On Friday July 25 Cleveland.com published a guest article authored by PEP’s recently departed CEO Habeebah Rasheed Grimes that featured PEP’s OhioRISE success. The article, entitled, OhioRISE is changing lives for children with complex needs, takes a look at outcomes three years into the program.
“As someone who has worked in children’s behavioral health for over two decades, I’ve seen what happens when families face trauma alone – and what happens when they don’t have to,” Habeebah begins the article.
She describes the program, why it matters to children, families and the state of Ohio and then talks about the outcomes that point to the impact it is having.
“Since OhioRISE launched in 2022, our team has coordinated care through PEP Connections for more than 2,500 children in central Cuyahoga County, and the outcomes speak even louder. Only eight of those children have required residential placement, and our hospitalization rate is a mere 1.07%. That’s not just a statistic — it’s a sign that families are staying together, and that kids are getting the care they need in their homes and communities.
“OhioRISE is doing what it was designed to do: reduce hospitalizations; prevent custody relinquishment; and surround young people with the right supports. These are children often burdened not only by behavioral health challenges, but also by lead poisoning, poverty, violence, and the generational trauma of racism. Before OhioRISE, they faced these challenges without a safety net. Today, they are part of a coordinated, compassionate system that meets them where they are.”
In the article, Habeebah also thanks Ohio’s lawmakers who supported maintaining the OhioRISE program in the recently passed state budget. PEP is deeply grateful for this support that allows us to continue helping our community’s most vulnerable young people.