House Speaker Kyle Hilbert announced the formation of a select committee to review the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) and its finances.
The committee, created Tuesday, is the fourth ongoing probe into the agency's spending.
A special state audit requested by Gov. Kevin Stitt and a review by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) — the special commission set up by the legislators to investigate public spending — are already underway.
Stitt also announced Monday he plans to appoint a special investigator to examine the agency and the actions of its previous leadership.
Commissioner Allie Friesen said she welcomes the select committee's review and is committed to "full transparency" throughout the process.
"ODMHSAS looks forward to working collaboratively with the Legislature to provide the information needed," Friesen wrote in a statement. "Our focus remains on serving Oklahomans and ensuring continued access to critical mental health and substance use services."
The press release announcing the committee says Friesen will be called to address "recent issues at the department," including but not limited to:
- The current financial condition of the ODMHSAS
- The unknown use of specific fund allocations, such as $5 million allocated for upgraded electronic medical records system, which was never implemented
- The use of current year appropriations to pay prior years' expenses
- Cancelled contracts with Certified Community Behavior Health Clinics
- The department's need for a $6.2 million supplemental appropriation to sustain services through July
- Budget needs for the next fiscal year
- The current state of the federal court-ordered consent decree on the Department of Mental Health
The select committee will meet on Thursday, April 17, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 450 at the state Capitol.
"We have just over a month left in this legislative session, and we still don't have a clear understanding of how much state funding ODMHSAS needs," Hilbert, R-Bristow said. "This public hearing will help us get to the bottom of what has happened and what needs to happen moving forward."
The House's formation of the select committee comes during a time of intense scrutiny for the state mental health agency.
The agency itself is outwardly critical of financial decisions of the previous commissioner and her staff. Meanwhile, cancelled contracts, a federal lawsuit and staffing changes have left some state leaders critical of Friesen's leadership.
"We have seen contracts cancelled and have been told money appropriated by the Legislature for specific purposes is unaccounted for," said Majority Leader Mark Lawson, who will chair the committee. "The Legislature needs more confidence in what it will take to adequately fund mental health services, both in the short and long term."
The ODMHSAS is responsible for overseeing all state-funded mental health and substance abuse efforts across the state. Many Oklahomans, especially those without insurance or in immediate need of behavioral health care, depend on the department for access to life-saving services.
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