In a move aimed toward financial transparency and improved service delivery for mental health within the state, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has welcomed a thorough financial review of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The assessment, conducted by CPA David Greenwell and presented yesterday, pinpoints a need for an additional $29.9 million in funding for the fiscal year 2025 and contributes a set of 52 recommendations intended to bolster the department's operations. According to the report released by the Governor's Office, these steps include the recruitment of a seasoned Chief Financial Officer and the incorporation of modern accounting practices.
The examination, a collaboration between CPA Greenwell, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services, aims to rectify years of financial mismanagement, facing a challenge that Commissioner Friesen and her team has admirably navigated. "This report is the signal for a new beginning for the department," Governor Stitt told the press. Anticipating phased reforms over the next 18 months, Stitt expressed his confidence in the capacity of the Department to implement significant changes while simultaneously enhancing care for Oklahoma residents, as stated by the Governor's Office.
Among the reforms, the report suggests the employment of an internal auditor and the adoption of an OMES-approved accounting system that promises better interoperability, as well as the application of advanced analytics to detect fraud and enhance decision-making processes. Training initiatives aimed to foster an ethos of ethical conduct and accountability are expected to follow, along with greater transparency measures such as real-time dashboards and public reporting. Accounting expert David Greenwell, whose scrutiny facilitated the audit, reassured, "Nothing about this department is permanently broken," highlighting the resilience of Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in the face of existing challenges, as rported by the Governor's Office.
At the helm of Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Commissioner Allie Friesen has been straightforward about her intentions for improving the state's mental health services framework: "I’ve been clear that I want to ensure this department is in the best position possible to care for those who need our services most," she stated in response to the audit, as per the Governor's Office. Backed by the Governor's supportive stance toward the Department's impending reform, securing supplemental funding to fulfill immediate needs and bolster the department's infrastructure for the long term is the next legislative step.
