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The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) is pleased to announce that on May 2, the Ohio Children’s Initiative Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Information Technology (IT) System will launch for use across Ohio’s child-serving systems. ODM encourages you to act now to prepare to access the CANS IT system and to provide CANS assessment services to Ohio’s children and youth. The CANS was developed with leadership from Governor DeWine’s Children’s Initiatives and Ohio’s child-serving state agencies to inform care planning and decision-making for children and adolescents with behavioral health needs. Certified Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS assessors are expected to use the CANS to gather all information about the child/youth and family story to describe their strengths and needs. The new CANS IT System will: Document CANS assessments and reassessments/updates with a youth/caregiver. Certified Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS assessors will register and use the system to document these assessments in a single location. Support ODM’s cross-system goal of “one child, one CANS” and ensure that youth/caregivers do not need to retell their stories. Improve care continuity and collaboration. Outputs/results are accessible to assessors and care team members, promoting cross-system coordination in real time. Produce and review immediate Decision Support Model outputs and recommendations. Record information about the child/youth and their caregiver(s) within one shared system. Track trends and outcomes to identify gaps and inform access and capacity improvement efforts. To prepare to access the CANS IT System on May 2, ODM recommends that you take the following steps: Obtain your Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS certification Enroll as a Medicaid provider in order to bill for CANS assessments Learn how to use the CANS IT System through training launched by ODM this week To find the resources to guide you through these steps, visit the CANS Resources page of the OhioRISE webpage. If you have questions about the OhioRISE program, please send a message to ohiorise@medicaid.ohio.gov.

May is a special month for the Ohio Children's Alliance, because it is both National Foster Care Month and Children's Mental Health Awareness Month. This month, we recall our mission-driven commitment to vulnerable kids and families and reiterate our sincere gratitude for our members, the health and human services agencies that serve them. Additionally, the associated Awareness Days in 2022 are both on May 5. THANK YOU Ohio Children's Alliance Members for everything you do for these youth! As many of you know, we are offering new programs and resources to support our foster care and behavioral health providers, including our Foster Care Recruitment initiative and Therapeutic Childcare program. You can learn more about these on our website. There are also several resources for those interested in observing these important holidays: The Children's Bureau's National Foster Care Month campaign recognizes the important role that members from all parts of child welfare play in supporting children, youth, and families. Learn more about this year's theme on strengthening relative and kin connections and the positive impact these relationships have on maintaining family and cultural ties for children and youth in foster care. You can learn more about the Campaign here. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Since 2005, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has observed Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day to inform the public of the efficacy of community-based services and to demonstrate how initiatives for children’s mental health promote positive development and resilience. On May 5, SAMHSA will host a virtual event for National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day 2022, with speakers from SAMHSA leadership, to commemorate youth and child mental health and honor peer and family support.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 2022-08D to provide $4.5 million to increase staff and reopen beds in licensed youth residential treatment facilities. “When treatment facilities have a hard time filling positions they in turn serve fewer children,” said Governor DeWine. “This one-time funding will allow facilities to increase capacity and allow more young Ohioans with complex needs receive the treatment and support they need.” This executive order authorizes an emergency administrative rule to allow the Ohio Department of Medicaid to quickly and efficiently distribute relief funds to Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services licensed residential treatment providers to maintain capacity. “We are grateful to the Governor, the Controlling Board, Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss, and Department of Job and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder for taking this action to impact our placement crisis for youth with complex behavioral health needs,” said Angela Sausser, Executive Director, Public Children Services Association of Ohio. “We are hopeful that this relief will increase capacity at children’s residential facilities so the acute behavioral health needs of youth can get appropriately addressed, and county agencies can receive some relief from this placement crisis.”

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) will begin to launch its Next Generation Medicaid program beginning July 1, 2022, with the implementation of OhioRISE, a coordinated care program for children with complex behavioral health needs. Other Medicaid programs will be implemented in the following months on a staggered basis to keep the focus on the individual and honor member choice to allow for a smooth transition. The phased implementation will occur in three stages: Stage 1: On July 1, OhioRISE will begin to provide coordination and specialized services to help children and youth with behavioral health needs who receive care across multiple systems. This builds on the work already underway including the selection and launch of a statewide network of community-based care management entities, the design and build of a centralized technology for the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment tool, transition grant funding to Care Management Entities (CMEs) and MRSS providers (Mobile Response and Stabilization Services) to launch new OhioRISE services and support provider and workforce development; and the completion of extensive community and provider training sessions for more than 1,650 participants. Stage 2: In October 2022, Centralized Provider Credentialing will begin through the Ohio Medicaid Enterprise System (OMES) Provider Network Management (PNM) module, which will reduce administrative burden on providers. Also, the Single Pharmacy Benefit Manager (SPBM) will begin providing pharmacy services across all managed care plans and members. Stage 3: During the last three months of 2022, ODM will finish implementing the Next Generation program with all seven Next Generation managed care plans beginning to provide healthcare coverage under the new program. ODM will also complete the OMES implementation including the Fiscal Intermediary (FI) which will simplify and streamline the provider process for submitting claims and prior authorizations. Eligible members will continue to receive the full complement of Medicaid benefits available today, and providers will continue serving the 3.34 million Ohioans covered by Medicaid, working with current MCOs using processes and procedures practiced today. Additional details will be available soon to guide members, providers, and stakeholders. To keep up to date with the Next Generation of Ohio Medicaid, visit managedcare.medicaid.ohio.gov. Questions can be sent to ODMNextGen@medicaid.ohio.gov.

Applications are now being accepted online for the upcoming accredited Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) training hosted by the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) in partnership with Ohio Kan, which will start on June 1, 2022. TAC, accredited by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, is the only nationally accredited assessment-based certificate adoption competency program in the country. TAC is a 72-hour comprehensive, competency-based training designed exclusively for post-master’s mental health therapists with licensure or moving toward licensure, providing clinical knowledge and skills needed to effectively serve the adoption and kinship network. There is no cost associated with this opportunity. 66 CE credits are provided through NASW. Participants must complete training and pass the assessment to receive CE credits. You can apply to be a part of the 2022-2023 cohort here.

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the managed care portion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provider relief payments as appropriated by the Ohio General Assembly in H.B. 169. This latest approval impacts several provider types, including community behavioral health practitioners. Some important reminders regarding these funds: The managed care preprint relief payment is calculated as 10% of claims, however the amount providers will receive with this first payment is 50% of the total. This was required by CMS in order to avoid a situation where a provider may be “overpaid”. At the end of calendar year (CY) 2022, ODM will reconcile a provider’s total claims to actual CY22 claims experience and a final relief payment will be calculated. There is no action required on the part of the provider during this reconciliation process. ODM will work with the plans at the end of the year on this final installment of relief. ODM will send out an announcement when the final installments are prepared and post the final amount of payment to the dashboard. For questions about any of these provider payments, please email ProviderReliefInquiries@medicaid.ohio.gov ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Additionally, The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) has indicated they are dedicating $70 million of the ARPA workforce funds to improve the behavioral health workforce pipeline. They are proposing doing this by providing funding for internships, scholarships, loan, and licensure reimbursements for students in the behavioral health field and in their final two years of schooling. Funding would be eligible for students pursuing a career tech, bachelor or master’s degree. Students benefiting from these investments will be required to devote three years of post-graduate service in Ohio’s home and community-based centers. The preferred timeline would allow these funds to be available for the upcoming fall semester. This plan is awaiting CMS approval.

The Ohio Children’s Alliance has announced the release of a Request for Applications (RFA) for the purpose of providing access to crucial development opportunities for behavioral health professionals, enabling the obtainment the Ohio Infant Mental Health credential and/or the Ohio Early Childhood Mental Health credential. The $2 million opportunity, made possible by the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRRA) and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), will provide selected applicants with funding to offset lost productivity while staff attend trainings toward credential obtainment, and as retention incentives for organizations who have staff obtain the credential(s). Applications are open to Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) certified community behavioral health organizations to support their staff in obtaining the Ohio Infant Mental Health and/or the Ohio Early Childhood Mental Health credential. The goal of these credentials is to provide behavioral health professionals with skills and core competencies that support the social-emotional needs of infants and young children in developmentally appropriate ways. The window to apply for this opportunity will remain open until May 11. You may find the RFA application here. Questions regarding this opportunity can be directed to IECMH-RFA@ohiochildrensalliance.org.

President Biden has released his Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request, seeking significant and robust investments in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, child abuse prevention, and recovery services. You may read the White House fact sheet on FY 23 budget proposal here. We have also provided a summary of these provisions below. There are several Children Services Highlights: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA): Increases in funding for Title I state grants by $30 million, and Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) grants by $25 million $100 million in additional funding for independent living services in the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program Add 10% to state FMAP foster care rates for kin or relative placements, non relative foster care placements would remain at FMAP rate only and group care placements would be FMAP minus 5% $100 million for a competitive grant program to address racial inequities in child welfare Changes to The Prevention Services Program, including: 100% of prevention services covered retroactively for 2022 and 90% for 2023-2026 50% of prevention services funding to be spent on well-supported OR supported programs As well as Mental Health and Early Intervention Highlights: $33.3 billion for the Administration for Children and Families $12 billion for Head Start $7.5 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant $257 million for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act $10.7 billion for the Substance Use And Mental Health Services Administration $1.6 billion for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant $553 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics $88.3 billion for the Department of Education $3.3 billion increase to IDEA Grants to states, the largest two-year increase ever $438 million for Full Service Community Schools

Pittsburgh, PA (March 29, 2022) – Pressley Ridge, a nationally recognized leader in providing a wide array of mental health, treatment foster care, and specialized education services for youth and families, announced today it has received a $10 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This is the single largest donation the organization has received in its 190-year history. “We are grateful for and humbled by Ms. Scott’s investment in Pressley Ridge’s mission,” said Susanne Cole, President, and CEO. “This gift will enhance our ability to serve the increasing complex needs of youth and families in our communities. It will also accelerate our work as it relates to racial equity and bolsters our commitment to leadership development in this field to advance clinical outcomes and best practices.” Recognized for developing the nation’s first treatment foster care curriculum in the early 1980s, Pressley Ridge has continued to evolve and expand its services. Each year, thousands of children and families are strengthened through community-based mental health services, foster care, adoption, specialized education, and supportive services for transition-age youth. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in increased mental health issues that have challenged society in ways that could not be imagined. This grant will allow Pressley Ridge to increase organizational capacity and address these critical mental and behavioral health needs in communities they serve throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. The announcement of this transformative gift comes just after Pressley Ridge completed its new three-year strategic plan that includes a primary focus on racial equity. The plan tackles workforce development, ensuring effective and efficient clinical interventions, and exploring program expansion and collaborations where there may be gaps in services within communities. “Pressley Ridge has a long history of producing positive outcomes for kids and families who have experienced a variety of challenges in their lives,” said Tisha Germany, Pressley Ridge Board Chair. “This gift validates the tremendous work of the staff and leadership and presents an opportunity to have a greater impact on diverse communities throughout the region and beyond.” For more information on the impact of Pressley Ridge in your community, please visit www.pressleyridge.org. About Pressley Ridge Pressley Ridge provides individuals and families with hope and support through life’s challenges. Our work intersects that of other social service agencies, social workers, school districts, and local and state government entities. We pride ourselves on partnering with families and meeting them where they are, when they need it the most. Each year, thousands of children and families are strengthened through community-based mental health services, foster care, adoption, specialized education, and supportive services for transition-age youth. Our more than 70 programs all share a common goal of establishing stable, healthy families and life-long connections that result in a successful, happy life. Pressley Ridge was founded in 1832 and remains headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A legacy of successful

The Ohio Children’s Alliance is pleased to announce 56 scholarship recipients representing thirty-six (36) community mental health agencies across Ohio. These scholarships were made possible with support from the Ohio Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Scholarships will support mental health specialists to obtain a Certified Tele-Mental Health Provider Credential (BC-TMH). Expanding access to behavioral health services to children is especially important today given the unprecedented need and the mental health workforce shortage. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the virtual world into just about every aspect of our lives, including mental health services,” said Mark Mecum, Ohio Children’s Alliance CEO. “As demand increases from families across Ohio, children’s mental health agencies are committed to expanding access to high-quality care through this virtual platform. The Tele-mental Health credential distinguishes these practitioners as leaders in tele-mental health service delivery and signals to families that the services are aligned with best practices.” Mental health practitioners from the following agencies were awarded scholarships: The selected individuals will enroll in the New STAR Institute to access the certification training. It includes a 9-hour self-paced training program covering several aspects of using telehealth. Once completed, the individuals will qualify to take the exam to become a Board Certified-Tele-Mental Health Provider.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports help protect children and produce thriving families. This year, the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund’s (OCTF’s) campaign will be centered around Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Through this year’s campaign, the OCTF will highlight the impact that Positive Childhood Experiences have on mitigating the lifelong effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), illustrating how one positive interaction with a trusted adult can have a lasting effect that reaches into adulthood. This April, OCTF encourages all adults to “Be a Hero in the Eyes of a Child – one simple act of encouragement at a time.” The Ohio Children's Trust Fund will be kicking off April Child Abuse Prevention Month with a virtual program on Thursday, April 7, 2022, beginning at 10:00am, featuring a live presentation from keynote speaker Mary Kreitz, Trauma Therapist and Training Director at Child and Adolescent Behavior Health. This presentation will focus on how, in a time when so many of us have experienced trauma and ACES, we can facilitate Positive Childhood Experiences to promote healthy development and resiliency in the face of adversity. During the event, OCTF will also be honoring the winners of the Everyday Ohio Heroes Awards and Youth Art Contest. Click here to register for this free event on Eventbrite.

Recently, the Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2022 (HEASHFY) was introduced in Congress by U.S. Representatives Don Young (R-AK-At Large Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), as well as Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Patty Murray (D-WA) as H.R.6666 and S.2616, In 2020, the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act enacted many critical improvements to the financial aid process for homeless and foster youth that were first suggested by previous versions of this legislation. HEASHFY of 2022 goes further to remove barriers in college for homeless and foster youth and ensure they have clear and reliable pathways into and through higher education. These identical bills would: Require institutions to develop plans to assist and prioritize homeless and foster youth for on-campus housing during and between academic terms; Designate liaisons at each institution to assist homeless and foster youth in accessing student support services and community resources; Require colleges to include voluntary questions on admissions applications about students' status as homeless and foster youth to facilitate support services and provide outcome data; Prioritize homeless and foster youth in Federal Work-Study positions; and Provide homeless and foster youth in-state tuition rates to reduce barriers due to lack of financial support, particularly when they have not had stable residency. For additional information on this bill and three other bills related to helping youth experiencing homelessness and foster care successfully transition to and through higher education, click here.

The No Surprises Act is federal legislation passed in early 2021 directing The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to make rules providing a federal solution to the problem of “surprise billing.” CMS' No Surprises Act rules formally went into effect January 1, 2022, although they are applying "enforcement discretion" through the end of the year. There are three rules comprising the package broken up in "parts". Part I applies to hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers while Part II applies to all state-licensed providers and facilities, which may include certified behavioral health providers. Part II requirements include: Establishing an independent dispute resolution process to determine out-of-network payment amounts between providers (including air ambulance providers) or facilities and health plans. Requiring good-faith estimates of medical items or services for uninsured (or self-paying) individuals. Establishing a patient-provider dispute resolution process for uninsured (or self-paying) individuals to determine payment amounts due to a provider or facility under certain circumstances. Providing a way to appeal certain health plan decisions The final part, Part III, implements new requirements for group health plans and issuers to submit certain information about prescription drug and health care spending. For more information about the rules, including rule fact sheets, provider resources, and more, Please visit CMS' No Surprises site.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced it is now accepting applications for grants to expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model. There are new two grant opportunities this year with different eligibility parameters: Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic – Planning, Development and Implementation Grants (CCBHC-PDI) are available to clinics that are new to the CCBHC model (i.e., clinics that have not been certified as CCBHCs by their state and have not previously received a CCBHC expansion grant). This funding opportunity is designed to assist grantees as they develop and implement a CCBHC that meets CCBHC certification criteria. Qualified applicants must be able to meet the requirements of a CCBHC within the first year of the grant. Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic – Improvement and Advancement Grants (CCBHC-IA) are available to CCBHCs that have been certified by their states or received previous CCBHC-Expansion grants and are designed to support current CCBHCs as they expand or improve their CCBHC services. Qualified applicants must be able to demonstrate compliance with CCBHC certification criteria through state certification or SAMHSA acceptance of CCBHC certification attestation within the past two years. Key highlights of these opportunities include: The amount of the grants for both awards will be $1 million per year for four years. Applications for both grants are due Tuesday, May 17, with an anticipated project start date of Sept. 30, 2022. $156 million is available for each funding opportunity ($312 million total), which will fund an anticipated 156 grantees under each grant (312 total). CCBHC Expansion grant recipients that received funding under CCBHCs Expansion FOA (SM-21-013, with funding announcements made in 2021) are not eligible to apply for funding under these opportunities. More information about the CCBHC model can be found on the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's CCBHC Success Center website.

The Ohio Children’s Alliance is excited to announce the partnership of two of its member organizations: The Children’s Home of Cincinnati, a member of the Ohio Children’s Alliance Board of Directors, and St. Aloysius. The combined agency will rebrand itself under the name Best Point, reflecting its mission to: “help lead children and families to the best point in their lives and to offer a single, best point for transformational services to Greater Cincinnati’s most vulnerable populations.” Best Point will now be able to serve more than 18,000 children and families in Greater Cincinnati and surrounding regions and employ more than 600 people. To come together, the agencies are utilizing internal integration teams which will assess and analyze programs and systems, as well as make collaborative decisions on future goals. Most exciting is that Best Point plans to preserve all current services while introducing improved and expanded services in the months and years to come. We extend our sincere congratulations to Best Point and its leadership and look forward to seeing the excellent services they provide. Learn more at www.tchcincy.org and https://www.stalschildren.org/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Mecum, CEO Phone: 614.461.0014x02 Email: mark.mecum@ohiochildrensalliance.org OHIO CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH ODJFS Collaboration to Increase Adoptive and Resource Home Recruitment Efforts in the State Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Children’s Alliance is proud to announce the award of a grant from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to increase adoptive and resource (kinship and foster) family recruitment. In 2020, the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council, led by Governor Mike DeWine, released 37 recommendations to transform Ohio’s children services, including recommendations to address a major shortage of available adoptive and resource homes in Ohio. Through this partnership with ODJFS, the Ohio Children’s Alliance commits to expanding Ohio’s adoptive and resource home availability through innovation and the formation of new community partnerships. In collaboration with local agencies, Ohio Children’s Alliance will develop regional marketing campaigns aimed at increasing resource homes by driving attention to the ODJFS’ It Takes Heart Ohio campaign. “We’re going to bring together proven best practices and new, innovative ideas to develop a multi-faceted recruitment campaign.” said Bridget Graber, Ohio Children’s Alliance Program Manager. “This campaign has the potential to dramatically increase the number of available adoptive and resource homes in Ohio.” “The new program will also create long-term benefits for the entire children services system”, said Ohio Children’s Alliance CEO Mark Mecum. “All of the new skills, tools, and insights developed will be shared with children services, foster care agencies and stakeholders statewide and will be a jumping-off point for future innovation.” He continued, “We are grateful for the leadership provided by ODJFS and the DeWine administration and look forward to working with them to continue to improve children services in Ohio.” To learn more and get involved with It Takes Heart Ohio, visit the ODJFS website here. Recent 2022 data shows, on any given day in Ohio, almost 15,000 children are being cared for away from their parents. About 4,000 of those children are placed with a relative or family friend. Roughly 8,500 of them are living with foster parents. The remaining children are in residential care or another placement setting. More than 3,400 children are waiting to be adopted. The Ohio Children’s Alliance is a not-for-profit organization based in Columbus, Ohio. They are dedicated to sustainably improving the provision of services to children, young adults, and families through advocacy, education, and innovative solutions. Learn more at www.ohiochildrensalliance.org. ###

Three bills have been introduced in the Ohio House and are making their way through the state legislature: HB 439, HB 468, and HB 523. House Bill 439, sponsored by Reps. Galonski and Hillyer, concerns the involuntary hospitalization of individuals suffering from mental illness subject to a court order. Under current law, individuals may only be involuntarily hospitalized under particular cirumstances. This legislation would add a new category of individuals eligible to be involuntarily hospitalized. It is in the House Civil Justice Committee. You can learn more here. House Bill 468, sponsored by Rep. Pavliga, will establish a statewide 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline and mental health crisis telephone line in accordance with a federal mandate to be effective no later than July 16th, 2022. This legislation will designate crisis centers to participate in the 9-8-8 hotline that provides or coordinates crisis stabilization and intervention to individuals accessing the 9-8-8 hotline in this state. The bill is in the House Behavioral Health and Recovery Supports Committee. You can learn more about the legislation here. House Bill 523, sponsored by Representative Swearingen, would make numerous changes to the composition and appointments of ADAMH Boards, contracting, taxing authority, and more. It is currently in the House Behavioral Health and Recovery Supports Committee and recently had its first hearing. You can learn more about this bill here. To provide feedback on any of this legislation, please contact Kate.Rossman@ohiochildrensalliance.org

The Ohio Department of Medicaid, in conjunction with Aetna, held a press conference to officially announce the selection of the twenty OhioRISE Care Management Entities (CMEs). As a facet of the new OhioRISE plan, CMEs will be responsible for the development of individualized care plans for each enrollee using a wraparound child and family team approach. Through a holistic approach, CMEs will bring together communities of support to coordinate the needs and services of children and families enrolled in OhioRISE. We are extremely proud of all of our member agencies who were selected by Aetna to do this important work based on their proven records of excellence in empowering families for success. We look forward to working with them and all of you to continue to improve child and family services in Ohio. Ohio Children’s Alliance members awarded a CME region include: National Youth Advocate Program, Lighthouse Youth and Family Services, Integrated Services for Behavioral Health, The Village Network, The Buckeye Ranch, Wingspan Care Group, Ohio Guidestone, Positive Education Program, Ravenwood Health, and Cadence Care Network. A full list of awardees and additional information about today’s announcement can be found HERE. OhioRISE is set to go live on July 1, 2022. To learn more about the new managed care program and all of its new services, please visit the website.

Effective March 1, 2022, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) will implement enhancements to the Intensive Home-Based Treatment (IHBT) service in accordance with new Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) rules 5122-29-28 and 5160-27-05. Medicaid billing and claims processing changes to be implemented include: Updates to Medicaid payment rates, including new practitioner-specific rates. The addition of qualified mental health specialists and peer supporters as eligible rendering providers of IHBT. New billing codes and rates specific to Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) and Functional Family Therapy (FFT). Updates to diagnosis code requirements. Changes to the list of behavioral health services that are allowed to be rendered to youth receiving IHBT, MST, or FFT. IHBT services (including MST and FFT) will continue to be prior authorized and paid by the current Medicaid-managed care plans and ODM for fee-for-service members. Previous authorizations for IHBT will remain in effect. ODM and the managed care plans will be ready to begin accepting and processing claims with these changes on March 1, 2022. After the OhioRISE program is implemented July 1, 2022, IHBT services will be available only through the OhioRISE program. ODM updated the Behavioral Health Provider Manual to incorporate these changes. OhioMHAS Rule 5122-29-30, which also goes into effect March 1, was amended to align with the ODM rule changes regarding IHBT and OhioRISE.

House Bill 4, bipartisan legislation regarding child abuse and neglect reporting, recently passed the Ohio legislature and has made its way to the governor. The bill, sponsored by Representatives Phil Plummer and Susan Manchester, will help prevent any vital information from being lost through a collaborative effort of all agencies, including law enforcement. It will also create a youth and family ombudsmen program through the Department of Jobs and Family Services In addition, HB 4 was amended several weeks prior to its passage in order to mirror the home assessor piece of those bills. The change allows unlicensed individuals to perform home assessor duties so long as they have one year of experience working with children and families in addition to having a bachelor’s degree in a human services-related field. These provisions will move Ohio forward in improving the children services landscape and combatting the child welfare workforce shortage.