Photo provided Perci Garner, executive director of the nonprofit Rainbow Connection which helps people with disabilities, introduces himself to OhioRISE care coordinator Vicky Filtz during TuscBDD Starlight School’s first open house. OhioRISE has been a long-time partner with TuscBDD to benefit children and families.

NEW PHILADELPHIA — OhioRISE is making a difference in Tuscarawas County and saw an opportunity to find new resources to benefit children and young people during the first open house of the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Starlight School on March 20.

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 Tuscarawas, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Stark counties. It is operated by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center. OhioRISE was formed to coordinate resources and put families in touch with what is available.

OhioRISE care coordinator Vicky Filtz was on hand sharing information with families. She noted OhioRISE is active and maintains a satellite office in TuscBDD.

“That way our care coordinators have a local space that they can utilize to meet with members if needed or to collaborate with partners that are also inside that agency about the supports that are available for OhioRISE members.”

Filtz was approached by a mother who has used OhioRISE for a year and was excited to recommend the program to another parent of a child with special needs.

“They’ve helped him with sensory items and getting him into programs that helped him after school,” she said. She added a care coordinator was able to assist her in finding alarms for her doors should her child wander off. The care coordinator checks in regularly. “I usually recommend them to anybody.”

Another parent said an OhioRISE care coordinator has been invaluable in helping her child for the past three years.

“They found resources and a facility when they needed it.”

Afterward, Filtz said she looks forward to more outreach as they move into spring.

“I had a lot of folks that were familiar but didn’t know in depth what OhioRISE was and what the services were,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity to always be out and available to connect with those who might need the support.”

Starlight School Principal Melanie Cronebach said they have a productive partnership with OhioRISE.

“We have OhioRISE service providers that attend our meetings for students and just help us problem solve and come up with solutions to help the students and the families be successful, access the resources and we work hand-in-hand with them,” she said.

“We did have a student who had been unsuccessful in several school settings, and OhioRISE service providers worked with the family in the home and the student in the home and then connected her with us,” Cronebach said. “The support in the home I think then led to her being successful at school.”

Starlight School works with children who have a wide range of needs in preschool through ninth grade, and OhioRISE is equipped to serve young people through age 21.

TuscBDD SSA Manager Stephanie Keen said the close working relationship with OhioRISE has yielded good results. She said one of the program’s strengths is the care coordinators’ familiarity with the areas they serve.

“They hold monthly meetings and they’re really great about getting the team all in one place. They’re really great with the follow-up. They are able to help with resources,” she said.

“We had one specific family with a lot of behavioral health needs and his parents’ private insurance just weren’t able to adequately support his needs,” she said. “OhioRISE was imperative.”

Speech therapist and registered behavior technician Katy Ganz with the Starlight School’s therapy department said children have had good experiences with OhioRISE during “virtual visits.” She continues to recommend the program.

“We’ve had families where they needed some guidance through the process of finding mental health services, finding help for their students that went beyond what we could provide through speech or occupational therapy or behavioral therapy,” she said.

“It made a world of difference for at least two of the students we worked with, that are now able to be in adult service program with minimal supports.”

Ray Snyder, SSA manager at TuscBDD, said they have an excellent working relationship with OhioRISE.

“The service coordinator has been able to connect us with some respite providers and get us some respite, so the mother has a little bit of a break.”

Brittney Ecenbarger, volunteer representative in Stark and Tuscarawas counties with the ASPIES organization that supports people with autism, also values OhioRISE.

“We have referred several families to the OhioRISE services.”

Sarah McCullough, program manager and area coordinator for Horizons Inc., habilitation services, said OhioRISE often finds resources for children in foster care and youth homes.

“Anything these children need, they strive to get for them,” she said. “OhioRISE has always stepped in and helped us. Always.”

Alice Cooper, owner/operator of Alco Services, said she is also in the process of getting a license to provide respite services for children who need respite through OhioRISE. She is impressed by what she has seen of the program.

“Working with some of the kids, they’ve done so much for the individuals, supplying different things that the kids need, activities that they’re helping pay for,” she said, adding this includes adaptive equipment. She is aware of OhioRISE’s work in Carroll as well as Tuscarawas County. “I know of one individual (in Carroll County), they paid for tae kwon do lessons. So they’ve done a lot for the kids.”OhioRISE a strong presence helping kiddos in Tusc County

NEW PHILADELPHIA — OhioRISE is making a difference in Tuscarawas County and saw an opportunity to find new resources to benefit children and young people during the first open house of the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Starlight School on March 20.

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 Tuscarawas, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Stark counties. It is operated by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center. OhioRISE was formed to coordinate resources and put families in touch with what is available.

OhioRISE care coordinator Vicky Filtz was on hand sharing information with families. She noted OhioRISE is active and maintains a satellite office in TuscBDD.

“That way our care coordinators have a local space that they can utilize to meet with members if needed or to collaborate with partners that are also inside that agency about the supports that are available for OhioRISE members.”

Filtz was approached by a mother who has used OhioRISE for a year and was excited to recommend the program to another parent of a child with special needs.

“They’ve helped him with sensory items and getting him into programs that helped him after school,” she said. She added a care coordinator was able to assist her in finding alarms for her doors should her child wander off. The care coordinator checks in regularly. “I usually recommend them to anybody.”

Another parent said an OhioRISE care coordinator has been invaluable in helping her child for the past three years.

“They found resources and a facility when they needed it.”

Afterward, Filtz said she looks forward to more outreach as they move into spring.

“I had a lot of folks that were familiar but didn’t know in depth what OhioRISE was and what the services were,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity to always be out and available to connect with those who might need the support.”

Starlight School Principal Melanie Cronebach said they have a productive partnership with OhioRISE.

“We have OhioRISE service providers that attend our meetings for students and just help us problem solve and come up with solutions to help the students and the families be successful, access the resources and we work hand-in-hand with them,” she said.

“We did have a student who had been unsuccessful in several school settings, and OhioRISE service providers worked with the family in the home and the student in the home and then connected her with us,” Cronebach said. “The support in the home I think then led to her being successful at school.”

Starlight School works with children who have a wide range of needs in preschool through ninth grade, and OhioRISE is equipped to serve young people through age 21.

TuscBDD SSA Manager Stephanie Keen said the close working relationship with OhioRISE has yielded good results. She said one of the program’s strengths is the care coordinators’ familiarity with the areas they serve.

“They hold monthly meetings and they’re really great about getting the team all in one place. They’re really great with the follow-up. They are able to help with resources,” she said.

“We had one specific family with a lot of behavioral health needs and his parents’ private insurance just weren’t able to adequately support his needs,” she said. “OhioRISE was imperative.”

Speech therapist and registered behavior technician Katy Ganz with the Starlight School’s therapy department said children have had good experiences with OhioRISE during “virtual visits.” She continues to recommend the program.

“We’ve had families where they needed some guidance through the process of finding mental health services, finding help for their students that went beyond what we could provide through speech or occupational therapy or behavioral therapy,” she said.

“It made a world of difference for at least two of the students we worked with, that are now able to be in adult service program with minimal supports.”

Ray Snyder, SSA manager at TuscBDD, said they have an excellent working relationship with OhioRISE.

“The service coordinator has been able to connect us with some respite providers and get us some respite so the mother has a little bit of a break.”

Brittney Ecenbarger, volunteer representative in Stark and Tuscarawas counties with the ASPIES organization that supports people with autism, also values OhioRISE.

“We have referred several families to the OhioRISE services.”

Sarah McCullough, program manager and area coordinator for Horizons Inc., habilitation services, said OhioRISE often finds resources for children in foster care and youth homes.

“Anything these children need, they strive to get for them,” she said. “OhioRISE has always stepped in and helped us. Always.”

Alice Cooper, owner/operator of Alco Services, said she is also in the process of getting a license to provide respite services for children who need respite through OhioRISE. She is impressed by what she has seen of the program.

“Working with some of the kids, they’ve done so much for the individuals, supplying different things that the kids need, activities that they’re helping pay for,” she said, adding this includes adaptive equipment. She is aware of OhioRISE’s work in Carroll as well as Tuscarawas County. “I know of one individual (in Carroll County), they paid for tae kwon do lessons. So they’ve done a lot for the kids.”

To learn more about OhioRISE, call 740-792-4011, email ohiorise.info@jcesc.org

or visit https://www.jcesc.k12.oh.us/CareManagementEntity.aspx

.

To learn more about OhioRISE, call 740-792-4011, email ohiorise.info@jcesc.org

or visit https://www.jcesc.k12.oh.us/CareManagementEntity.aspx

.