Leading collaboration that helps Oklahoma’s children thrive.
Across Oklahoma, children and young people are experiencing unprecedented levels of mental health crises. To stem these crises and the increasing mental health challenges among Oklahoma’s youth, our state needs a full and robust continuum of mental health services.
Healthy Minds’ promotes best-practice prevention and treatment strategies in schools, fostering partnerships with community-based organizations providers in our communities, and championing policy solutions that promote positive mental health development in children and youth.
of students who receive mental health services access those services in schools.
Source: National Center for School Mental Health
Oklahoma children and youth are estimated to experience a major depressive episode each year
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
of Oklahoma middle- and high-school students report high levels of psychological distress
Source: Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment (2022)
Essential research
Oklahoma’s continuum of behavioral health care for children
The ideal behavioral health continuum of care is a seamless, comprehensive array of services and supports that links promotion and prevention services with physical health, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment.
It offers services and supports for all children, including those with emerging, low to moderate, and complex behavioral health needs. In Oklahoma, there are many exemplary components in the state’s system, but there are also gaps in services that make it harder for children to get the mental health care they need.
Youth mental health in schools
An estimated 80% of children and youth who receive mental health services access those services in schools. Through Healthy Minds’ research and analysis, we recommend ways state and school district policy leaders can better connect schools and community-based mental health services to improve students’ access to care.
