Next steps for CCBHCs in Oklahoma: How the state can ensure high-quality, cost-effective services

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are the backbone of Oklahoma’s safety-net mental health system, serving tens of thousands of Oklahomans in all 77 counties.

In response to state lawmakers and agency leaders seeking clarity on Oklahoma’s CCBHC system, Healthy Minds Policy Initiative hosted a problem-solving process during the summer of 2025 involving local and national experts, representatives from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and its contracted managed care entities, CCBHC leaders, and community stakeholders to develop a proposed roadmap for CCBHC sustainability, costs, and outcomes. Members of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) staff were consulted for this project, but the agency declined to participate formally.

Related: Community mental health and the CCBHC model in Oklahoma

Compiled by Healthy Minds as a neutral, third-party convener, this report is informed by the expertise and experience of local policy experts, former longtime state agency staff, and national consultants involved in CCBHCs across dozens of states, and reflects the findings and recommendations of the working group process hosted by Healthy Minds earlier this year.

Key findings

• Oklahoma’s CCBHC system is hampered by severe gaps in data and a lack of data-driven collaboration among stakeholders. As a result, the state’s mental health agency lacks the ability to perform important oversight functions and cannot consistently diagnose or respond to challenges with the CCBHC system.
• Still, available information affirms that CCBHCs have expanded access to services and are critically important to public safety, education, and health care in Oklahoma.
• To chart a course forward on CCBHCs, the state must protect access to care while building a foundation of adequate governance to ensure high-quality, sustainable services. This includes significantly improving data capabilities around CCBHCs, enhancing abilities to report and project CCBHC costs, and defining clear expectations for CCHBCs.