By Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY — In a bid to strengthen care, an Oklahoma agency plans to shift to a privatized model for many of its behavioral and mental health services in some areas of the state.
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services announced it has awarded one-year contracts to four private providers to take over operation of service areas currently served by state-run facilities. Family and Children’s Services, Grand Mental Health, CREOKS and Lighthouse Behavioral Wellness Centers will expand their current service areas to cover 22 new counties across Oklahoma.
Over the next several months, the four Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics will take over from the state to provide required services, like crisis intervention, peer and family support, and mental health and substance use outpatient services.
Existing employees of the Mental Health Department must be prioritized during the hiring process, according to a news release.
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are federally certified and provide accessto mental health and substance abuse treatment for all, regardless of ability to pay, and offer 24/7 crisis response and care.
The contracts have five, one-year options for renewal, a state mental health spokesperson said. The private providers will not receive a monetary award for expanding their service areas, but will be paid through the existing Medicaid reimbursement system. The existing state facilities will be leased to providers.
The Mental Health Department in December first announced it was exploring privatizing some of its state-run services in an effort to determine if there was another way to provide more consistent services and support long-term workforce needs.
Privatization of these services is part of an effort to “strengthen the long-term sustainability of Oklahoma’s behavioral health system,” according to the news release.
The Mental Health Department will continue to operate other statewide behavioral health programs, state hospitals, forensic and crisis services, according to the news release.
The move also allows the Mental Health Department to ensure “responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” according to the release.
The state agency last year had a period of financial distress and was questioned by lawmakers about budget gaps. The department has since reviewed and canceled some contracts to save money and has worked with lawmakers to fill budget holes with supplemental funding.
Interim Commissioner Joshua Anderson in a statement thanked agency employees for their work at the state-operated facilities.
“Their expertise, compassion and commitment to Oklahomans helped establish these programs and expand access to care in communities across the state,” he said. “That foundation has positioned Oklahoma for continued success as this next phase moves forward.”
