Oklahoma is facing a critical moment in its handling of mental health care, as a recent report commissioned by Governor Kevin Stitt has laid bare a nearly $30 million budget gap within the state's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. An initial financial review by accounting expert Greenwell, as Governor Stitt's chosen independent eye, has landed a sobering punch—52 ways the agency must tighten its belt and hone its practice to better serve Oklahomans, as reported by News9.
Greenwell, a professor at Oklahoma Baptist University and former Oklahoma City Council member, has pointed out major problems and offered solutions. He recommends hiring a CFO and internal auditor, using state-approved accounting systems, and applying advanced tools to catch fraud. He also suggests making finances more transparent with public reports and real-time dashboards, according to News9. The agency is now in a tough spot, needing $29.9 million in extra funding to make it through fiscal year 2025. A Joint House Committee has approved $27 million so far, but the department's financial issues are far from fully fixed.
Meanwhile, KFOR has emphasized that the governor’s move to bring in an expert accountant was a first step towards stabilizing an agency that's been beleaguered by issues ranging from lack of public trust to outright mismanagement—this financial expert is expected to give the legislature a credible estimate of the shortfall, allowing for a more accurate budget request.
In a similarly dire tone, The Oklahoman reports the agency’s deficit initially reported to be a staggering $63 million before undergoing several fluctuations, settling at the $29.9 million mark—a sequence of revisions that underscores the financial volatility and the dire straits of a system bearing the weight of inconsistent fiscal foundations, one might posit that the agency's well-intended hands are tied, so as the next fiscal year looms on the horizon, it confronts the challenge of reforming and sustaining an essential pillar to public health.
In a time when mental health has never been more critical, Oklahoma's path towards reform is littered with the complex debris of past mismanagement—however, Governor Stitt remains resolute, claiming, “No one signs up for a job like this thinking they’ll have to take on decades of financial mismanagement,” and highlighting the diligent work of Commissioner Friesen who has kept the state’s leadership informed throughout these challenging efforts, as "Oklahomans will be better off now that we have a handle on this department," he told News9 in their coverage of the troubling situation.
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