Tulsa leaders say termination notices sent to mental health providers were a 'mistake' amid funding concerns

Tulsa County's mental health services are dealing with some confusion after three major clinics received termination notices from the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) on Thursday.

The notices were sent to Grand Mental Health and CREOKS Health Services and stated that the state's contract with those providers would end on May 10, 2025.

It appears the state also tried to send this letter to Family and Children's Services, but it was addressed to the former President and CEO, Gail Lapidus, who retired in 2023.

State lawmaker Rep. Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa, provided a copy of the notices that were sent out.

Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, confirmed to News On 6 Friday morning that the Commissioner of OK Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Allie Friesen, said in a public meeting that the emails sent by OMES were a mistake.

Provenzano said that the contracts would be renegotiated at the end of the fiscal year in June.

"Fast forward to yesterday we thought everything had kind of calmed down and were working toward getting that number and then 3 providers that serve Tulsa got letters saying we’re terminating your contract and so everything got a little chaotic again yesterday but when asked Commissioner Friessen was like this is not true, I don’t know why or how those emails were sent," said Provenzano.

Lawson addressed the notices, saying services would not be impacted at this point.

"I've been reassured, the House, certainly has been reassured that it's not the intention of either OMES or the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to claw back or to sever any services," said Lawson. "What I've been able to discern from notice that I had seen, which was to one of the three, is that is effective on May 10th."

>>>Oklahoma lawmakers assured mental health funds will continue despite confusion

Response From Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Allie Friesen released the following statement Friday afternoon on behalf of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

"As we navigate these complex and concerning contracting issues, our priority remains clear: protecting access to care for Oklahomans who depend on these services. We are grateful to the Governor for recognizing the critical importance of ensuring a clear path forward for uninterrupted critical mental health services across the state and are grateful for his reiteration that we are not and will not terminate any core service contracts.

We understand the confusion caused by recent events and are working closely with OMES and our community partners to implement a contractual stopgap. This issue is entirely unrelated to funding gaps or contract optimization. Our commitment to delivering high-quality behavioral health services remains strong as we work toward lasting solutions and operational excellence."

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The confusion over mental health services sparked concern among local leaders and providers about the region's immediate impact on mental health access.

When asked about cuts to mental health services on Wednesday, Governor Stitt said not to call it cuts but that they might be taking it away from what he called an abusive vendor and giving it to a different vendor.

>>>Gov. Stitt pushes back on mental health cut claims, defends shift in vendor contracts

Providers Respond to the Notices

Grand Mental Health, one of the impacted providers, shared a statement expressing concern for the estimated 53,000 Oklahomans who currently receive care monthly at its Tulsa facility.

"The truth is, we're continuing to hear different stories from different sources. ODMHSAS has communicated as recently as today that the contract termination is a mistake. We have not heard anything officially from OMES since receiving yesterday morning's email notice of cancellation. We have heard that a joint communication from ODMHSAS and OMES did go out yesterday that confirmed the terminations to be true. We're very confused but continue to work with ODMHSAS on a resolution. Our primary concern is on the impact this will have on our clients, the other affected agencies' clients and Tulsa as a whole. We want our clients to know we are very much "business as usual" and that all our services remain unchanged. This includes our 24/7 Tulsa Urgent Recovery Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Crises, our 250-bed in patient residential addiction recovery center and our 24/7 street outreach teams who engage with over 3,000 Oklahoma's every month to connect them with services."

Brent Black, CEO of CREOKS Health Services, released the following statement:

“It’s important that the community know that we will continue to provide high-quality care to the Oklahomans who need our services. We are in regular communication with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and feel confident that there will be a positive path forward. From a day-to-day operations perspective, nothing has changed. Our clients count on expert care, which we will deliver with compassion and respect."

Without funding or an alternate plan, both could shut down within weeks.

What’s Next?

While operations are expected to continue through May 10, Grand Mental Health says it is open to working with the state to find a resolution.

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