Lighthouse Helping Implement First-of-Its-Kind Program in Ohio

FEBRUARY 23, 2022 —  Lighthouse Youth & Family Services is ready to do the hard work of helping implement a first-of-its-kind program in Ohio for young people with complex needs.

The program, called OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence), provides the systemic change that parents have waited for in Ohio.

The initiative creates new access to in-home and community-based services for young people with severe behavioral health needs involved with multiple systems such as juvenile courts, child protection services, and developmental disabilities services.

“Our goal is making sure children with the most complex needs receive the right kind of care, in their hometowns, surrounded by families and communities they know and trust,” said Maureen Corcoran, Director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid.

Lighthouse Youth & Family Services is among the 20 organizations statewide selected to be a Care Management Entity (CME) to build a local system of care. Lighthouse will serve youth and families in western Hamilton County. Click here to read the state’s announcement and see the entire list of CMEs.

“Lighthouse is proud to be among the small group of organizations chosen to launch OhioRISE,” said Paul Haffner, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This program is a great example of how we’re leading the way in creating a community where every young person has the opportunity to thrive.”

CMEs are essential to the success of OhioRISE. They will be responsible for coordinating care for a child: bringing together schools, behavioral health providers, juvenile services, hospitals, and other systems to provide what the child needs.

“Our decades of experience providing expert services, coordinating care for young people and the families that surround them, and building partnerships mean we’re prepared to implement OhioRISE,” said Jodi Harding, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. “Over the next few months, Lighthouse will establish a true collaboration of provider agencies, each with a strong footprint and excellent reputation of providing quality care to youth and families in our community.”

OhioRISE:

• Is centered on the needs of the child.
• Involves the youth and family in creating a comprehensive plan to reach their goals with coordinated care.
• Wraps all the programs that kids and families need around them.

Lighthouse is working with the following partner agencies:

• Best Point Education & Behavioral Health
• National Youth Advocate Program
• New Path Youth & Family Services
• Pressley Ridge
• Talbert House

Under OhioRISE, youth and families covered by Medicaid will be able to take advantage of intensive treatments and coordinated care paid for by Medicaid without the requirement that the state pays for everything.

Why is this important? Until now, parents have had to surrender custody of their children to get them the required, unaffordable care they needed.

Who is eligible for OhioRISE?

• Ages 0-20
• Enrolled in Ohio Medicaid, either managed care or fee for service
• In need of significant behavioral health services

OhioRISE is part of the revamped and reformed Medicaid system that will launch in July. Aetna is the health insurance company overseeing the program.

While some children and youth will be automatically enrolled into OhioRISE when the program goes live, most kids will enroll as their needs are assessed during the program’s first year. CMEs and other service providers will scale their capacity over time.

Click here to learn more about OhioRISE.

Click here for answers to frequently asked questions.