CLUB HEARS OF HELP FOR YOUTH — Kiwanian Treasurer Tom Timmons and Lindsay Brandon, director of the OhioRISE program, were among those attending the recent Kiwanis meeting. Brandon informed those in attendance exactly how OhioRISE helps those throughout the community. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — One of the many programs being offered by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center is the OhioRISE program.

This program is a specialized, Medicaid-managed care program which focuses on the area’a children and youth who have complex behavioral health and multi-system needs in an attempt to help.

During a recent Steubenville Kiwanis meeting, OhioRISE Director Lindsay Brandon spoke, providing information about what the program offers to those youth and children who are facing difficulties.

“Young people with multi-system needs often need support from multiple community systems, such as schools, developmental disabilities, child protection, juvenile justice and mental health and addiction,” Brandon explained.

The children and youth are given access to behavioral health benefits while enrolled in the OhioRISE program.

Who benefits from OhioRISE?

According to Brandon, the program is there to assist those who have multiple needs that result from behavior health challenges, along with those who have multi-system needs or who are at risk for deeper system involvement. It is there to also assist youth who are at risk of out-of-home placement or who are returning from out-of-home placement back to their families.

One’s physical health coverage will continue to be provided by their managed care organization or fee-for-service Medicaid while taking part in OhioRISE, Brandon noted.

Enrollees will have access to new and improved services and support, including intensive and moderate care coordination, improved intensive home-based treatment, in-state psychiatric residential treatment facilities, behavioral health respite, primary flex funds and mobile response and stabilization services, she noted.

Eligibility for OhioRISE includes those who meet the requirements to receive Medicaid services, those who are between the ages of birth and 20 and youth who require significant behavioral health treatment — which is measured using the Ohio Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment.

“Young people may also be eligible for OhioRISE due to certain urgent conditions,” officials stated. “For example, if a child or youth is in the hospital for behavioral health reasons.”

Since its launch three years ago, OhioRISE now serves nine times the number of children it originally helped, officials noted.

The program is “making major strides in supporting more youth and families in need.”

“More Ohio children than ever are being supported through the program that coordinates community resources to provide the best possible care for those facing complex mental and behavioral health needs,” officials stated.

OhioRISE has grown from 5,500 children on day one, to 49,454 children served today, according to statistics. In addition, the program serves more than 4,300 children who are in foster care.

Approximately 1,350 new care coordinators and supervisers have been added in all 88 counties throughout Ohio since its inception; and the number of program eligibility assessors total 4,000.

To learn how to obtain a CANS assessment or for additional information about OhioRISE, visit managedcare.medicaid,ohio.gov. The 24-hour crisis hotline phone number is (740) 792-4012.