TULSA, Okla. — The Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse unveiled new initiatives and a mission challenging its old ways of addressing these crises.
2 News sat down with a mental health professional to get their reaction to the department’s announcement as it was happening.
"It makes no sense in my mind that we know exactly where to go if we are in a car accident and have a broken leg, but we have no clue where to go if we’re in a mental health crisis or a loved one in a mental health crisis," said Commissioner Allie Friesen with ODMASAS.
The department is writing a new chapter in its story on, holding a news conference on World Mental Health Day.
"You will see nothing but brutal honesty from us, as Christina will let me be brutally honest, and you will see transparency and partnership," said Friesen.
The new leadership addressed recent concerns while looking ahead. Friesen said it will take time to find their baseline and foundation before they can build from the ground up.
"What we need to focus on is growing horizontally connecting with others. It doesn’t matter if you are private or public or nonprofit, if you are serving the mental health or substance use community we need to be woven together in a more meaningful way," said Friesen.
According to Rags Ragland with Oklahomans for Equality, these types of collaborations are desperately needed. Ragland watched the new conference while 2 News shared their thoughts as it went on.
"These partnerships need to happen between the state organizations and these grassroots organizations," said Ragland.
The state is hitting hard on five pillars it's using to reshape the department.
FIVE PILLARS:
- Reliability and trust
- Innovation and evidence-based care
- Coordination and collaboration
- Stewardship and alignment
- Data and analysis
Ragland hopes these initiatives target the cause of the problems rather than just the symptoms.
"That next request is the real need. You know, like if your Food Not Bombs out here in downtown and you hand someone a hot plate of food and they say, 'Do you also have socks?' That’s the next need," said Ragland.
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They said it's the boots-on-the-ground specialists who can pinpoint the needs of the community. Ragland hopes the state can collaborate more with smaller grassroots organizations to target the specific issues.
Ragland said they're hopeful but hesitant wanting the state to act.
"The connection that needs to be made is that the action needs to line up with the words that were said," Ragland said.
The department leaders said they welcome accountability but are urging grace as they implement the initiatives.
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