OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. (KOKH) — Mental health advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for mental health services following significant budget cuts by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).
The cuts, implemented at the beginning of the month, have already begun to impact organizations and individuals relying on these services.
Tyler Ross, a mental health ambassador with OCARTA, highlighted the challenges faced by those affected.
“They’re trying to put their families back together, they’re trying to rebuild their lives in the community to be a part of it. Those are the people getting hit the hardest,” Ross said. He noted that the cuts were announced in late September and came at a time when the demand for services has surged. “The need for these services have skyrocketed. But the funds have not kept in pace,” he added.
The Thunderbird Clubhouse in Norman is experiencing a significant gap between the increasing demand and available resources. Executive Director Linn Blohm expressed frustration, saying, “With other people getting cut, we’re seeing more need coming to us, but yet we have less to work with. So they’re asking us to do more with less, and it’s pretty frustrating.”
In response to the funding shortfall, these organizations are seeking alternative funding sources. “The executive director here has been finding them, working till 4 o’clock in the morning, and then she clocks out, and then the programs manager clocks in at 4 a.m. We’ve been searching for grants and other resources,” Ross explained.
In a statement last month, ODMHSAS Interim Mental Health Commissioner Greg Slavonic acknowledged the difficult decisions, stating, “ODMHSAS has been operating with more contracts than our budget can sustain. These were very difficult decisions, but we cannot spend more than we have.”
