DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A plan is in motion to help parents who can’t afford to pay for their child’s mental and behavioral health treatment.
For years, many parents resorted to the heartbreaking solution of giving up custody of their child so the state could pay for that treatment.
Now, a new program is making it possible for more families to stay together.
OhioRISE coordinates all-around behavioral and mental health services aimed at keeping kids away from inpatient care facilities that have been putting parents of a child in a tough spot.
“They may get to the point where if it’s thousands of dollars a month or even in some cases thousands of dollars in a week, that the only alternative they have is to give their child over to the custody of the state,” Maureen Corcoran, Ohio Medicaid director, said.
That’s what Medicaid’s OhioRISE program works to prevent. It all begins with an assessment to see if a child qualifies and to determine the best care plan for the child moving forward. As the most important thing is keeping children with their families.
More than 400 children in Montgomery and Preble counties are enrolled in OhioRISE, which helps kids with a variety of issues.
“I also think that we have youth that are that are also struggling with trauma and other things that are going on,” Amanda Resler of Choices Coordinated Care Solutions said. “So, we can get in and start looking at that whole situation, the whole family and all the components. We’re able to help connect them with the right services and the right providers to come in to work with that family, in that youth.”
Resler says there more services the area does need but progress is being made and that’s encouraging for families.
More information about the OhioRISE program can be found here.
