Policy Analysis

Behavioral health-related studies we're watching ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

Our primer explains how Oklahoma’s Medicaid program works, including Medicaid expansion and the state’s managed care program, SoonerSelect.

Lawmakers made some meaningful mental health strides this year. Still, there were some opportunities left on the table that lawmakers should consider in future sessions.

H.R. 1 will create new work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks for Medicaid members, but Oklahoma can take steps to prevent unnecessary coverage losses.

Implementation for HB 4106 is still uneven across the state. But mental health crisis response protocols have shown a positive impact on students by improving systems of coordinated care. In this analysis, Healthy Minds makes recommendations for stronger compliance.

Some states require insurance companies to use “generally accepted standards of care” — evidence-based criteria that are created and endorsed by behavioral health experts and associations.

Find summaries and tracking lists for the mental health bills we're watching in 2026.

In this report, we present recommendations with broad support from a variety of justice system stakeholders about ways to divert people with mental health and substance use conditions away from jails and into treatment.

Allied mental health professionals are an essential part of Oklahoma’s behavioral health workforce. But low wages and restrictive certification requirements can make it difficult for communities to recruit and retain these workers, and drifting responsibilities often do not reflect their training and expertise.

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.