On Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) held a press conference in Dublin, Ohio about the statewide expansion of Mobile Response and Stabilization Services.
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00:00Good morning. Welcome to the Dublin City School District and specifically Hopewell Elementary
00:05School. It is my honor to welcome Governor DeWine, Director Kornian, as we talk about the importance
00:13of mental health issues for our young people that we deal with every day. I've had the opportunity
00:21for the past six years or so to work with Governor DeWine in a number of areas and his leadership in
00:28the area of mental health services has been unparalleled. In a time when our students have
00:35increasing challenges and needs, his leadership has led school districts to invest in providing
00:42those essential services to the students in our communities. Just here in Dublin, last week,
00:49we helped 25 mid-career educators graduate and become social workers, a program that we did in
00:56collaboration with the Ohio State University College of Social Work. And we're proud of the
01:02services that we provide here. When we look at the mobile response and stabilization service that
01:09we'll be talking about today, in this very building, our team has used that to serve our students and
01:15our families. So Governor, thank you. We appreciate you joining us today and we value your leadership
01:22in this area. Before Governor DeWine comes up, I'd like to recognize our board president,
01:28Mrs. Diana Rigby, and the mayor of Dublin, Ms. Chris Amrose-Grooms, for being with us today. Governor DeWine.
01:34Governor DeWine. Superintendent, thank you very much. Good to be with you again. I always appreciate your,
01:41not only in your input about public policy, but also appreciate all that you do and all that your team does. A remarkable,
01:51remarkable, remarkable team. We're here today, as you've heard, to talk about mental health and how
01:59we continue to build our system of care in Ohio to make it available to all Ohioans. A little more than
02:07a year ago, during my 2024 State of the State Address, I talked about a life-changing service, a new service,
02:14called Mobile Response and Stabilization Services. And I'm going to abbreviate it from here on in. So
02:23it's MRSS. Again, Mobile Response and Stabilization Services. MRSS is one of the most important tools that
02:32we have at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively when a child or a young adult is
02:38experiencing a mental health or behavioral health crisis. When a crisis like this occurs, a young
02:46person's family, teachers, anyone can reach out for help and MRSS will spring into action right away.
02:57Trained professionals are deployed right to the child's current location within 60 minutes or less.
03:05Whether that's at the child's home, at school, or somewhere else in the community. And the purpose
03:12is to de-escalate and to respond to that crisis. MRSS provides exactly the kind of help and support a
03:20child in crisis needs. It also reduces strain on other emergency services that may not be appropriate in
03:28this kind of situation. It is truly a win-win for everyone. When I took office, families in just 13
03:38Ohio counties, 13 out of 88, had access to MRSS. Over the last few years, we've increased that number.
03:49But for a long time, frankly, we've wanted to take this statewide. And that's what we're announcing
03:55today. So I'm excited to announce that that is exactly what we're doing. The Ohio Department of
04:01Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Medicaid have teamed up. And they
04:07teamed up with a network of regional partners that will finally allow us to offer MRSS in all 88 counties
04:15of the state of Ohio. Soon, every family in Ohio will be able to rest assured that if their child
04:22were to experience a crisis, MRSS stands ready to help them navigate that challenge. And the best part,
04:31in Ohio, this service is provided at no cost to the families. To our knowledge, Ohio will be the only
04:38state in the union to offer a service like this using a fee structure that ensures those who use it
04:45never receive a bill. This fact, frankly, is very, very important. We want to reduce any hesitancy
04:54that someone might have to use this service. And providing it free makes sure that there should
05:02be no barrier, there should be no hesitancy. Places across the state that have already offered MRSS have
05:10seen better behavioral health outcomes, less juvenile justice involvement, fewer inpatient residential
05:16stays for children, and fewer children spending the night in emergency departments because of
05:22behavioral health crisis. The results are very, very clear. And they're amazing. And they're very,
05:28very, very positive. We also know that schools are places where MRSS can be extremely helpful. In fact,
05:35it's my understanding, someone right here at Hopewell Elementary successfully used MRSS when one of her
05:42students was experiencing a crisis, leading to a very positive result. And you'll hear more about that
05:49story in just a few minutes. But now that this service will be available statewide, we want everyone to
05:57not only know about it, but also to know how to access it. That's where 988, 988 comes in. Ohioans can
06:05call the 988 suicide and crisis hotline anytime when a child is experiencing a crisis. From there,
06:12the trained professionals at 988 will be able to determine the best course of action. And if that
06:18best course of action is MRSS, they will be able to deploy it. And again, that will be now anywhere in
06:25Ohio. If necessary, they will dispatch a mobile response team directly to the caller's location
06:31or to another agreed upon safe place within the community. The young person does not have to go
06:37anywhere or make an appointment to be seen by anyone. MRSS simply comes to them.
06:43Any family in Ohio is eligible to receive MRSS services. That includes kinship families, foster
06:50families, guardianship families, anyone. Likewise, you do not have to be enrolled in any other state
06:56program to receive these services. MRSS not only provides immediate de-escalation, but if needed,
07:04families can also receive up to six weeks of follow-up support and they can receive that right in their own
07:11home. The expansion of MRSS is another way our state is investing in the mental health and well-being
07:18of our children, making sure we're giving every young Ohio the opportunity to reach their full
07:23God-given potential. Our goal is to remove any barriers that would cause them to not to be able to
07:31live up to their full potential. We're committed to building the system of care that frankly was promised
07:37to everyone in this country when John Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act of 1963.
07:46However, we know that that has not really been fully implemented anywhere in the country. We work on
07:53that, work on that implementation every single day. MRSS is our next step in building that system here in
08:00the state of Ohio. I want to particularly thank Dr. Director Cornyn and Director Corcoran for taking
08:09their two departments and working very, very closely together to make sure that this can happen. Now,
08:15let me turn it over to Director Cornyn to talk a little bit more about how this expansion will work. Director?
08:21Good morning and thank you to Governor DeWine. We are truly incredibly unfortunate here, fortunate here in
08:32the state of Ohio to have a governor who understands the importance of behavioral health. Unless you've
08:38personally experienced a child in crisis, it is really hard to understand just how difficult it is to
08:44know what to do. MRSS is an invaluable service that comes alongside young people and their families
08:52when they don't have anywhere else to turn. Young people like John. John's mother contacted MRSS when
08:59John was having a particularly violent episode, damaging property in their home and hitting his family
09:05members. When MRSS arrived, they were able to help calm down both John and his mother. They discovered that
09:13John's family was being evicted and they had no place to live and no food in their home. And John
09:19and his siblings were also not attending school. The MRSS team immediately set John's family up with
09:26short-term housing and connected them with local agencies for rental assistance and nutritious foods.
09:32John and his family now have a place to live. He and his siblings are attending a special school for
09:38youth with autism. And everyone in the family is receiving counseling, peer support services, and
09:45accessing case management through OhioRISE. Our goal is to expand this service so every single child,
09:52just like John from Cincinnati to Youngstown, can get immediate professional care right when they need it.
10:00MRSS is an essential service within Ohio's system of care to fill a gap for youth and families needing
10:06urgent behavioral health services to a situation that the family or the young person define as a crisis.
10:13John's situation could have ended up much differently. He could have ended up in emergency
10:19department, juvenile detention, or worse, candidly. MRSS is designed to avert unnecessary emergency department
10:27visits, inpatient admissions, out-of-home placements, placement disruptions, and juvenile justice system
10:34involvement. In fact, MRSS develops collaborative partnerships to assure that the services, supports,
10:41planning, and linkages are all coordinated and connected for that child. This means MRSS providers
10:47are encouraged to develop and maintain partnerships with law enforcement agencies, school districts,
10:53and school personnel, child protective service agencies, and any other resource providers in the area.
11:00It's important to note that today's announcement signifies a big step forward, but we're not at our
11:06end goal yet. Our providers understand that Ohio's MRSS program is intended to ultimately offer services
11:13statewide, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within three years of certification. Providers are committed to
11:20engaging in capacity building that will provide that 24-7 regional operation. They're also committed to our goal
11:27of responding to the location where that young person is within 60 minutes of calling. Additionally,
11:33providers are committed to engaging in regional quality monitoring, quality oversight, and ongoing
11:39performance improvement of MRSS services. We have truly set the bar very high, but that is because our
11:46children deserve it. I want to thank my colleagues at the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services,
11:52particularly Tia Kochs and Tia Marcel Moretti, for making this a reality. And it's now my pleasure to
11:58introduce my colleague, Bridget Harrison, Assistant Director at the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
12:08Good morning, everyone. My name is Bridget Harrison, and I'm a Deputy Director at the Department of
12:13Medicaid. And it's my honor to be here on behalf of Director Corcoran and the Department of Medicaid
12:19Department of Medicaid. I want to thank Governor DeWine and Director Corcoran for their commitment
12:24to making a better path for Ohio youth, especially those who have such complex behavioral health needs.
12:32I'm sure that Director Corcoran's story of John is bringing to mind a child in your own life who you
12:38have seen struggle through a behavioral health crisis. Whether it is a neighbor or your own child,
12:44I think that all of you in this room can understand how important this service is to not just those who
12:52rely on Medicaid services, but to our entire state. Caring for this exact group of young people is a
13:00passion for so many of us at the Department of Medicaid. And with the Department, with the Governor's
13:05leadership, we have put these kids and their families first, giving them hope in situations that can often
13:12feel hopeless. The idea of statewide expansion of MRSS was hatched years ago. And through collaboration
13:20with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, idea sharing, and action across statewide
13:27agencies and local partners, we are able to bring this vital service statewide. That is a real accomplishment,
13:36and proof of the difference that we can make when we work together. MRSS would not be possible without Ohio
13:43RISE. As you said, Governor, the program was built to address long standing gaps in care and coordination
13:51that often result in families having to navigate complex and often siloed systems on their own. We now
13:59serve more than nine times the number of kids that we did when we launched Ohio RISE in 2022.
14:05We started with about 5,500 youth on day one, and I'm proud to share that we are now serving over 46,000
14:14Ohio kids. Ohio's legislature and Governor DeWine have been committed to improving access to behavioral
14:21health services across the state. They recognize that addiction and mental health epidemics can destroy
14:28lives and families across the state. But through programs like Ohio RISE, we can reduce emergency
14:34emergency department utilization, and we're happy to report that Ohio RISE has reduced emergency department
14:41visits by 41 percent for our Ohio RISE members. And we've also reduced total psychiatric hospital stays
14:50by 28 percent. That means kids are away from their families for less time, and they're back in the community,
14:58back at school, and getting ready for a life of success. With Ohio RISE, more kids are able to receive
15:06care in their homes and in their communities. Those kinds of numbers really speak for themselves.
15:12And I know that by offering crisis services without worry of a hefty medical bill will only help us better
15:19serve the people of Ohio. Ohio's families really value Ohio RISE.
15:24Today's announcement of providers tasked with providing MRSS services is a huge step forward.
15:33We thank you all for taking on this tall task, and we look forward to leading a better future for so
15:41many of Ohio's children. Again, thank you Governor DeWine for your support, and thank you Director Kornian
15:47for your partnership and collaboration with your staff to make this vital service accessible to all Ohio's
15:53schools. I'll now turn it over to Principal Wittig to talk about her experience with MRSS in our schools.
16:06Good morning. On behalf of the entire Hopewell Elementary community, thank you so much for joining
16:11us today. We are honored to welcome you and share how the behavioral health partnerships have positively
16:17impacted our students' well-being and success. As educators, we strive to make
16:22students where they are both academically and socially emotionally and provide the sports necessary
16:28for all children to thrive. We recognize, however, that some students are unable to access the academics
16:35if they do not feel safe, supported, and regulated. Our recent connection with Nationwide Children's
16:42Hospital and the Mobile Response Stabilization Service has been transformative for our school community.
16:49Earlier this year, one of our students experienced a significant behavioral health crisis here at school.
16:57In collaboration with the student's family, our mental health specialist reached out to the MRSS team
17:03for additional supports. Clinicians from Nationwide Children's Hospital arrived within the hour and partnered
17:10seamlessly with our student, their family, and our school team to develop a very clear plan for services,
17:17counseling, and most importantly, ongoing care. Today, I'm happy to share that our student is thriving.
17:25They are learning, growing, and fully engaged in the classroom each day. Their family has also reported
17:31they've seen tremendous growth, not only at home, but in the community as well. This student is a powerful
17:37example of how timely and effective mental health supports can positively change a child's life. Governor DeWine,
17:44thank you for your unwavering commitment to Ohio's children. Your leadership and expansion of programs
17:51like MRSS ensure that students all across the state have immediate access to high quality mental health
17:58supports. Thank you for visiting us today, for believing in our children, and for supporting our efforts to
18:04build a very bright future for every child. Thank you.
18:12Also joining us today are two really remarkable young ladies from Dublin Jerome High School.
18:21Kay and Reagan are part of the district's Hope Squad, a group focusing on the mental health needs of their
18:28fellow students. We're going to hear something from them in just a moment. But first, I'd like to ask
18:35them for their help. They're already in position, I can see. We have a map of how we will be dividing Ohio
18:42into 18 MRSS regions to ensure that every family who needs this service can get help in 60 minutes or less.
18:50And I'd like to ask them to please unveil that. Or turn it over, I guess. All right.
19:05Thank you very much. Our partner here in Franklin County will continue to be Nationwide Children's Hospital.
19:14We've worked with Nationwide on MRSS for some time. And of course, we've worked with them on many things
19:21as well. Before Kay and Reagan speak, we'd like to share a short video featuring some of the amazing
19:29professionals at Nationwide Children's who help us deliver this incredible service every day.
19:44MRSS provides support to youth who are under the age of 21 in crisis or has a loved one who's in crisis
19:52can call. We can respond. We try to respond urgently within 60 minutes anywhere in the community.
19:58We've been to parking lots, libraries, schools, houses, of course, anywhere really where crisis can
20:04happen. When our team arrives to a call, we are working really quickly to develop rapport with the
20:10child or young adult or family. We're quickly assessing the situation for any imminent risk
20:16or safety concerns. And then from there, we're really working alongside the family to get a clinical
20:21picture of what's going on and how we can be the most helpful.
20:32I'm trying to continue to get our name out there. And we continuously have families that tell us,
20:36like, if I would have known you existed a year ago, I wouldn't have had to bring my child to the
20:40emergency room or we could have had quicker access to care. We wouldn't have had to wait on a waitlist
20:44trying to get support or maybe we wouldn't have had to call police. So the situation could have looked
20:49just a little bit different.
20:57So I think expanding MRSS across the state will really improve access to care for those people
21:03who may not have what they need currently in their community.
21:10We know that everyone has mental health. When we are talking about our youth are in crisis,
21:15that shows up in very different ways. One in five children are experiencing mental health symptoms,
21:20mental health concerns. And so access to care is crucial to be able to help support families and our
21:25communities. It's really important right now that MRSS is available to more people because mental health is
21:32such a crisis throughout the state. We really are working hard to break stigmas and to increase
21:38access to care and to help keep kids and families out of the hospital if they don't really 100% need to
21:44be there.
21:55Good morning, everyone. Thank you so much for that wonderful introduction. I'm Regan Hanoski. And I'm
22:00Kaya Pandya. We're seniors at Dublin Jerome High School and co-leaders of Jerome's Teen Institute,
22:05or TI. Through TI, we focus on youth-led prevention, creating a supportive community where students
22:11can talk openly about mental health, substance use, and making healthy choices for their future.
22:16We've seen firsthand how powerful peer support can be. After coming to TI meetings, students are more
22:22empowered to make positive choices and feel more confident reaching out for help when they need it.
22:26Along with TI, Dublin City Schools is proud to have Hope Squad programs in all three high schools and
22:32across our middle schools. Hope Squad trains students to recognize warning signs and connects
22:37their peers with trusted adults, making early intervention possible before situations get too
22:42serious. The success we've seen through these programs shows just how much early support matters
22:48and why it's so important to have a strong continuum of care for youth mental health.
22:52But even with all the resources we have, we know there are still gaps, especially when it comes to
22:57getting help outside of school hours. We're so excited to help the governor's office and the Ohio
23:02Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services share the statewide rollout of MRSS. It's encouraging to
23:08see that youth mental health is a real priority for the state of Ohio. MRSS helps solve barriers like
23:14transportation and cost, meeting students where they are, whether that's at home or somewhere else they feel safe.
23:20It's an option that feels a lot less overwhelming than going straight to the emergency room or inpatient care.
23:25And just as important, MRSS makes it easier to step in early, before a situation becomes critical.
23:31It gives students and families another place to turn to when they first notice struggles, not just when it's an emergency.
23:38Having an option like MRSS, one that feels approachable and meets students where they are,
23:43would make such a difference. It helps normalize getting help and removes the fear that too often
23:49keeps students from reaching help. As students leading prevention efforts in our schools, we know that
23:54the right support at the right time can change everything. And we're excited to see more students
23:59across Ohio get the help that they need to thrive. Thank you.
24:13Okay, Reagan, thank you very, very much. Great, great words. Thank you also for
24:18your leadership at school, your leadership in the mental health area, and you're both seniors. We wish
24:25you well next year. Thank you very much. Give them a hand again.
24:35Happy to take any questions from the media.
24:37Is there somebody who could explain where the line is between when you use MRSS and when law enforcement is more appropriate?
24:45Sure, Leanne can. And let me just say that, that as I travel around the state and talk to law enforcement officers,
24:56you know, departments are struggling with this. I was with a department this last Friday,
25:05and you know, they had a social worker literally embedded in the department. So everybody's trying
25:11to figure out how to do this. And no one wants this, frankly, more than law enforcement officers.
25:18I think what's special and unique about MRSS is really the crisis is defined by the family,
25:27by the child. And that can be, you know, maybe threats of self-harm. Maybe it could be an increase
25:34in severity of anxiety or depression. It could be a whole host of different things. If that family
25:38deems it a crisis, then they can reach out. And our really wonderfully trained professionals at 988,
25:44they really know the difference of when that person, when that family can't be deescalated,
25:50and we need a mobile response, or we may need law enforcement intervention.
25:54But that line is really a threat of harm to themselves or to others.
25:58If people are really not sure of where to go and what to do, they can always reach out to 988. And
26:12988 is able to refer emergency situations to 911. And it's a great opportunity to connect with
26:20professionals in your community near where you live, who also have the opportunity, as we said,
26:24to deploy those mobile response services, but then also to follow up with those families and make
26:29sure that they're connected to supports in the community.
26:32Who else?
26:34So, I don't know if that's too bad for her here, but how does it work when they show up to open the community?
26:43How do they actually react to the situation? What are some of the different things they need to kind of help?
26:48Sounds like Leanne needs to stay up here.
26:54So, as you saw from the video, we have a variety of different certified and trained professionals who are on the
27:02team deploying to that location. Sometimes they're peer supporters, sometimes they're licensed social workers.
27:07So, occasionally, it's just separating the family members and having a peer supporter work with
27:13that child or work with that parent to kind of calm them down, to assess the situation, to understand
27:18what's going on in the home, what some of those triggers may be, and then working directly with
27:24the family to kind of model those de-escalation techniques and make sure that we're engaging that
27:29young person in that family in a holistic safety plan so that they know exactly where to go,
27:35who to go to, when to go, and that they have all of those services and supports in a really
27:41coordinated and seamless way.
27:43Well, are these teams in place already and ready to deploy, or is this something that
27:53is still training going on? Go ahead, Leanne, you can give them a timeline to it.
27:59Yes. So, there are mobile response and stabilization services teams in over 50 counties currently.
28:06We are working over the next few weeks and months to have these teams in place, hired, trained,
28:13certified, so that they can go out and deliver these services in all 88 counties by this summer.
28:19So, if someone were to call an 88 number expecting to see one response to come out,
28:26but they are not in a county where this is available, would that be a situation then where the
28:32person answered that 988 call would then refer to the first response agency,
28:38or would that be police for another month?
28:41I thought it would work.
28:42Our 988 call takers are very knowledgeable and aware of all of the services that are available in
28:48the communities that they cover. So, they'll know whether there are mobile response services
28:52available in that community ready to deploy right at the moment. Maybe it's connecting them to another
28:58community-based behavioral health agency so that they can get in relatively quickly to go see
29:05a clinician. So, they're going to know exactly what exists in the community and how to connect
29:11families into those services and supports.
29:37I'm sure we have a map that we can share with you
29:40that shows where MRSS exists currently. I don't have the 30 counties off the top of my head that
29:45don't have it. And yes, we have partnered very closely with the Department of Medicaid
29:51through their Medicaid actuary. We have identified the number of professionals we need to have
29:57statewide in order to deploy those people within one hour of anywhere in the community. And we've
30:02also developed a fee structure that we will be partnering with Aetna Ohio Rise on ensuring that
30:07there is just a single payment to all of our providers so that they don't have to go to us
30:12for some kids and Medicaid for others. Yeah.
30:15So, the...
30:23Yes. The Department of Medicaid will be paying for services for all Medicaid enrollees. The Department of
30:31Mental Health and Addiction Services will be covering costs associated with individuals who aren't enrolled in
30:36Medicaid. But all of those resources are being coordinated by Aetna Ohio Rise, which is our
30:42managed care plan selected for Ohio Rise to make it seamless and very easy for our providers.
30:49And is this fully funded in the next budget?
30:51Yes. The Governor's as-introduced budget includes funds to fully fund MRSS statewide.
30:58And is that still in the Ohio House?
31:00Yes. Yes, it is.
31:02So, this has to be a child in crisis, though, not with someone 18 or old, correct?
31:10It's youth 20 and under. Yes. In the Governor's executive budget proposal, there also were resources
31:19included to scale this for adults 21 and older statewide as well.
31:25And let me just say that, you know, this is kind of the big picture is this is one major step
31:33forward to our desire, our goal, our intent to make these services available to everybody in the state of Ohio.
31:43We'll continue to move forward. But this this is a the end of this phase is in sight.
31:52Leanne, timeline again, the remaining counties.
31:58Yes, by end of June 2025. So by later this summer, we should have these services in place
32:05in counties where they don't currently exist.
32:07So, July 1. July 1, this should be all all in place. And again, part of responding and being able
32:19to activate emergency services is people don't have time to think. They have to know what to do.
32:27And we're going to continue to advertise. We're going to continue to talk talk about 98. And so these are
32:34this number is a vitally important number. And, you know, we hope in the next several years that this
32:40number will be on every on everyone's mind. This is a response to what teachers have told us,
32:49what school administrators have told us, parents have told us, you know, we see mental health challenges
32:56among our children, significant challenges among some of our children. And they are all our children,
33:02and we need to treat them that way. And we want to make sure that they have those services.
33:09I can only imagine a parent who is in seeing their child in crisis. That parent needs to know what
33:16to do. They need to know where to go. They need to know where to call. And they need to have an assurance
33:23that within a reasonable period of time, one hour, there's going to be someone who will respond,
33:30and will respond physically. So this is this is a big deal. This is something that we wanted
33:37for some time. We've been moving towards it. Now we have a date where every county, every Ohioan,
33:44no matter where a parent lives, where a child lives in the state of Ohio, this will will in fact be
33:50available. That's what we want. And that's what we're going to achieve by July 1. Anybody else?
33:56I think families can request MRSS as a service. Again, this is a crisis as defined by the child and
34:17their family. If they don't know that MRSS is available though, then that 988 call taker can
34:23make sure that if, if this is a crisis situation, MRSS is deployed.
34:37So we have, we have done a significant number of listening sessions of conversations with our
34:47provider communities with families to really try to understand how to design this service,
34:53how to build this service in a way that meets the needs of all Ohioans. So we'll continue to do
34:58statewide outreach and education and awareness and advertising to make sure that all families
35:05know that this exists. Certainly, we have resources for 988, which is going to be the primary
35:11way that we're deploying these services in a variety of different languages available on,
35:15um, on OhioMAS's website. So ongoing efforts to continue to engage all Ohioans.
35:28Uh, 988 call takers, uh, do speak foreign languages. I do not know exactly which ones,
35:33um, but we can get that information to you.
35:35How about the MRSS team? Are they trained in other languages?
35:38I do not know the answer to that, but we can get that to you. Bridget?
35:46Good morning. I would just add that one of the values of the regional model that we're using is
35:50that we are starting with local providers. And these local providers know their communities. They know
35:56the different, um, needs of their communities, whether they're in Appalachia, whether they're dealing
36:01with, um, a population of new Americans or of new Ohioans. And so, um, part of our hope in really
36:08relying on those regional providers is that they are able to come to the table and know how to serve
36:13their community really well.