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“New era of hope for Ohio;” DeWine announces launch of behavioral health program for children

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the introduction of a new program designed to help children with behavioral needs Friday.

Ohio Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence, or OhioRISE, is a Medicaid program that can fill gaps in available care for many families. The program accomplishes this goal by establishing network access to advanced mental health services.

“[OhioRISE] will help participating children build lasting skills to ensure their long-term success.,” said DeWine.

Mark Butler, a parent and program advocate, believes the service could be integral to many family dynamics.

“My wife and I were forced to surrender custody of our son Andrew to access necessary treatment for his extreme behavioral health needs,” said Butler. “The program would have helped us access the care Andrew needed without us surrendering custody of our child.”

The Ohio Department of Medicaid has already identified 5,500 juveniles that may immediately access the OhioRISE’s services. The department projects 50,000 new users to to the program this year, and is working to further expand access to care.

“OhioRISE has been years in the making and symbolizes a new era of hope for Ohio families,” said Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran. “OhioRISE is our commitment to every family throughout the state, to have access to dedicated, behavioral health resources and a team of experts who will assemble and coordinate local supports for our children who need it most.”

Medicaid has proactively enrolled children in the custody of child service agencies, as well as those receiving residential treatment or have been admitted to inpatient hospital care.

Families interested in learning about eligibility should contact Aetna OhioRISE Member Hotline at 833-711-0773.


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