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Mental health funding to be cut

American, The (Moore, OK) - 5/3/2016

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) experienced substantial funding cuts for the 2016 fiscal year and will face more in the upcoming budget cycle due to the state's revenue failure.Oklahoma's $1.3 billion shortfall forced ODMHSAS to cut $22.8 million from its budget for 2016. This includes striking $9.8 million for the first wave of cuts and an additional $13 million for the second wave. "It's heartbreaking that we have to make these cuts," ODMHSAS Commissioner Terri White stated in a press release. "It is not something that we want to do, but there are no other options at this point." White said many Oklahomans are affected by mental illness, and ODMHSAS does not have the ability to treat all of them. She said the cuts will drop the number of people who are able to get care considerably. "One out of four Oklahomans are affected by mental illness, which equates to between 700,000 and 950,000 Oklahomans who are in need of services," she said. "We have enough resources to treat one out of every three Oklahomans who need care. These cuts will increase the number of Oklahomans who require care and are unable to get it." According to White, the department cut the areas which would be the least significant, but, when the state is already behind in mental health care, every dollar matters. "We tried to make the cuts in the areas that would affect the fewest people possible," she said. "However, when you already only serve one out of three people, every cut is painful." White said 2017 will undergo more cuts than 2016. "As we are facing these issues this year, the amount of cuts are much deeper for next year," she said. White and ODMHSAS Communications Director, Jeffrey Dismukes, both agreed everyone will be impacted by these cuts. "Not only are we talking about people not being able to get the services they need, but we're also talking about a huge impact it will have on the economy," Dismukes said. "These cuts could have far reaching effects on the community and the state." Jacob McGuire366-3540jmcguire@normantranscript.comFollow me @jmcguireNT