The Village Network Selected as OhioRISE Care Management Entity for Western Franklin County
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Medicaid and Aetna have selected The Village Network as one of the twenty community-oriented Care Management Entities (CMEs) to build local systems of care for OhioRISE. Based on their history of success and positive community partnerships, The Village Network has been selected as the CME for Western Franklin County.
OhioRISE, or Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence, is Ohio’s first highly integrated care program for youth with complex behavioral health and multi-system needs. Care Management Entities (CMEs) are vital to the success of the OhioRISE model and will each serve a separate catchment area – part of a county or multiple counties that make up their geographic footprint.
“Our goal is making sure children with the most complex needs receive the right kind of care, in their hometowns, surrounded by families and communities they know and trust,” said Maureen Corcoran, Director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid, in a released statement.
As part of the new OhioRISE plan, the CMEs will serve as the singular point of contact families will turn to in times of crisis, and a welcomed resource for managing day-to-day behavioral health and family support services. Their focus is ensuring that wrap-around, high-intensity care is available, coordinated locally, and clinically integrated for children enrolled.
“I am extremely proud of our team and their role in us being selected as one of the OhioRISE CMEs,” says Richard Graziano, President CEO of The Village Network. “I think we have some of the best clinicians and workers in the field, second to none. We were selected by Aetna to do this important work based on our proven track records of quality outcomes, excellence in empowering families for success, and dedication to building brighter futures for families and kids.”
Graziano adds, “We look forward to taking a holistic approach in working with our partners within the Franklin County community, including the Buckeye Ranch, who is designated as the CME for the eastern portion of the county. Together, we will bring communities of support to coordinate needs and services for children and families enrolled in OhioRISE.”
Linda den Heijer, Vice President of Program Operations, and Dave Paxton, Chief Clinical Officer, will be leading this initiative for The Village Network. Details on new positions are being finalized and recruitment efforts for this new service will begin very soon.
Over time, the ODM anticipates that CMEs will grow to each serve approximately 1,300-3,000 youth enrolled in OhioRISE. The state is assisting each CME with startup costs via a grant program. CME grants will be utilized to expand workforce capacity and to develop a highly connected IT infrastructure, ensuring each region statewide is prepared to serve children on day one when OhioRISE launches later this year.
The Village Network has been serving the Central Ohio community for 24 years, serving the needs of youth at the Columbus office, located at 1751 East Long Street, Columbus; as well as Dayton, Marion, Mt. Vernon, and Newark. Together, The Village Network’s Central Ohio locations serve over 100 foster care youth each day and provide mental health care to approximately 400 youth each month who have a trauma diagnosis. This means these youth have a significant history of abuse and/or neglect, come from homes where their parents were addicted to drugs, or they have been exposed to domestic violence.
The Village Network’s continuum of care in Franklin County includes:
• Trauma Treatment for youth with PTSD – Including the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and the Collaborative Problem Solving approach.
• Community Services
o Intensive Home-Based Treatment
o Outpatient Behavioral Healthcare
o Day Treatment
o School-Based Treatment
• Treatment Foster Care
• Juvenile Court Program – In partnership with Franklin County Juvenile Court, The Village Network Columbus has multiple diversion programs for youth involved in the court system including the Franklin County Reception Center.
Through the school-based treatment services, The Village Network partners with 9 public and charter schools in Franklin County to provide mental health services to students, including: Eastgate Elementary and West Broad Elementary of Columbus City Schools; Westerville Central, Westerville North and Westerville South High School of Westerville City Schools; Summit Community K-5, Summit Middle 6-8, Summit High School, and Franklinton Preparatory Academy, which are Columbus charter schools.
For more information about The Village Network, please visit their website at http://thevillagenetwork.org or follow them on their social media pages at https://www.facebook.com/tvillagenetwork or https://twitter.com/TVillageNetwork.