OhioMHAS Releases MRSS RFI – Responses Due March 8th

The Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is seeking requests for interest from current MRSS providers or other providers interested in rendering MRSS. MRSS providers are certified by OhioMHAS and render services in Ohio. Click here to download the RFI.

In October 2023, OhioMHAS and the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) shared a proposed regional MRSS model concept with stakeholders. Based on feedback received, OhioMHAS is issuing this RFI to gather more information prior to moving forward with a new MRSS model for Ohio. The information obtained through this RFI will assist OhioMHAS and its partners with future MRSS model development. The goal of this RFI is to understand the current service delivery areas and opportunities to fill in gaps in access to services.

Governor DeWine has spent his career focused on the health and well-being of children. In his role as governor, with support from the Ohio General Assembly, he has prioritized programs and services, such as MRSS, that provide interventions for children and youth in crisis. MRSS is delivered to any person under the age of 21 who is experiencing a behavioral health crisis that has impacted their ability to function within their family, living situation, school, or community. Something unique to MRSS is that the caller and family define the crisis.

OhioMHAS and its partners are working to develop a supported, system of care and quality crisis response system to serve as a timely and appropriate alternative to unnecessary hospitalization, arrest/incarceration, or displacement from home. We aim to create statewide capacity and access to youth-focused high quality behavioral health crisis response that addresses the family or caregiver’s sense of urgency while preserving their dignity. MRSS is one part of the whole crisis response system and a critical tool in supporting child protection systems across Ohio.

While expansion of MRSS has happened across the state, there have been significant obstacles to developing complete statewide access to MRSS. Stakeholder feedback, especially from MRSS providers, strongly highlight the need for increased efficiencies in service delivery and indicate that statewide expansion can be attained through creating model flexibility and additional funding support, including:

This approach is aimed at supporting statewide service coverage, addressing workforce and operational challenges, providing a clear pathway for quality improvement, and encouraging integration and efficiency.

  • Updating the OhioMHAS’ MRSS rule to address staffing and hours of operation (See
  • below)
  • Expanding funding support for an accountable provider-led firehouse model, includes gathering additional data about service area and development of fee schedule. Proposed future funding will be based on Medicaid billing and cross department collaboration from General Revenue Funds, accounting for staffing and infrastructure costs in the allocation.

A provider led accountable model is intended to promote efficiency and ensure access to MRSS. Providers will leverage strong community partnerships, specifically with ADAMH boards, child- serving agencies, organizations (public children services agencies, schools, law enforcement, juvenile courts), and other health care providers (emergency departments, residential treatment providers, providers of other behavioral health services, primary care physicians) to spread access to and use of MRSS.

The following key updates to the OhioMHAS MRSS rule are expected to be released in early 2024:

  • MRSS service providers will be operational, at a minimum, between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm Monday through Friday and will respond to all calls that come during operational hours on those days. Any call received outside of operational hours will be responded to at the beginning of the next operational day.
  • New minimum standards for staffing requirements to provide initial MRSS response. The initial response will be conducted by at least a clinician; a clinician and either a Qualified Behavioral Health Specialist (QBHS), a family peer supporter, or a youth peer supporter; or a combination of at least one QBHS and either another QBHS or a peer supporter. If a clinician is not part of the initial MRSS response, there will be immediate access to one virtually.

Questions may be sent to: [email protected] no later than February 23, 2024, at 5 pm. A Q&A will be posted on the grants page of the OhioMHAS website.  Letters or e-mails of must be submitted to [email protected] by March 8, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.