Oklahoma County Commissioners have tapped CREOKS Health Services, a Tulsa-based mental health nonprofit, to oversee completion of the county's new Behavioral Care Center, even though sufficient funding for the adjacent jail hasn't been secured.
Commissioners voted last week to begin contract negotiations with CREOKS after an evaluation committee unanimously endorsed the organization.
In a report to the county commissioners, the five-member panel said CREOKS' proposal showed impressive "initiative and depth." The committee also reviewed applications from First Class Healthcare based in Atlanta and Cope Inc. in Oklahoma City.
"The firm's proposal demonstrated exceptional initiative and depth, including direct engagement with the facility serving as the model for this project, comprehensive research on the anticipated benefits of the Behavioral Care Center, and proactive identification of potential challenges requiring localized solutions for Oklahoma residents."
The center is modeled after a similar facility in Nashville, Tennessee, created to divert people in crisis away from jail and into treatment.
Oklahoma County officials designed the Behavioral Care Center to work in tandem with a new jail being constructed at the same site at 1901 E. Grand Blvd.
The Behavioral Care Center is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, which must be spent by the end of next year, so construction plans are forging ahead.
Meanwhile, movement at the jail site has stalled due to underestimated construction costs. An additional $635 million in funding must still be secured, likely through a county-wide property tax.
Some operational details for the center are still being developed, and county officials acknowledged that uncertainty about the jail complicates planning.
CREOKS provides mental health services across eastern Oklahoma. If contract negotiations are successful, the nonprofit will also help run the Behavioral Care Center once it opens.
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