Focus on Behavioral Healthcare

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Terri White, ODMHSAS commissioner-designate, addresses a congressional hearing in Tulsa.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

May 4, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Summit & Lunch - Free

Alternatives to Incarceration II - Statewide Criminal Justice Working Summit

Biltmore Hotel, OKC

Planning and coordination by Oklahoma Mental Health Consumer Council.
Sponsored in part by ODMHSAS.

Click for information

May 8, 1 p.m., Free

Teleconference:

"How to Prepare for Your First Survey," presented by The Joint Commission:

- Finding an accreditation champion

- Should you use a consultant?

- Other tips and tools

Click to Register

May 18, 6-11 p.m.

OMHCC Fundraiser

Quail Creek Golf & Country Club, OKC

Click for information

May 19, 8 a.m. check-in; 9 a.m. start

NAMI Oklahoma Walk for the Mind fundraiser

Byers Avenue Bridge and south of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, OKC

Click for information

May 25, 10-11:30 a.m.

Free

ThinkHealth luncheon and presentation

4141 NW Expressway

Practice management software demonstration by OrionNet Systems LLC.

Gift certificate drawings:

-$300 Quail Springs

-$60 Olive Garden

-$40 Hometown Buffet

Click for information

or call Herminia at 405-286-1674

THE COMMISSIONER

Terri White doesn't start her job until May 14, but she's wasting no time setting her priorities.

In public appearances and media interviews, the new director of ODMHSAS has offered insight into the issues that she sees as most important  Among them are the high number of mentally ill and substance abusers incarcerated in state prisons.

She made the point dramatically in a hearing in Tulsa convened by U.S. Rep. John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, and U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., to discuss the Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007, which would require health insurance plans that offer mental health coverage to treat it the same as other health problems in terms of co-pays and treatment limits.

Taking a set of handcuffs from a drawer in front of her, she placed them firmly on the table and told the lawmakers, "We incarcerate individuals for these diseases."  She called for insurance parity that would cover mental illness the same as other health problems to alleviate this situation.  Without parity, she said, "What is going to happen in Oklahoma more than any other state in the nation if we don't learn how to treat these individuals is incarceration."

Of the 24,000 inmates in Oklahoma, 8,340 have "severe mental illness," White said.  About 30 percent of inmates are in prison as a direct result of substance abuse, and 50 percent are there because of substance abuse-related reasons, she told the hearing.

Read newspaper article ...      Watch video of testimony ...

What are her goals?

In an April newspaper interview, Terri White described some of her goals for mental health and substance abuse in Oklahoma.

She said her top priority is giving more people in the state access to mental health treatment.  She said this will take time, four or five years, and will depend on the Legislature's willingness to fund mental health and substance abuse programs.  She said that in a recent study, mental health was at the bottom of the Legislature's priorities list.

Among the things she wants to see funded:

-Programs to cut stigma associated with mental heath    treatment

-Getting young people help before their lives get out of control.

White said three-quarters of mental illness is apparent before age 24, making it very important to fund youth programs for identifying and treating mental illness.

Read the article ...                  Watch video of interview ...

APS reports delay

APS Electronic Transactions won't be available before July, according to word from OHCA.   Testing was to have begun in April but has been moved to June.