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Do you have a behavioral health diagnosis and currently live in a nursing facility? Would you like to live more independently and in the community? If you answered yes, there are several options for you.

Recovery Requires a Community

Recovery Requires a Community is a program run by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. It is specifically for people with behavioral health diagnoses (like mental illness or substance use disorders) who live in nursing facilities or who recently moved from a nursing facility and need help to avoid re-admission. This program may be able to help you meet your goal to live more independently in the community.

How does Recovery Requires a Community help?

Recovery Requires a Community is supposed to fill any gaps in funding that are a barrier to your move back to the community. The program offers funding that is short-term and temporary and should be used as a last resort. Recovery Requires a Community may be able to help you with:

• Short-term housing assistance;
• One-time payment of utility arrears;
• Short-term supportive services (home health aide or peer support services; and
• Other needs that will support your ability to live in the community.

How do I apply for Recovery Requires a Community?

You can send an email to recovery@mha.ohio.gov or call 614-644-0617 for more information. You can also visit OhioMHAS's website.

HOME Choice

You should also apply for HOME Choice, which stands for “Helping Ohioans Move, Expanding Choice.” The Ohio Department of Medicaid runs this program. It is for people who are on Medicaid and who have been in an institutional setting for at least 60 days in a row and want to live in the community (there are other eligibility requirements). An institutional setting can be a nursing facility, an intermediate care facility for people with intellectual disabilities, or a hospital.

How can HOME Choice help?

If you are enrolled in HOME Choice, you will have a transition coordinator. This person will help you do things like find housing (an apartment, for example) or access the services you may need in the community. You may also get money to help make the transition successful. You can use this money to pay for things like new furniture, a security deposit, start-up groceries or moving expenses.

You do not need to apply for or be eligible for HOME Choice to take advantage of Recovery Requires a Community. Most people do use both programs, though, and the transition will likely be faster and more sustainable if you do, too.

How do I apply for HOME Choice?

You can call the Ohio Department of Medicaid at 888-221-1560 or email HOME_Choice@medicaid.ohio.gov to ask for an application.

What do I do if I run into problems trying to use these programs or if I have questions?

For any questions, concerns or problems with the Recovery Requires a Community or HOME Choice programs, please contact the Disability Rights Ohio intake department at 800-282-9181 and select option 2.