Latest news with #ODMHSAS
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
There's a long road ahead for interim leader at ODMHSAS
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – On Wednesday, Governor Stitt said he believes that the new interim Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) Commissioner, Rear Admiral Gregory Slavonic, can do the job. 'I mean, he's not a mental health expert, and he's more of a business person. He's somebody that I think can do the job,' said Gov. Stitt. Retired Admiral Slavonic has a long road ahead after a bumpy first one to two years from the now former Commissioner Allie Friesen. The agency faces dozens of millions of dollars that are missing from their budget, along with questions surrounding payroll, past, present, and future. 'What's the job description? Who are we supposed to hire? Because it gets hard when some of these good people you're asking to come from the private sector to serve. I try to find the very best people because these are big CEO type jobs,' said Gov. Stitt. Governor Stitt names Interim Commissioner of ODMHSAS Slavonic has been put in a leadership role before to clean up a department. Most recently, he led the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA). Non Doc reported that back in 2023, Slavonic righted the ship for the ODVA when the agency faced turmoil a year prior. Slavonic was named interim executive director for them in March of 2023 and would eventually become the executive director. According to Non Doc, the previous director, Joel Kintsel, had refused to attend meetings of the Oklahoma Veterans Commission, and he was eventually fired. Some positives seen during his time there included working with lawmakers to approve millions for a construction project in Sallisaw and improving morale among the agency's approximately 1,400 employees. 'When the legislature fired Ali, that's when we went out. We tried to find the very best person who would come in and take this job,' said Gov. Stitt. However, the problems seen at ODMHSAS are a lot larger than what the ODVA seemed to have. 'You've got 2000 employees, you run an $800 million budget. My direction is to hold these vendors accountable and to make sure the dollars are being used correctly and efficiently. To make sure that we're being good stewards of the Oklahoma tax dollars,' said Gov. Stitt. 'I'm grateful that Governor Stitt is so keenly focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring that government is working first and foremost for the citizens we are tasked with serving,' said Admiral Slavonic. 'The Department of Mental Health brings much-needed services to many Oklahomans, and I look forward to ensuring that they have the tools needed to provide those services. I thank Governor Stitt for trusting me with this effort.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Governor Stitt names Interim Commissioner of ODMHSAS
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Governor Kevin Stitt has named an Interim Commissioner of Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS). According to the Governor's Office, retired Rear Admiral Gregory Slavonic has been chosen after the Senate and House voted to remove former commissioner Allie Friesen following various budget issues. RELATED STORY: Oklahoma lawmakers override record number of vetoes, remove Stitt appointee in dramatic end to legislative session 'It is no secret that the Department of Mental Health has long been in need of reform,' said Gov. Stitt. 'It is imperative that Admiral Slavonic is allowed to do the hard work needed to remove corruption and conflicts of interest without political interference. There are brighter days ahead for this department and those that rely on its services. I'm grateful to Admiral Slavonic for his willingness to set another Oklahoma agency on the right course.' Officials say Admiral Slavonic has served as director for the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs under Stitt. RELATED STORY: Senate votes to remove ODMHSAS Commissioner Allie Friesen, will now go through the House 'I'm grateful that Governor Stitt is so keenly focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring that government is working first and foremost for the citizens we are tasked with serving,' said Admiral Slavonic. 'The Department of Mental Health brings much needed services to many Oklahomans, and I look forward to ensuring that they have the tools needed to provide those services. I thank Governor Stitt for trusting me with this effort.' According to the Governor's Office, President Trump previously appointed Slavonic to serve as assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs. He has also served as deputy and principal assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and as chief operating officer and chief management officer for the Department of the Navy. He served in the U.S. Navy for 34 years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Auditor releases initial report on Department of Mental Health
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd has released the first part of an audit report analyzing the short-term needs of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The report released on Tuesday afternoon comes as a result of heightened scrutiny over ODMHSAS' nearly $30 million budget shortfall and recent payroll issues. 'This report is a financial analysis to estimate the short-term needs of ODMHSAS. It is not the final investigative audit report,' said Byrd. 'However, even this abbreviated version reveals some glaring financial and systemic issues. ODMHSAS is a massive agency with an annual budget of more than $750 million. It needs a director with executive managerial experience and a mastery of basic budgetary and compliance skills.' Report: Oklahoma mental health agency facing nearly $30 million budget hole The report also says that SAI investigators were told some employees 'were required tosign nondisclosure agreements and discouraged from cooperating with the investigation.' Questionable past spending was also highlighted in the report, citing the Narcan vending machines and ad campaign, 988 help line regional Super Bowl ad, and paused Donahue Behavioral Health campus construction as examples. Byrd's preliminary recommendations include hiring a qualified CFO with state government financial experience as soon as possible, evaluating the qualifications of recent executive hires, and scrutinizing recent and ongoing terminations to ensure they aren't retaliatory. The full initial report can be read here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor Stitt calls for support of initial ODMHSAS audit
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – On Tuesday, Oklahoma Governor Stitt's office released the findings of an initial financial examination report for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), identifying millions needed for supplemental funding in FY2025. According to Stitt's office, the report provided an overview of the financial operations of ODMHSAS, outlining 52 targeted recommendations to strengthen internal control, financial accountability, and service delivery regarding the mental health system. 'This report is the signal for a new beginning for the department,' said Governor Stitt. 'I'm grateful to David Greenwell for his quick work and to Commissioner Friesen and her team for their cooperation.' Oklahoma bill raising age of consent to 18 heads to governor's desk, some lawmakers split over exceptions The report prepared by CPA David Greenwell is making recommendations to keep the ODMHSAS afloat. 'No one signs up for a job like this thinking they'll have to take on decades of financial mismanagement. Commissioner Friesen has navigated this challenge admirably and has kept me and my team informed every step of the way,' continued Gov. Stitt. 'Oklahomans will be better off now that we have a handle on this department.' The report's recommendations include: Hiring a Chief Financial Officer and internal auditor with deep public sector experience Adopting OMES-approved accounting systems for better interoperability Using advanced analytics to prevent fraud and improve decision-making Expanding training to promote a culture of ethical conduct and accountability Enhancing transparency through real-time dashboards and public reporting 'I've worked with many entities facing similar challenges,' said David Greenwell.'Nothing about this department is permanently broken. With intentional adjustments to procedures, ODMHSAS will be able to get back to the business of caring for the most vulnerable Oklahomans.' Governor Stitt noted he is confident in ODMHSAS's direction and pledged his support in securing the supplemental funding needed currently and for long-term operations. 'Since joining ODMHSAS, I've been clear that I want to ensure this department is in the best position possible to care for those who need our services most,' said Commissioner Allie Friesen.'I'm grateful to Governor Stitt, David Greenwell, and the team at OMES for their assistance in this matter. We are going to come out stronger on the other side.' Click here to read the full report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Financial experts dig into Dept. of Mental Health's money woes; still no exact number on shortfall
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Financial experts, who have been digging into Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), said they would give state lawmakers an accurate figure on their financial woes by Monday. A select committee of lawmakers from both the House and Senate questioned David Greenwall, an accountant hand-selected by Governor Kevin Stitt, on Monday. Greenwall said he was tasked with breaking down the agency's state's chief financial officer, Aaron Morris, also testified and was asked if the department had enough in its budget to make it to June, which is the end of the fiscal year. 'I do believe the agency needs a supplement for payroll,' said Morris. Neither Morris nor Greenwall was able to give lawmakers an exact figure as to the department's shortfalls. They said they would work with LOFT in order to get a more accurate figure to the legislature by the end of however, promised to find a way to fill the gap. 'We just want to assure the state employees of Oklahoma that we're going to make sure they get paid,' said Sen. Paul Rosino (R-Oklahoma City), the Senate chair of the select committee. Along with the lack of money to pay employees, another issue was brought up by legislators. They asked financial experts if the state had the funds budgeted to pay for services for uninsured Oklahomans who go through the agency. Governor Stitt appoints special council to investigate Oklahoma Department of Mental Health 'There are human beings behind every single dollar that we're looking at, people in crisis, people in need,' said Rosino. The department calls those unpaid funds 'pended payments.' ODMHSAS sent News 4 a statement after Monday's hearing;'While ODMHSAS is committed to ensuring care for uninsured patients, it has not traditionally budgeted separately for pended payments. Instead, these payments have been managed at year-end using available funds.''We want to make sure that we're delivering top quality care to people who need it, whether they insured or not,' said Rep. Mark Lawson (R-Sapulpa), the House chair of the select committee. Governor Stitt announced he has hired an attorney to conduct a 'full, independent investigation, into the agency. He granted special counsel Robert McCampbell the authority to 'investigate potential abuse, waste, mismanagement, and fraud' that the Governor said was uncovered by Commissioner Allie Friesen, Stitt's recent appointee. In recent weeks, Friesen has been questioned by lawmakers on her understanding of a budget of the department's magnitude.'I'm still very concerned whether or not they would really need a whole lot of money or they just can't find it,' said Rosino. If the department comes back with a supplemental budget for fiscal year 2025, as well as an overall budget for fiscal year 2026, the legislature will have to vote on the numbers by the end of the regular session, which ends in less than three weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
