Funding to provide home-based mental health treatment for kids
Program aims to help children with complex needs.
Parents wi h children who need intensive home-based mental health treatment wi
e access to it in several area counties through new federal funding.
Access to intensive homebased treatment services is one of the core services included in OhioRISE, the state’s program aimed at helping children and youth with the most complex behavioral health challenges.
“There is nothing more important than the mental health of Ohio’s young peo- ple,” ODM director Maureen Corcoran said. “Expanding access to IHBT (intensive home-based treatment) puts help wi hin reach for vulner- able kids and families who may not be able to get care when they need it today.”
The Ohio Department of Medicaid is providing grants — $1.47 million locally and $10 million statewide — to support these initiatives.
The National Youth Advo- cate Program is receiving the local money for programs in Montgomery, Greene, Pre- ble and Shelby counties, as well as for programs in Hardin, Fayette, Highland, Fairfield, Delaware, Logan, Muskingum, Knox and Union counties.
Best Point Education and Behavioral Health is receiv- ing $394,958 for Butler and Hamilton counties, accord- ing to Ohio Medicaid.
Intensive home-based treatment services is a men- tal health service for youth with serious emotional dis- abilities and their families. It is provided in the home, school and community where the youth lives with the goal of safely maintaining the youth in the least restrictive, most normative environment, Ohio Medic- aid says.
An individual clinician or a team of providers deliver a comprehensive set of clinical and rehabilitative services through this type of treat- ment, which is designed to treat intensively the young person’s mental health con- ditions that significantly impair their functioning.
Often, children who need intensive home-based treat- ment services are having a tough time at school, dif- ficulty with social interactions, and experience abnor- mal challenges interacting with adults, Ohio Medicaid says. Some young people who need intensive home- based treatment services are involved with or at risk of being involved with the juvenile justice and child protection systems.
“Intensive home-based treatment is a vital lifeline for vulnerable kids and fam- ilies, providing support and services to address mental health challenges and pro- mote stability in their lives,” said Kara Wente, director of Ohio Department of Chil- dren and Youth.
A number of types of inten- sive home-based treatment have been proven to help children in the child protection system, Ohio Medicaid says. Some of these are part of the Department of Chil- dren and Youth’s Prevention Continuum of Care Plan.
Half of Ohio’s counties do not have any access to intensive home-based treat- ment, and counties that do have the service report they lack the amount of care they need. Providers will receive grants to develop new intensive home-based treatment in 33 counties that are service deserts today, and to expand access in an additional 26 counties that have some care but need more, Ohio Medicaid says.
In the region, Montgomery County has access to intensive home-based treatment and plans to expand this access. Preble, Greene and Butler counties do not currently have access to this type of treatment, but will now to be getting access.
Champaign and Clark count es have access to intensive home-based treatment, but they do not have plans to expand. Miami, Darke and Warren counties do not have access and have no plans to implement access, according to Ohio Medicaid.