Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Medicaid's Director, Maureen Corcoran, commemorated a significant milestone for OhioRISE – Ohio Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence – marking its third anniversary as an innovative approach to managing behavioral health care for the state's youth, as reported on the Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's website. Launched in July 2022, OhioRISE set out to fill the expansive gaps in care for those with particularly complex needs, blending resources from various sectors to forge a network aimed at providing comprehensive care.
Since its inception, OhioRISE has evolved from serving an initial 5,500 young individuals in Ohio on Medicaid, the evolution of its reach has been such providing services to an estimated 50,000 youth; they offer intensive home-based care among other services, and Governor DeWine praised the effort stating, “OhioRISE is giving hope to children and families who have faced enormous challenges,” also touting the initiative as reflective of the state's commitment to its children's potential in a statement obtained by the Ohio Governor's official news release. The program’s achievement is partly due to its collaborative nature, fusing state and local effort, each adding layers of expertise to a service model designed to let children flourish in their communities.
One such case is Rochelle Montes, a West Chester resident, who only became aware of OhioRISE following a severe crisis involving her autistic teenager; she found timely support through the program. "Had we not had that crisis happen I don’t know that we would have known about OhioRISE," Montes told the Ohio Governor's website, revealing the program's critical impact during her family's time of need. It was not long before seeing how the offered services would benefit them, calling it a blessing.
Three years along, OhioRISE isn’t just standing still, it’s ever-growing, aiming to stretch its services across Ohio's 88 counties; services include the Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) for on-the-spot crisis intervention and Intensive Home-Based Treatment, reaching 77 counties. With collaborations such as those with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, more than 150 entities are enlisted to provide caregivers with short-term respite, and OhioRISE has even established three in-state psychiatric treatment facilities—services once sought beyond state lines, according to the Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's recent announcement. Families exploring eligibility for OhioRISE can direct their inquiries to the Aetna OhioRISE Member Hotline or by visiting the program's website, as outlined in their online guide.
