Transforming Mental Health Care

NewsOK (Oklahoma City, OK): Oklahoma was one of only seven states to receive the "Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant," presented recently to Gov. Brad Henry by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will provide the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services with $2.73 million the first year and $14.7 million over five years. Essentially, the project's goal is to transform state mental health-service delivery systems from systems dictated by outmoded bureaucratic and financial incentives, to systems driven by consumer and family needs that focus on building resilience and facilitating recovery. States that received the awards will serve as platforms for developing strategies that work in transforming mental health and related systems.