More than a decade of overspending and outdated financial practices has left the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) facing significant financial challenges. Under the new leadership of Interim Commissioner Greg Slavonic, the agency is taking deliberate steps to curb wasteful spending while keeping life-saving behavioral health services fully available to Oklahomans.
“The agency has long provided more services than its budget could support,” said Interim Commissioner Greg Slavonic. “Our hearts were bigger than our wallet. Now, we are aligning spending with available resources while maintaining essential services.”
In his first 90 days, Slavonic directed an intensive line-by-line review process of nearly 800 contracts. Some contract line items were reduced or not renewed because they were non-essential, redundant or the funding stream had expired, but patient access to core clinical services has not been affected. The agency also eliminated 23 executive positions, generating $3.5 million in annual savings. Vendors were given a 90-day extension before final decisions were made.
Essential services, including life-saving treatment, the 988 Mental Health Lifeline and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics supporting all 77 counties, remain fully operational. Each clinic maintains 24/7 crisis operations, and Oklahomans can call or text 988 at any time at no cost to connect with care.
“When I stepped into this job the state had already performed preliminary audits helping me get started on the right foot,” said Slavonic. “My team is implementing recommendations from Cindy Byrd and the LOFT report. We are making good progress.”
Byrd echoed that progress, noting that her office has seen genuine cooperation from ODMHSAS.
“We are very pleased to see ODMHSAS cooperating with the State Auditor’s office to solve its longstanding issues,” said State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd. “State agencies can only be effective if they are financially sound. It is encouraging to see these reforms because it means ODMHSAS can now put greater focus on providing services to Oklahomans. I will always applaud any state agency that takes our audit reports seriously, implements our recommendations, and protects the taxpayers.”
In addition to right-sizing contract line-items, ODMHSAS has hired Chief Financial Officer Ben Scott, who is conducting monthly financial reviews with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES). The agency has already started or fully implemented nearly all recommendations from State Auditor Cindy Byrd’s report, as well as many from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) report and David Greenwell’s summary.
Despite progress, leaders acknowledge that long-term stability requires structural reform including a modern financial and accounting system to regulate spending and safeguard resources, as well as an electronic health data system for all ODMHSAS facilities and clinics.
“We are a long way from being finished, but the progress in the past 90 days has been steadfast,” Slavonic added. “We are acting with a sense of urgency and responsibility to secure the future of this agency while keeping life-saving services fully available to every community in Oklahoma.”
Maria Chaverri
Communications Coordinator
405-764-4807
