MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS RALLY AT CAPITOL

 

More than 500 mental health consumers from across the state rallied at the state capitol in March for increased awareness of mental health issues.

Coordinated by the Oklahoma Mental Health Consumer Council, along with several other mental health advocacy organizations, the event was designed to educate legislators and the public about the “severe need” for basic services that either have been unavailable or cut back in previous years, said OMHCC Executive Director Kaye Rote.

 By referencing recent findings from the Governor and Attorney General’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Mental Illness, Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault, as well as President Bush’s “New Freedom Commission on Mental Health,” advocates educated legislators about programs at the national level in an effort to transform Oklahoma’s system of care.

Oklahoma has the highest rate of severe mental illness in the nation, at 10.4 percent of the population, said Rote, a rate that’s 3 percent higher than the national average.

“More than 360,000 Oklahomans have a serious mental illness and another 700,000 have a less serious form of mental illness requiring treatment,” she said. “However, services are sorely lacking. Of the more than 360,000 with severe mental illness, more than 300,000 remain unserved or underserved.”

The Governor and Attorney General’s Blue Ribbon Task Force recent report indicates that mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence/sexual assault cost Oklahoma taxpayers more than $3 billion annually in direct costs, and another $5 billion annually in lost productivity.

“That is a huge amount of money going toward these areas,” said Rote. “The report also noted that untreated mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence/sexual assault account for half of all criminal justice expenses and 11 percent of health care expenses.

“Taxpayers deserve to have their money invested in programs that save lives and dollars, not programs that consume lives and dollars,” she said.

The event included Rally award presentations, comments from Dr. Terry Cline, ODMHSAS commissioner and Oklahoma Secretary of Health; Rep. Kris Steele, chair of the Health and Human Service Committee; Rep. Darrell Gilbert; Kay Rhoads, principal chief of the Sac and Fox nations; and Kathy Kelly with the Jesus House. The rally concluded with lunch and visitation of state representatives and senators.

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