Comprehensive Behavioral Health Support for Youth With Complex Needs
What Is the Ohio Rise Program?
The Ohio Rise Program (Resilience Through Integrated Systems and Excellence) is a state initiative designed to support youth with serious behavioral health challenges and multi-system needs. The program helps children and adolescents access coordinated care across behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile justice, developmental disability services, and schools.
The Ohio Center for Adolescent Wellness (OHCAW) is now in network with the Ohio Rise Program, allowing eligible families to receive expanded services, improved care coordination, and stronger continuity of care.
Ohio Rise Program at a Glance:
- Supports youth ages 0–20
- Designed for young people with significant mental health, substance use, or multi-system needs
- Provides intensive care coordination, crisis support, in-home services, and specialized treatment
- Ensures families receive wraparound support across all care providers
Understanding the Need for the Ohio Rise Program
Many families of adolescents with complex mental health needs experience frustration navigating fragmented systems. A child may receive therapy through one provider, crisis services through another, school support through a separate team, and case management through yet another agency. Without coordination, care plans can become inconsistent, delayed, or ineffective.
The Ohio Rise Program was created to address these gaps by offering a single, integrated system of care. Rather than forcing families to coordinate services on their own, Ohio Rise ensures that every provider involved in a child’s care communicates, collaborates, and works toward shared goals. This approach reduces duplication, improves outcomes, and helps families feel supported rather than overwhelmed.
For adolescents with serious emotional disturbances, co-occurring substance use concerns, trauma histories, or developmental challenges, this level of coordination can be life-changing.
Who Is Eligible for the Ohio Rise Program?
Youth may qualify for the Ohio Rise Program if they:
- Are enrolled in Ohio Medicaid (managed care or fee-for-service)
- Are between 0 and 20 years old
- Have complex behavioral health needs
- Require support from multiple systems (child welfare, juvenile justice, developmental disability services, etc.)
- Have been recently hospitalized or are at risk of out-of-home placement
- Score within qualifying ranges on the CANS assessment (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths)
Families do not need a hospital stay or court involvement to qualify. Many adolescents with mental health challenges who need higher-level support may be eligible.
If you are unsure whether your child qualifies, OHCAW can help guide you through the screening and referral process.
How the Ohio Rise Program Works
Ohio Rise uses a “system of care” model, meaning support is coordinated across every system involved in a young person’s life. Instead of navigating services alone, families are supported by a Care Management Entity (CME) that leads planning and communication.
Key Components of the Ohio Rise System:
- CANS Assessment
Determines eligibility and identifies strengths and needs. - Care Coordination
Families are assigned a care coordinator who builds a personalized care plan. - Child and Family Team (CFT)
Brings together parents, therapists, school professionals, caseworkers, and anyone else supporting the youth. - Integrated and wraparound support
Ensures all providers communicate and work toward unified goals. - Crisis stabilization
Helps families manage behavioral health crises without unnecessary hospitalization.
Family-Centered and Strengths-Based Care
A core principle of the Ohio Rise Program is that families are active partners in treatment, not passive recipients of services. Care plans are built around a youth’s strengths, interests, cultural background, and personal goals, not just their diagnoses or symptoms.
Through the Child and Family Team (CFT), caregivers have a voice in:
- Treatment planning and service selection
- Crisis prevention strategies
- School and community supports
- Transition planning and long-term goals
This strengths-based approach helps adolescents build confidence, develop coping skills, and maintain progress beyond formal treatment.
Ohio Rise Program Services
Youth enrolled in the Ohio Rise Program have access to a wide range of specialized services that go beyond standard Medicaid mental health benefits.
Care Coordination (Three Levels)
- Moderate
- Intensive
- Intensive Home-Based
Assigned based on clinical need and complexity.
Mobile Response & Stabilization Services (MRSS)
Immediate crisis support is available to stabilize emotional or behavioral crises at home or in the community.
Intensive Home-Based Treatment (IHBT)
Family-centered, in-home therapy for adolescents with severe or persistent mental health challenges.
Behavioral Health Respite
Short-term relief for caregivers while ensuring supervision and support for the youth.
Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Access
When clinically appropriate, the program helps qualifying youth receive residential treatment in the least restrictive environment possible.
Primary Flex Funds
Special funding for needs not covered by other programs, such as:
- Transportation
- Adaptive equipment
- Skill-building supplies
- Short-term practical supports
Traditional Medicaid Behavioral Health Services Continue
Youth still receive access to:
- Outpatient therapy
- Substance use counseling
- Psychiatric services
- Group therapy
- Medication management
Continuity of Care Across Transitions
Transitions, such as discharge from inpatient care, stepping down from intensive services, or changes in school placement. are often the most vulnerable periods for youth. Ohio Rise places a strong emphasis on continuity of care, ensuring that no child loses support during critical transitions.
Care coordinators help:
- Prevent service gaps
- Adjust care plans as needs change
- Coordinate follow-up appointments
- Support families during crises or major life changes
By maintaining consistent oversight, the Ohio Rise Program reduces the likelihood of repeated hospitalizations or emergency interventions.
How to Enroll in the Ohio Rise Program Through OHCAW
The first step toward enrollment is the CANS assessment, which determines whether a young person qualifies for the program.
Step-by-Step Enrollment Process
- Contact OHCAW to discuss your child’s mental health needs.
- Complete a referral or request a screening.
- CANS assessment is conducted by a qualified professional.
- If eligible, your child is enrolled in Ohio Rise.
- Your family is connected with a Care Management Entity.
- A personalized care plan is created with your Child and Family Team.
- Services begin immediately based on the level of need.
Families, schools, pediatricians, hospitals, caseworkers, or community partners can all make referrals.
Why the Ohio Rise Program Matters
The Ohio Rise Program helps close gaps in traditional mental health care by ensuring that youth with the most complex needs don’t fall through the cracks.
Program Goals:
- Reduce out-of-home placements
- Strengthen family stability
- Improve coordination between systems
- Support youth in remaining safely at home and in school
- Promote long-term mental health and resilience
For many families, Ohio Rise is the support system they’ve been searching for, one that finally brings all providers together.
Collaboration With Schools and Community Partners
Academic stress and school-based challenges often play a significant role in adolescent mental health. Ohio Rise recognizes this and encourages collaboration with schools, teachers, and educational support teams when appropriate.
This coordination may include:
- Supporting IEP or 504 planning
- Aligning treatment goals with school expectations
- Addressing attendance or behavioral concerns
- Advocating for accommodations that support emotional regulation and learning
When schools and treatment providers work together, youth are more likely to experience stability both academically and emotionally.
Why Early Intervention Matters
While Ohio Rise supports youth with high levels of need, early identification and intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes. Adolescents who receive coordinated, intensive support earlier are more likely to:
- Remain in their homes and communities
- Avoid repeated crises or hospitalizations
- Strengthen family relationships
- Develop lasting emotional regulation and coping skills
If your child’s mental health needs feel “bigger than outpatient therapy alone,” the Ohio Rise Program may be an appropriate next step.
How OHCAW Supports Youth Through the Ohio Rise Program
Because OHCAW is now in network with the Ohio Rise Program, we offer:
- Comprehensive mental health evaluations
- Outpatient therapy (individual, family, group)
- Treatment planning aligned with the Child & Family Team
- Coordination with care managers, schools, and other providers
- Support through transitions of care
- Integrated behavioral health and wellness services
Families gain access to both the breadth of Ohio Rise and the specialized expertise of OHCAW.
A Trusted Partner in Ohio Rise Care
At The Ohio Center for Adolescent Wellness, we understand how complex it can feel to seek help, especially when your child is struggling. As an Ohio Rise Program in-network provider, OHCAW is committed to walking alongside families with compassion, clinical expertise, and clarity.
Our team works closely with care coordinators, families, and community partners to ensure every adolescent receives care that is coordinated, individualized, and developmentally appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Ohio Rise Program
What ages does the Ohio Rise Program serve?
Youth ages 0–20.
Does my child need to be hospitalized to qualify?
No. Many children qualify based on behavioral needs alone.
What is the CANS assessment?
A standardized tool used to determine needs, strengths, and program eligibility.
Does Ohio Rise replace my child’s Medicaid benefits?
No. It adds enhanced behavioral health services while your regular Medicaid plan remains intact.
Can OHCAW help me start enrollment?
Yes. OHCAW can guide you through the referral and assessment process.
Resources:
https://managedcare.medicaid.ohio.gov/managed-care/ohiorise
Get Started With Ohio Rise at OHCAW
If your child is struggling with significant behavioral health challenges, help is available. OHCAW is proud to support families through the Ohio Rise Program and connect youth with the comprehensive, compassionate care they deserve.
Contact OHCAW today to schedule an assessment or learn whether your child may qualify.
