Understanding OhioRISE: What Families Need to Know About Accessing and Navigating Support

Written By ElevateDD
Image is a graphic which includes Jessica's headshot and the title of her blog.

By Jessica Horowitz-Moore, Deputy Director, Children’s Health Engagement, Ohio Department of Medicaid

Raising a child with complex needs should never feel like a journey you have to navigate alone. A teacher, an intervention specialist, a primary care doctor, a behavioral health therapist, a service and support administrator (SSA), and a social worker are just a few of the professionals who can be part of your support network. But how do you bring all these individuals together to talk about your child when they work for different organizations, have never met one another, and each have their own specialty?

Bringing this team together is the magic of OhioRISE.

Just ask Samarra. Before OhioRISE, she wouldn't get out of bed, wouldn't talk to her friends or family, and life felt draining. That all changed when her doctor referred her to OhioRISE. With the right care, support, and resources behind her, Samarra is back to her happy self. Today, she's an all-star competition cheerleader. You can hear her tell her story in the video below.

Samarra is one of tens of thousands. Since July 2022, OhioRISE has changed the lives of Ohio families navigating the most complex behavioral health challenges. So how does it work?

What is OhioRISE?

OhioRISE is a specialized Ohio Medicaid program for youth with complex behavioral health needs and works with multiple community systems. Many of these kids are connected to services like juvenile justice, child protection, developmental disabilities, education, mental health, and addiction services. OhioRISE brings all of these systems together so everyone is working as a team. By coordinating care across agencies, the program helps families access community-based services that help children thrive at home, at school, and in their communities while keeping families together and reducing the need for hospitalization and out-of-state care.

How does OhioRISE bring the systems together?

An OhioRISE Care Coordinator is assigned to a child to support and guide their whole-child needs using a high-fidelity wraparound approach. The care coordinator brings together the Child and Family Care Team, which includes the child, their caregivers, the professionals involved in their care, their teachers, and any other trusted adults the family choose to include.

This team works together to develop a treatment plan that meets the child’s needs, keeping the child and family at the center of every decision.

Who is eligible for OhioRISE?

Children or youth who:

  • Are eligible for Ohio Medicaid (either managed care or fee-for-service) or are eligible for an OhioRISE waiver.

  • Are aged 0–20 at the time of enrollment.

  • Show a need for help with behavioral health treatment, when an assessment called the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) is completed.

  • May qualify after a behavioral health-related hospital stay.

How do I learn more?

ElevateDD
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