Expanding and empowering Oklahoma’s behavioral health workforce.
Rising demand for mental health services has outpaced the growth of Oklahoma’s behavioral health workforce.
But Oklahoma has opportunities to expand the capacity of the workforce it does have, allowing more people to access and receive the treatment they need.
Healthy Minds’ workforce research focuses on extending behavioral health providers’ reach through technology and growing the number of critically needed mental health professionals.
psychiatrists in Oklahoma for every 100,000 people, well below the ratio of 27.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 people needed to serve communities adequately.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration, Healthy Minds research
Oklahoma has over 2.5 times more licensed professional counselors per capita than the national average, but without accurate data, does not know how many actually see patients.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration, Healthy Minds research
of Oklahomans, at most, are within a 30-minute drive of an in-network psychiatrist.
Source: Healthy Minds research
Essential research
The state of Oklahoma's behavioral health workforce
To grow the state’s behavioral health workforce, Oklahoma must attract prospective students to behavioral health degree programs that are high-quality, accessible, and affordable. Perhaps even more critical is ensuring the availability of “capstone” experiences — such as internships and residencies — that prepare individuals to become licensed professionals in Oklahoma.
Behavioral health workforce licensure in Oklahoma
Understanding the licensure process for behavioral health professionals is an important starting point for policy solutions that increase access to care for Oklahomans with mental health and substance use treatment needs.
Surveying Oklahoma’s behavioral health workforce
To better understand how accessible behavioral health providers are to Oklahomans across the state, Healthy Minds Policy Initiative conducted a survey of 622 of Oklahoma’s licensed behavioral health care providers.
