Aiming at Transformation
The President’s New Freedom Commission Report calls for transforming the mental health system into “one in which:
- Americans understand that mental health is essential to overall health;
- Mental health care is consumer and family-driven;
- Disparities in mental health services are eliminated;
- Appropriate and early mental health screening, assessment, and referral to services occurs;
- Excellent mental health care is delivered and research is accelerated; and
- Technology is used to access mental health care and information.” (SAMHSA, 2005, p. 4).
The State of Oklahoma is actively engaged in transformation as one of the states awarded the SAMHSA Transformation Infrastructure grants. Following a comprehensive needs assessment process, their plan to transform the state has now been developed. For each recommendation of the President’s Commission the plan lays out findings of needs assessments, strategic developments in the state, workgroup recommendations, and action plans.
For example, one of their action steps to address the Commission’s recommendation to implement early screening, assessment, and referral to substance abuse treatment and mental health is to “propose a plan to include a basic continuum of behavioral health services for school-aged children receiving primary care services, child welfare services, and services through juvenile justice.” (p. 37).
Also demonstrating their cross-system transformation focus, under the Commission’s recommendation that excellent care is delivered, one of Oklahoma’s action steps is to “Develop a cross-agency framework for professional learning including standards for training, technology-infused learning, experiential learning, distance learning, support systems, and peer coaching.” (p.49)
For more information, see: