As part of the community’s work to strengthen its mental health crisis response system, Edmond became one of the first cities in the state to connect its 911 operations to the state’s 988 lifeline for seamless handoffs. healthymindspolicy.org/news/edmond-me…

Federal law requires insurers to provide the same access to mental and physical health care. But insurance networks have "nowhere near enough" available therapists to treat the number of Americans seeking help for mental illness, ProPublica reports. projects.propublica.org/why-i-left-the…

When competency evaluation and restoration services are delayed, defendants often have no choice but to wait in jail, where mental health treatment can be inadequate and costly. Our new primer explains how the competency process works in Oklahoma: healthymindspolicy.org/research/oklah…

How can Oklahoma better support the mental health needs of people being released from jails and prisons? Some states have adopted a new Medicaid strategy to offer health coverage to people nearing their release date. Learn more in our new policy analysis: healthymindspolicy.org/policy/support…

Over the next four years, Edmond will receive nearly $4 million in federal funding to support youth mental health. We're thrilled to see how this award will build on Edmond's years of work to support residents' mental health needs 👏 healthymindspolicy.org/news/city-of-e…

Our primer on competency services in Oklahoma explains what it means for a person to be deemed "incompetent" in a criminal proceeding and how they can have their competency restored through treatment and education. bit.ly/4evVMd4

Since Senate Bill 511 legalized harm reduction programs in 2021, organizations across Oklahoma have distributed more than 578,000 sterile syringes and 50,000 doses of naloxone — resulting in the reversal of at least 1,200 overdoses. bit.ly/3BLrLrR

“What has become really interesting to me is that in Oklahoma, some of the things that haven’t happened elsewhere have already begun to happen here.” - Dr Thomas Insel, Oklahoma’s State of Mental Health oklahomavoice.com/2024/10/23/exp…

The solutions to Oklahoma's mental health challenges are no longer a mystery, and we're seeing remarkable progress and collaboration across our state. Thank you to all who attended Healthy Minds' State of Mental Health event — the future of mental health is bright in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is one of just six states that received a federal grant this year to implement an evidence-based model for integrating mental health and substance use services in primary care settings. 👏 More about how this grant will expand access to care: healthymindspolicy.org/news/oklahoma-…

As lawmakers have proposed policy changes and incentives to promote phone-free classrooms across Oklahoma, our new analysis explores how these types of policies could benefit youth mental health: bit.ly/3OTQ4ag

With the 2025 legislative session right around the corner, these are the mental health bills we'll be watching: healthymindspolicy.org/policy/2025-ok…

Find summaries and tracking lists for all the mental health bills we're watching in our 2025 policy guide: bit.ly/3CFGvco

New resource: How counties can maximize mental health and diversion dollars for their communities through the County Community Safety Investment Fund bit.ly/41BvAu9

Amid recent and impending cuts to SAMHSA's funding and workforce, we found that if previously awarded grants are not honored, Oklahoma could lose out on more than $186 million — putting services for children, rural communities, and tribes at risk. bit.ly/4jd7RGu

A fully realized diversion system would save Oklahoma millions in taxpayer dollars annually. Our new research explores where Oklahoma's diversion services must grow to meet demand — and quantifies the economic benefits our state can expect in return. bit.ly/42uAh8m

Cutting mental health crisis services might save money today, but this strategy will cost taxpayers much more over time, our executive director Zack Stoycoff writes in an op-ed for the Tulsa World. tulsaworld.com/opinion/column…

Oklahoma was a national leader in implementing the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model. Our new analysis focuses on how the state should now shift its focus to ensuring CCBHC services fulfill the promise of the model: healthymindspolicy.org/research/achie…

Our newest report, published today to mark the start of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, delves deeply into a decade's worth of data to identify the factors that contribute to Oklahoma’s high rates of suicide and offers recommendations to reverse these trends. bit.ly/4lSKFiN

All three of Healthy Minds' priority bills for 2025 made it through the legislative process and have become law! ✅ SB 251 takes effect immediately; HB 2049 and HB 2261 will take effect in November. Learn more about each one in our legislative guide: bit.ly/3CFGvco