Funding for Tulsa's mobile mental health crisis team has temporarily been restored — just weeks after the state abruptly informed Family & Children's Services that two of its programs were on the chopping block.
COPES, which integrates mental health care and emergency response efforts, will now continue receiving funds through the end of the fiscal year in June. Meanwhile, Tulsa's CrisisCare Center, one of the agency's other major initiatives, is still set to lose state support on April 17.
Allie Friesen, commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said the state is still evaluating its next move.
"COPES has been identified as a vital and distinct service due to its integration with 911 and first responders," Friesen said in a statement. "As a result, COPES will continue to receive funding through the end of the fiscal year to allow for ongoing contract optimization and further service evaluation."
COPES clinicians work directly with police, firefighters and paramedics to respond to 911 calls involving mental health concerns. Behavioral health professionals are able to step in during crises, easing the burden on first responders who don't always have the same training.
Funding agreements for both COPES and the CrisisCare Center had been in place since 2001.
COPES receives $895,000 in annual state funding, while the CrisisCare Center had been getting close to $1.7 million each year.
"We are doing everything possible to avoid disruption of care, but the news of a funding pause is concerning," Family & Children's Services said in a statement on its website. "We were relieved to hear a portion of our funding had been restored at least through the end of the fiscal year; however, we are still uncertain about the broader losses of funding."
In initial statements confirming the funding cuts, Friesen said the Department of Mental Health is trying to cut down on paying for duplicated services.
She said services offered by Family & Children's Services are duplicated by the 988 Mental Health Lifeline and mobile crisis teams, a state effort that failed to secure state funding this legislative session and has been largely supported by federal dollars.
A department spokesperson did not answer requests for clarification about which state-funded efforts duplicate specific services provided by the CrisisCare Center.
In further efforts to slim its budget, the department also announced last week that no additional state funds will be distributed to its partner health clinics until it receives spending reports from each agency. A $43 million shortfall and a shifting funding landscape have left mental health care providers and their clients reeling.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
