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OhioRISE Together | Issue 04 | January 17, 2024
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What are your hopes and dreams for 2024? We want to hear from you!
The start of a new year is a natural time to stop and consider what we hope to achieve in the coming year. For this month’s feature of “In my own words,” we invite you to share, in your own words, what you aim for in 2024.
Because we know how busy everyone is, we’ve made it easy to share your thoughts. Simply click on the survey link, “What are your hopes and dreams for 2024? We want to hear from you!” type in the 2024 wishes you hold for yourself, your family, or your community, and hit “submit” on or before January 31, 2024. Responses will be shared in the next issue of RISE Together so we can all take part in supporting each other’s goals.
A couple of tips before you reply:
- Keep them simple. You’re more likely to achieve it.
- Make them meaningful to you personally. When goals or wishes support our own values and beliefs they’re easier to stick with.
- Share them with others who can and will support you.
- Check them throughout the year to see if they still apply, or better yet, to celebrate the progress made.
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A care coordinator from Cincinnati HealthVine worked closely with a member who struggles with their mental and behavioral health. The member and their family live in an area with limited community-based services for members with mental health needs. Due to the limited community-based services, the youth attended therapy via telehealth; however, this type of care did not address their specific needs. Based on these circumstances, the care coordinator created a tailored approach to successfully support the member and family.
The care coordinator recommended using an OhioRISE benefit, primary flex funds. OhioRISE youth and families can use primary flex funds to purchase services, equipment, or supplies that address a need in a Child and Family-Centered Care Plan, if they are not otherwise provided through Medicaid. The youth accessed primary flex funds to purchase a communication board and tablet. These tools greatly improved their communication with parents and decreased frequency of angry outbursts.
The care coordinator also made referrals for home-based therapy and secured an appointment for the member to have an updated psychiatric evaluation to monitor the member’s behavioral health. Based on this evaluation, their care team developed a new comprehensive strategy to help the member better manage mental health symptoms.
The member’s mom expressed appreciation for the youth’s care coordinator and the OhioRISE program. The member’s symptoms have decreased due to their improved coping mechanisms, and the member learned more effective communication skills by using the communication devices obtained through primary flex funds. The care coordinator’s attentiveness and member centric approach has helped the member to make significant progress in their care journey.
Learn more about OhioRISE and Cincinnati HealthVine’s partnership by visiting the Cincinnati HealthVine Youth and Family Services webpage and learn more about OhioRISE services by visiting the OhioRISE webpage.
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National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP) is a proud partner of the OhioRISE program, currently serving enrolled OhioRISE youth and families in eleven counties as a care management entity (CME). NYAP’s mission prioritizes keeping families together, reuniting families, and supporting positive youth and family development. As the CME Director of OhioRISE for NYAP, the core value that stands out to me is our commitment to children first. I believe this value aligns with the goals of the OhioRISE program which allows us to maintain a strong partnership.
How we work
We are committed to collaborating with community partners to support existing programs and creatively reduce service gaps, including those related to behavioral health. To serve our eleven counties in rural Ohio, we focus on simplifying our communications and offering meaningful support. We place staff in County Job and Family Services offices to serve as the OhioRISE liaison, introduce Functional Family Therapy to Logan County, participate in the Allen County Juvenile Court Program and Services Advisory Board, and provide Intensive Home-Based Therapy through a relationship with United Methodist Children’s Home in Clark County.
With humble thanks
Supporting children and youth who face overwhelming mental and behavioral challenges requires strength, passion, commitment, and hope of every person and organization involved. NYAP and the OhioRISE program could not be what they are today without our community champions. We thank you for your partnership and look forward to working to ensure every Ohio child and young person has opportunity to thrive.
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In November 2023, Ohio’s first PRTF (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility) began providing services in Grove City, Ohio. This facility serves twelve Ohio youth ages 12 – 17. PRTF is a special Medicaid program available only to children and youth who qualify for OhioRISE. PRTF is highly restrictive because it is the highest level of care for kids with the most complex behavioral health needs. PRTF offers these youth a more long-term program than an inpatient setting.
ODM, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addition Services (OhioMHAS), and Ohio’s child serving agencies have worked closely with the OhioRISE plan, Aetna Better Health of Ohio, Inc. (Aetna), to establish the PRTF service. “Under Governor Mike DeWine’s leadership, we have made great strides in increasing access to quality care and services for more of Ohio’s children and families,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “In my previous role, I was honored to be among the primary architects who helped stand up OhioRISE as a true cornerstone of Governor DeWine’s Children’s Initiative. As the new Director at OhioMHAS, I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Ohio Medicaid to successfully build out the essential components of behavioral health services for Ohio’s vulnerable youth and their families.”
ODM, OhioMHAS and Aetna have selected providers to extend Ohio’s continuum of care for youth with the most intensive behavioral health needs. Over the course of the next three years, we anticipate:
- 11 PRTFs strategically placed throughout Ohio.
- Capacity to serve about 100 children and youth, after the selected PRTF-providers complete licensing and contracting activities.
- Providers will be working with Aetna, ODM, OhioMHAS, and clinicians to refine the needed clinical and program capacities and may have major or minor capital revisions for their facilities.
Ohio will continue to assess capacity needs, with a priority on the expansion of PRTFs.
Director Cornyn added “OhioRISE and the PRTF program has attracted the attention of the federal government and other states that are focused on addressing the needs of complex youth. Much hard work has been done by working with our local partners and communities. We are committed to the hard work that remains to build crisis services and other intensive community supports, so every Ohio family can reach needed services.”
The youth’s Child and Family Team can request PRTF service through an OhioRISE care coordinator. Youth will be evaluated for medical necessity by the OhioRISE plan using PRTF clinical criteria. Aetna will refer youth to clinically appropriate PRTFs when PRTF services are deemed to be medically necessary. Since PRTF is a Medicaid service that is available through OhioRISE, Aetna makes PRTF referrals.
For any questions about PRTFs, contact OhioRISE Member Services at 833-711-0773 (TTY: 711). Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For available PRTF resources, visit the Aetna OhioRISE PRTF Resources webpage.
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The Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (CABH COE) at Case Western Reserve University, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM), is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Applications (RFA) to support the development of high-quality, state-wide access of Intensive Home-Based Treatment Models that are aligned with Ohio’s IHBT service delivery model. The CABH COE is providing grants for program start-up as well as training and technical assistance to eligible behavioral health providers proposing to create new or expand existing IHBT services.
Application submissions are to be electronically submitted as (1) PDF document by 5:00pm EST on February 2, 2024. Application submissions should be electronically submitted to: Heather.Distin@case.edu and Richard.Shepler@case.edu.
Questions regarding this RFA may be emailed to: Heather.Distin@case.edu.
You can review the full RFA and find more information on our socohio.org website.
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✔ Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment
To enroll in OhioRISE, a child or youth must be determined eligible for and enrolled in Medicaid. This document explains how to submit a Medicaid application to determine Medicaid eligibility.
✔ OhioRISE Eligibility: Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Assessment
Children and youth who may be eligible for OhioRISE must meet each of the following criteria:
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Are eligible for Ohio Medicaid (either managed care or fee-for-service).
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Are age 0-20.
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Require significant behavioral health treatment needs, measured using the CANS assessment.
Children and youth may also be eligible for OhioRISE due to certain urgent conditions. For example, if a child or youth is in a hospital for behavioral health reasons.
CANS is used to assess OhioRISE eligibility except for urgent enrollment because of a hospitalization. A CANS assessment is a tool that gathers the young person and family’s story to understand their needs and strengths, and to help determine the best ways to provide help.
To ask for a CANS assessment, you can contact any of the following:
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A local care management entity.
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A child or youth’s managed care organization.
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Aetna Better Health of Ohio.
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The Medicaid Consumer Hotline.
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Behavioral health providers or Family and Children First Councils, which may have a CANS assessor onsite or be able to link to one.
To find contact information for a CME to schedule a CANS assessment, click here.
Click here for more information about how to schedule a CANS assessment from your managed care organization, Ohio Medicaid, or Aetna, the OhioRISE plan.
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Are you interested in taking a community or provider training? Intensive and Moderate Care coordination training is available monthly, beginning in January!
Click here to register for the OhioRISE Community and Provider Training or to learn more about OhioRISE trainings.
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This month we recommend, “The Comfort Book” by Matt Haig. This book is for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement.
You can check out a digital copy on the Ohio Digital Library or find it at your local public library. Find the closest Ohio library near you here.
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If you or your family member is experiencing a mental health, behavioral health, or addiction crisis, know that the following resources are available to help.
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If you or someone close to you is experiencing a mental health or behavioral health crisis, call 1-888-418-MRSS (6777).
Families, youth, and young adults up to age 21 who are experiencing difficulties or distress can receive assistance within 60 minutes after contacting MRSS. You may also receive up to 42 days of intensive, in-home services and linkage to on-going supports.
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If you are experiencing a crisis, text “4hope” to 741741 from anywhere in Ohio, anytime.
Crisis Text Line is here for any crisis. A live, trained crisis counselor receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform. The volunteer crisis counselor will help you move from a hot moment to a cool moment.
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If you or someone close to you is experiencing a mental health or addiction crisis, call, text, or chat 988.
By contacting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, you will reach a trained call specialist who can offer help and support in your time of need.
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