WEEK WOULD MAKE SOME BIG CHANGES. THAT’S RIGHT GUYS. BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THIS IS IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES. THE GOALS REALLY HERE ARE TO IMPROVE OVERSIGHT AND TO MAKE SURE OKLAHOMANS CONTINUE TO GET CRITICAL RESOURCES WITHOUT ANY DISRUPTION. A PLAN TO STABILIZE THE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IN THE SOONER STATE UNVEILED BY LEADERS THIS WEEK. IT COMES AS THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES STILL FINDS ITSELF IN A DEFICIT. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH OTHER LARGE ORGANIZATIONS IN MY CAREER THAT HAVE NEEDED TO BE FIXED, AND THIS BY FAR PROBABLY IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT I’VE HAD TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE IT’S HAD MANY DIFFERENT FACETS. THE PLAN HAS MULTIPLE PARTS REDISTRIBUTING AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES AND RETURNING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES. QUOTE, BACK TO BASICS. MEDICAID MANAGEMENT WOULD STAY WITH THE OKLAHOMA HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY, GRANTED. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT WOULD GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THERE ARE ALSO TEMPORARY CHANGES THAT WOULD PUT THE DEPARTMENT IN DIFFERENT HANDS FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR TO LET THEM FOCUS ON RUNNING FACILITIES IN THE REMAINDER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. 26. YES, ALL THEY WOULD BE OVERSEEING THE FACILITIES, THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL FACILITIES, AND THEN THE PLAN WOULD BE IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO DEAL WITH THAT HOWEVER WE CAN, WHETHER THAT’S TO MAINTAIN IT, ALL THEY DO IS THE FACILITY MANAGEMENT OR THAT WE PRIVATIZE THOSE. THE STATE EMPHASIZING THAT NO ONE WILL BE LOSING THEIR BENEFITS. BUT STATE EMPLOYEES ARE ALREADY RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THESE CHANGES MEAN FO
Oklahoma leaders propose plan to stabilize mental health care
Oklahoma health care leaders have unveiled a preliminary plan to stabilize mental health resources amid ongoing budget deficits, aiming to protect Medicaid and improve oversight.
Updated: 4:09 PM CDT Mar 25, 2026
Oklahoma health care leaders have proposed a preliminary plan to stabilize mental health resources in the state, aiming to protect Medicaid, improve oversight and ensure uninterrupted distribution of critical resources.>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterA plan to stabilize mental health resources in the Sooner State was unveiled by leaders this week as the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services finds itself in a deficit for the second year in a row.Gregory Slavonic, interim commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said, “I have been involved with other larger organizations in my career that have needed to be fixed, and this by far probably is the biggest challenge that I’ve had to deal with because it has had many different facets.”The plan has multiple parts, including redistributing agency responsibilities and returning mental health and substance abuse services “back to basics.” Medicaid management would stay with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, while grant and contract management would go to the Department of Health. There are also temporary changes that would put the department in different hands for the rest of this year to let them focus on running facilities.Clay Bullard, cabinet secretary of health and mental health for the state of Oklahoma, said, “In the remainder of calendar year ’26, yes, all they would be doing is overseeing the facilities, the actual physical facilities. And then the plan would be in the next legislative session to deal with that. Whether that’s to maintain it so that all they do is facility management, or that we privatize those.”Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.The state again emphasized that no one will be losing their benefits, but state workers have already raised concerns about what this could mean for their jobs.Top HeadlinesSee the inside of Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch estate1 dead, 2 critically injured in multi-vehicle crash in southwest Oklahoma CityPolice: Woman dies after being hit by driver during hit-and-run in southwest Oklahoma CityNorman police officer hospitalized with serious injuries after crashNew federal CDL rules force Oklahoma truck driving school to turn away students
OKLAHOMA CITY —
Oklahoma health care leaders have proposed a preliminary plan to stabilize mental health resources in the state, aiming to protect Medicaid, improve oversight and ensure uninterrupted distribution of critical resources.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
A plan to stabilize mental health resources in the Sooner State was unveiled by leaders this week as the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services finds itself in a deficit for the second year in a row.
Gregory Slavonic, interim commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said, “I have been involved with other larger organizations in my career that have needed to be fixed, and this by far probably is the biggest challenge that I’ve had to deal with because it has had many different facets.”
The plan has multiple parts, including redistributing agency responsibilities and returning mental health and substance abuse services “back to basics.” Medicaid management would stay with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, while grant and contract management would go to the Department of Health.
There are also temporary changes that would put the department in different hands for the rest of this year to let them focus on running facilities.
Clay Bullard, cabinet secretary of health and mental health for the state of Oklahoma, said, “In the remainder of calendar year ’26, yes, all they would be doing is overseeing the facilities, the actual physical facilities. And then the plan would be in the next legislative session to deal with that. Whether that’s to maintain it so that all they do is facility management, or that we privatize those.”
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
The state again emphasized that no one will be losing their benefits, but state workers have already raised concerns about what this could mean for their jobs.
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