STEUBENVILLE – The care coordinators of OhioRISE are prepared to take care of themselves while helping others. The newest staffers learned what to do in event of an emergency when they participated in a self-defense course late July from Powers Defensive Tactics.
Jefferson County Educational Service Center (JCESC) OhioRISE is a Medicaid managed care program for children and youth with complex behavioral health and multisystem needs in Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, Stark and Tuscarawas Counties and operated by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center. OhioRISE was formed to coordinate resources and put families in touch with what is available.
OhioRISE Director Courtney Mason said since its inception in 2022, OhioRISE’s training for care coordinators has included a course in self-defense. Mason said there were two recent session and about 15 care coordinators attended each.
“Once a year, new care coordinators will get registered to attend this safety training,” she said. “The training is to learn some self-defense and safety precautions to keep yourself safe. They learn basic things like how to use pepper spray.”
The course also covered use of a kubotan self-defense implement, and care coordinators were paired off and trained in how to fight back against an aggressor. Mason said her staff found the experience invaluable.
“The training includes many interesting things for our staff to learn,” she said. “Hopefully they never have to use it, but they have the information.”
Mason added a care coordinator’s duties take them to a wide variety of places, and the families they help are often facing many different circumstances.
“We do go into the homes and some of the time we are meeting our members for the first time. So this training builds our knowledge on how to keep ourselves safe.”
Some of their best tools are observation and awareness of their situations. They were taught ways to reduce their vulnerability, including methods as simple as if you are wearing a lanyard that it is detachable and could not be grabbed and used to choke.
She noted some warning signs when entering a new client’s home include an emotionally charged atmosphere and signs of anxiety that might indicate an argument has occurred recently. Care coordinators are also cognizant that everyone reacts differently.
Mason said thankfully her care coordinators have not encountered many incidents.
“We could see yelling, arguments when we’re in the home,” she said. “We have done de-escalation trainings so we know what to look for.”
She added the mission of a care coordinator calls for them to meet families where they are.
“We go into the homes. We meet members in the community. We work with them and their team on their behavioral and mental health needs and goals. We make referrals to outside agencies and community partners as part of action steps of goals created on care plans.”
Part of this includes developing crisis and safety plans.
Mason said there are now mobile response and stabilization services (MRSS) in all of the counties where OhioRISE operates. Care coordinators use these when a crisis might arise.
Care coordinator supervisor Jason Headley attended the course and has taken past trainings. He noted the importance of people in social services being able to defend themselves.
“It was a great class going through,” he said. “A lot of informative stuff. What to do, what not to do. I really enjoyed it.”
He brings a background as a law enforcement dispatcher and knows the importance of his care coordinators having the skills to protect themselves and the people around them.
He agreed their families are working through a variety of situations.
“You don’t know what you’re walking into sometimes,” he said. “It was a huge help. A huge benefit. Especially for some of the people who are new to this type of work, new to going into peoples’ homes, new with dealing with mental health issues.”
Headley noted another advantage was the group setting, which allowed a venue for the care coordinators to discuss possible situations and how to react.
Mason is proud of her care coordinators, adding they are always conscientious in evaluating their clients’ needs and coordinating with service providers in a “wraparound” approach to meet the young person’s unique situation. The care coordinators can go forward with confidence, equipped to take care of themselves while helping others.
“I’m thankful that our staff get the opportunity to learn these skills. I think that it’s important.”
She said OhioRISE will be active in upcoming Back to School events as the school year starts up, and care coordinators are expecting an increase in referrals. Demand is high and they will continue to hire care coordinators.
“We’re still growing.”
To learn more about OhioRISE, call 740-792-4011, email ohiorise.info@jcesc.org or visit OhioRISE online at https://www.jcesc.k12.oh.us/CareManagementEntity.aspx.
