CareSource Donates $1M to Increase Behavioral Health Treatment Options in Ohio

Ohio Children’s Alliance coordinating funding to nine providers for pilot programs serving multi-system youth.

(DAYTON, OH – February 25, 2021) – CareSource, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan, announced a donation of $1M to nine pilot programs serving multi-system youth across the state of Ohio. The Ohio Children’s Alliance will coordinate the funding to behavioral health providers that have developed programs to improve the health outcomes of more than 3,000 CareSource members.

“CareSource is focused on projects that will equip Ohio’s leading behavioral health providers to empower multi-system youth and their families to live healthier, happier lives close to home,” said Steve Ringel, CareSource Ohio Market President. “We’re proud to partner with Ohio Children’s Alliance to strengthen vulnerable families while preventing further Ohio children enrolled on Medicaid from being placed into out-of-state treatment facilities.”

While the gift will fund projects across nine organizations, the insight from each pilot program will be disseminated throughout the Ohio Children’s Alliance’s statewide network of over 30 clinically integrated provider agencies and CareSource.

“Together, we are fostering cross sector collaboration to enhance how we coordinate the care of children,” said Mark Mecum, CEO of the Ohio Children’s Alliance. “Every bit of success we achieve in this project will be disseminated to provider agencies throughout the state as best practices.”

The identified providers include:

• The Buckeye Ranch, Franklin County
• The Children’s Home of Cincinnati, Hamilton County
• Genacross, Henry County
• Lighthouse Youth and Family Services, Hamilton County
• Oesterlen Services for Youth, Clark County
• Pressley Ridge, Cuyahoga County
• Belmont Pines, Trumbull County
• Joseph Orphanage, Hamilton County
• The Village Network, Wayne, County

All of the funding will be used by the organizations to solve complex cases of CareSource members with behavioral health conditions. For example, the Children’s Home of Cincinnati will use $180K to create a new mental health urgent care program that will serve upwards of 2,800 children and their families.

“Real mental health needs among vulnerable populations have the utmost attention of parents, educators and the medical community,” said John Banchy, president and CEO of The Children’s Home. “My deepest appreciation is extended to CareSource who is helping us continue to advance and modify our efforts in real-time to remain relevant and impactful. Community allies like these have supported us in staying open, available, and ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges.”