Governor DeWine Recognizes OhioRISE
Three-Year Milestone
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) Director Maureen Corcoran recognize the three-year anniversary of Ohio Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence (OhioRISE), a specialized managed care behavioral health program.
Governor DeWine launched OhioRISE in July 2022 to address long-standing gaps in care for Ohio’s young people with the most complex needs. OhioRISE brings together state agencies and community support to create a statewide network of care management entities to help Ohio families manage and coordinate the care their child needs.
“OhioRISE is giving hope to children and families who have faced enormous challenges," said Governor DeWine. “This program is another example of our commitment to ensure all children have the resources they need to reach their full potential. Today we celebrate the progress OhioRISE has made in three years, and we look forward to even more growth in the years ahead.”
OhioRISE has changed the way tens of thousands of Ohio children, youth, and families are navigating complex behavioral health challenges. When OhioRISE launched, 5,500 youth were receiving behavioral health services through Medicaid, like home-based intensive care. In the first three years, OhioRISE has expanded its reach to provide services for nearly 50,000 youth.
Collaboration between state and local programs combine expertise across systems to provide services that help kids thrive at home, at school, and in their communities while keeping families together and reducing the need for hospitalization and out-of-state care. OhioRISE collaborates with 18 regional care management entities (CMEs) through Aetna Better Health of Ohio. Individual care coordinators serve as community-based experts to help Ohio families with personalized case management to better meet every child’s emotional, behavioral, and physical needs.
“OhioRISE is not a one-size-fits-all program. It is about building capacity in communities, empowering families, and developing services that meet each child where they are from the most rural areas to our largest cities,” said ODM Director Maureen Corcoran. “Together, we are changing the life trajectory for these young people and their families.”
Impact on Families
Rochelle Montes, of West Chester, Ohio, was recently connected to OhioRISE and a care coordinator through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital after her autistic teen had a crisis that impacted the family.
“Had we not had that crisis happen I don’t know that we would have known about OhioRISE,” said Rochelle Montes. “They came to our home and assessed my son and it was not long before I could start to see the pieces fall together with what OhioRISE had to offer, and it was such a blessing to our family and just what we needed.”
Growing Services
In its third year, OhioRISE is working to meet the growing needs of youth and families. Through partnership with Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Governor DeWine and ODM announced the statewide expansion of Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) earlier this year. MRSS will be available in all of Ohio’s 88 counties to provide rapid, in-person crisis response and follow up care within 60 minutes of a call.
Other important services have also grown in the last three years. Intensive Home-Based Treatment is now available in 77 of Ohio's 88 counties. Additionally, more than 150 organizations and family-selected individuals have enrolled to provide behavioral health respite, or short-term relief, to caregivers in home and community-based settings. Since its launch, OhioRISE has also opened three in-state psychiatric residential treatment facilities to provide treatment for the most intensive level of care, which was previously only accessible in facilities out of state.
Families interested in learning about eligibility should contact the Aetna OhioRISE Member Hotline at 833-711-0773, or visit OhioRISE at managedcare.medicaid.ohio.gov/OhioRISE.
About OhioRISE
Launched in July 2022, OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence) is a first-of-its-kind statewide Medicaid managed care program designed to serve youth with complex behavioral health needs. OhioRISE integrates care across multiple child-serving systems, helping families navigate challenges that span schools, mental health, developmental disabilities, child protection, and juvenile justice. OhioRISE is a cornerstone of Governor DeWine's Children's Initiative lead by ODM with support from state agencies that make up the Governor's Family and Children First Cabinet Council.
Additional Media Contact:
Ohio Department of Medicaid
Stephanie O'Grady, Communications Director
614-357-7698 | Stephanie.O'[email protected]
-30-
|
