant;

(4) Administer or supervise the administration of the provisions relating to alcoholics and intoxicated persons of any state plan submitted for federal funding pursuant to federal health, welfare, or treatment legislation;

(5) Coordinate its activities and cooperate with alcoholism programs in this and other states, and make contracts and other joint or cooperative arrangements with state, local, or private agencies in this and other states for the treatment of alcoholics and intoxicated persons and for the common advancement of alcoholism programs;

(6) Keep records and engage in research and the gathering of relevant statistics;

(7) Do other acts and things necessary or convenient to execute the authority expressly granted to it;  and

(8) Acquire, hold, or dispose of real property or any interest in real property, and construct, lease, or otherwise provide treatment facilities for alcoholics and intoxicated persons.