Oklahoma's Mental Health in Check

By Alex Cameron, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY --Oklahoma has never really been known for its mental health services, but that may be changing. On the latest report card from NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Oklahoma jumped from a "D" to a "B," the only state to jump two grades, and one of just six states to be graded that high.

About 250,000 Oklahoma adults and children are in need of mental health services, but the service providers have been overwhelmed and underfunded.

"We're in the lowest five states in the nation in funding, for mental health and addiction services," said NAMI Oklahoma Executive Director Karina Forrest.

The result -- barely a third of those who need services get them.

Oklahoma's problem has always been not having enough mental health professionals to help all these people, but that's no longer the case, thanks to telemedicine-- a system of video conferencing set-ups.

Psychiatrist Dr. Stan Ardoin said telepsychiatry may not be as personal as traditional therapy, but it's far more efficient.

"This enables people--enables the mental health professionals to treat people far away without the cost and time constraints of driving long distances. It makes the services more immediate, generally more available," said Dr. Stan Ardoin with the Oklahoma Dept. of Mental health.

Debbie Moran, the director of the state mental health center in McAlester, said telepsychiatry has been a Godsend.

"Our doctors can be available every day, instead of just one day a week, to be able to assess people in crisis or emergency situations or even if you just need to make a medication change," Moran said.

NAMI Oklahoma officials said the telehealth system and state's "B" grade are the result of great teamwork.

"We've been very creative, but we're really at the limit of our creativity, and I think at this point we really need some dollars to put this in place, and then we will shine for the state of Oklahoma, I am convinced of it," Forrest said.

Mental health advocates said the key to Oklahoma maintaining the "B" grade, or possibly bumping it up to an "A," is getting the legislature to commit to additional funding for mental health services.