OhioRISE joined with other care agencies to offer resources for families grappling with addiction and other issues during an Operation BRIDGE Day July 18. Care coordinator Vicky Filtz was on site at Fifth Street for the open-air health fair with the goal of helping people to connect with community services.
The goal of the statewide Operation BRIDGE, or Bridging Recovery and Interdiction Data Gathering Enforcement, is to build connections between law enforcement and treatment and recovery. Filtz took the opportunity to strengthen relationships with other agencies and the public and to share information.
Jefferson County Educational Service Center (JCESC) OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence) is a Medicaid managed care program for children and youth with complex behavioral health and multisystem needs in Jefferson, Monroe, Stark, Tuscarawas, Harrison, Columbiana, Belmont and Carroll 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.
“We want to be the link that provides them the connections with the community resources that they need,” Filtz said. She said OhioRISE helps agencies and organizations compliment their services to meet a child’s needs without working at cross-purposes or covering the same ground. “We want to make sure that all the entities aren’t working in silos. We want to make sure everyone’s working together to support the family in a well-rounded manner.”
A steady crowd moved through the street. Filtz spoke to many grandparents who asked for information that might benefit their grandchildren. After speaking with Filtz, one pair said they were looking for more resources for a child with special needs.
Members of the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board assisted in organizing the event and welcomed OhioRISE. Lori Colian, director of treatment and supportive services, said OhioRISE continues to be a strong partner.
“We have a good relationship with OhioRISE in Columbiana County. Very much collaborative,” she said, adding in the two years since its inception, OhioRISE has been invaluable in care coordination. “Now that it’s a Medicaid-billable item, we’re able to serve more people through care coordination than we ever did before.”
Colian said OhioRISE also handles multisystem youth applications should a young person need any of a wide variety of resources.
“When we have some high-risk youth that might need some services, we have a great collaboration with OhioRISE. Their workers attend our meetings and locally we do a great job.”
Columbiana County Family and Children First Council Coordinator Steve Ullom was on-hand. The FCFC has formed a tight partnership with OhioRISE to offer resources for children. While the focus of the day’s event was substance issues, Ullom said addiction impacts the entire family and a broad range of providers is vital for a holistic approach.
“Kids don’t live in a vacuum,” he said. “Supporting the families, supporting the adults, also supports the kids.”
Amber Waller, representing the East Palestine Resiliency Center, is also a guidance counselor with Salem High School, where OhioRISE has filled many needs including helping provide in-home support, therapy, and case management for children and families.
“They’ve worked with students and families to help them find supports and services that extend beyond what they were currently getting. They’ve been very helpful,” she said. “Being in the home, providing that piece, has been pretty essential to help support the parents.”
Kelli Hephner, president of the Heroes and Halos non-profit organization that provides support to families of people with special needs in multiple counties, has also found OhioRISE an important resource.
“We do a lot of referrals to OhioRISE for some of our families who are having need of those services,” she said. “I love how Columbiana County FCFC and OhioRISE works together. We have some of our folks working with our families. It’s everybody working as a team to help these families out.”
Chaney Nezbeth, executive director of the Way Station community resource with a mission to help people out of poverty, said OhioRISE has gone the extra mile in obtaining beds and basic needs for children being moved from their parents’ home to another residence or foster care. Nezbeth said when the Way Station utilized grant funding to purchase beds, some OhioRISE staff assisted in picking up beds and mattresses.
Daryl Hersh, co-founder of Ozer Ministries said she has worked with OhioRISE to obtain resources for children on the autism spectrum.
“With a number of my clients that are low-income, OhioRISE has been very beneficial in offering support in getting sensory tools,” she said. “I really appreciate them.”
Anyone interested in becoming a Care Coordinator, please apply at https://jcescvla.bamboohr.com/careers/23.
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
