DeWine Announces More Help for Ohio Families of Complex Needs Children, Young Adults

More help is on the way for Ohio families of complex needs children and young adults.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced on July 1 the launch of OhioRise (Ohio Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence), a new Ohio Medicaid program that provides help in managed behavioral care for children and young adults with complex needs.

Through a partnership with Aetna Better Health of Ohio, Medicaid’s OhioRISE program addresses longstanding gaps in care and coordination that often result in families having to navigate the system on their own.

In severe circumstances, these gaps and lack of coordination have resulted in families releasing custody of their children so they can access healthcare services.

Nearly 5,500 children and youth can access services immediately, including Andrew Butler, whose parents had to surrender custody of him in the past so he could gain access to behavioral healthcare needs for his mental illnesses, according to information from DeWine’s office.

Children with complex needs range in age between 5 and 20, and face developmental or intellectual challenges, or mental health disorders.

They are Medicaid eligible and considered severe cases as they face the risk of not being able to return to or exist in a community or public setting.

“Eight years ago, my family was in crisis,” parent and program advocate Mark Butler said in a statement provided from DeWine’s office.

“My wife and I were forced to surrender custody of our son Andrew to access the necessary treatment for his extreme behavioral health needs caused by autism and several mental illnesses.

“Our story is not unique. Ohio parents of multi-system youth have faced similar agonizing choices for decades.

“OhioRISE represents a new day for our state; the program has helped us access the care Andrew needed without us surrendering custody of our child. Tonight, a family will be

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