CADIZ – For several years, OhioRISE and Harrison Hills City School District have enjoyed a partnership to the benefit of the area’s families. The program’s care coordinators are helping kick off the new school year by putting parents in touch with the support systems that will start their children off on the right foot.
Care coordinator Vicky Filtz was a welcome part of the district’s back-to-school drive Aug. 14. She said the relationship strengthens every year.
“It’s nice to be here for the past several years and support Harrison and their back-to-school efforts and be a resource. There’s a ton of providers around the room today that we work with on an ongoing basis to support our families.”
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 Harrison, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, 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.
The John W. Stephenson Center Gymnasium was packed and Filtz said OhioRISE was known to almost all resource providers present, whether reaching out to them for formal support for the kiddos or collaborating with them to get assistance for families.
“We know that referrals for our program pick up once school is back in session and folks are able to identify the need and get those folks connected to us, so we’re just ready and willing to provide a lending hand and support where it’s needed.”
The site immediately saw a rush of activity as families moved from one table to another. Filtz greeted them with a smile and ready answers to their questions about all OhioRISE offers.
“We had a great turnout,” Filtz said later. “We saw a lot of new and old faces that we’ve worked with in the past, and talked to a couple families that were interested in the support. It’s always good to be here and on-hand to give them a little bit of information so they can take those next steps to get assessed with us.”
The gathering was a great opportunity to make new connections.
“I talked to a lot of folks and parents that were employed in the mental health field,” she said. “They were inquiring about what the services looked like so they could connect to their folks.”
The care coordinators look forward to working with the educators of Harrison Hills.
“Some further education with staff about the program, next steps and what we can do to support them even more.”
Building Principal Ken Parker said between 600 and 1,000 people were expected to attend. He added OhioRISE was a natural choice to invite, since their abundance of support services dovetails with the district’s mission of educating the whole child.
Elementary Principal Stephanie McKinney said OhioRISE was a valuable partner and coordinates closely with teachers to help the younger students.
“I have already met with one of the case coordinators from OhioRISE, and we’ve already started working on getting services coordinated for the students that need those,” she said.
“We have definitely seen an increase in the services that OhioRISE coordinates, such as counseling and the mental health. We’re seeing an increase in that, so it’s great to have OhioRISE as a resource.”
Beverly Pearch, president and CEO of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, is another close associate.
“We’ve got a lot of kids that are in our program that are also involved with OhioRISE as well as Family and Children First Council,” she said. “They’re great at the resource connection for our families and providing resources for other services that are out there and connecting to those. Just a great partner for the organization and for families in our area.”
Chris Orris, community liaison for Valley Hospice, heard about OhioRISE during a meeting of the Cadiz Business Association and was intrigued by the program’s work in helping older children get their start in employment and involvement in the community as they find their purpose.
“This would be a perfect situation for the volunteer coordinator to talk with students and give them projects to do.”
Juvenile Court Chief Probation Officer Demetrius Carrothers said OhioRISE is a helping hand for young people who have stumbled.
“All my interactions with OhioRISE have been very positive. We share a lot of kids in common and they’re always forthcoming, always picking up the phone. We work hand-in-hand to promote the welfare of the kids, especially the kids that are delinquents. We work to try to get them to be successful so they get on probation and never come back. They’ve been a very valuable asset to the Harrison County Juvenile Court,” he said.
“The additional case management that they provide has really helped. The additional resources, the extra eyes,” he said. He recalled the program’s work in helping one at-risk juvenile. “But through OhioRISE intervention, working with the family and meeting with the young lady every week, we were able to walk her risk down to where she’s going to be successfully terminated from probation.”
Health Commissioner Katie Norris with the Harrison County Health Department works with OhioRISE and often meets care coordinators at different events.
“I’m very thankful for OhioRISE as a community partner, especially at the beginning of the school year because they’re able to connect families to all sorts of resources,” she said. Norris added working through Harrison Hills allows OhioRISE to help people in the many communities the district serves.
“They’re a very strong asset, to not only us at the health department and Harrison Central families, but to the Harrison County community as a whole,” she said. “Anytime they’re able to make a connection, it always seems to have a great outcome and we’re just thankful for that.”
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.
