At the Capitol: First mental health caucus meeting

By State Rep. Randy Randleman
Session officially began week on Monday at noon. Members of the Senate joined us on the House floor to hear the Governor’s fourth State of the State address.
In his speech, the Governor outlined several ways to help Oklahoma become a Top Ten state and emphasized the need to protect Oklahomans and our way of life. One of the Governor’s goals is to make Oklahoma the most business-friendly state in the nation.
Gov. Stitt also discussed ways to deliver taxpayers more for their money, including modernizing government agencies, increasing transparency and investing in infrastructure.
The Governor’s speech kicked off a busy first week of session. On Wednesday, the Mental Health Caucus held its first meeting, and I’m excited to be part of this caucus again. The meeting focused on new programs set up to reduce mental health problems throughout the state.
I introduced a bill last year to increase the number of mental health clinics across the state, but I ended up pulling that legislation in order to work directly with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) to accomplish this. We will soon have a new urgent care unit and crisis unit for adolescents in McAlester.
Additionally, ODMHSAS will add seven other urgent cares throughout rural areas of Oklahoma. Mobile crisis response teams will operate across the state as part of the new mental health emergency line, 988.
A family treatment court will also be established to address addiction issues. For example, the court would help a caregiver who had struggled with a mental health issue or substance abuse and is working to enter the reunification process with their family.
There are several other exciting developments we are working on. The Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman was established in the 1890s and currently has 120 beds. Due to the age of the building, we hope to establish a new psychiatric hospital to house up to 220 beds.
The Cohen Veterans Network will add a new veterans’ mental health facility in Oklahoma after opening in Lawton last year.
The ODMHSAS will put $3.5 million toward the forensic center in Vinita for people who have committed major crimes but have been considered mentally incompetent, so there was not a guilty verdict. People stay here until they are deemed safe to return to their communities.
I consider it such a privilege to be part of the Mental Health Caucus and the Children, Youth and Family Services Committee. We work with ODMHSAS and the Department of Human Services (DHS) in making decisions to help improve the lives of rural Oklahomans. With these groups coming together and working hard to make a difference in the area of mental health, your tax dollars are being put to good use.
I am continuing to work on my bills and have been reading other bills to prepare for committees next week. As always, you may contact me at randy.randleman@okhouse.gov or (405) 557-7375. Thank you for allowing me to serve House District 15.

Randleman, a Republican, serves District 15 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Haskell County and portions of Muskogee, Sequoyah, LeFlore, Pittsburg and McIntosh counties.