OPEA

OPEA members at the Tulsa Center for Behavioral Studies met recently with local legislators and an OPEA Board member to discuss several issues, including a pay raise.

Legislators attending the meeting were Tulsa Democrats Rep. Jeannie McDaniel and Sen. Tom Adelson, while OPEA was represented by Board member and Mental Health Council Chair Dixie Jackson, Executive Director Sterling Zearley and Deputy Director Scott Barger. 

“We have some major issues in the Department of Mental Health that we need to be discussing and offering solutions for,” said Jackson. “For instance, there are problems with salary, staffing and in the number of consumers accessing services. Many of the same issues splash across agency lines, and state employees can all relate to them.” 

Barger opened the meeting with a briefing about the association’s Legislative Program and an update on HB 3108. 

“Many employees are still not aware of how this bill would have hurt the benefit allowance,” Barger said. “It is great for them to have the opportunity to discuss its impact with legislators.”

Lawmakers followed up with their concerns about the current legislative session. 

“Taxes are being cut at an alarming rate,” said McDaniel. “This limits the amount of revenue that is available for improving your situation.”  

Adelson admitted that he had voted for the tax cuts.

“Often times you have no choice but to vote for the package of cuts that are presented,” he explained. “Many Oklahomans support the measure, even though they may not know the impact.”

Mental health employees expressed their concerns about the tax cuts. 

“This cuts into our services, which are already stretched thin,” said one employee.

“Many of us have advanced degrees and licenses and could be making more money elsewhere but choose to stay because of a sense of purpose,” said another. “Without us, most of these folks would end up in prison or living less-productive lives. Some might even die.”

“We save lives here at this facility,” said another.

The employees at the Tulsa facility expressed many of the same concerns expressed by other employees at other town hall meetings. For example, they felt that legislators who vote to cut taxes should be held accountable when they tell state employees that “a pay raise will be difficult.” Most people in attendance at the meeting said a pay raise is not only deserved but essential because the purchasing power of state employees continues to go down hill. A number of employees talked about how difficult it is to make ends meet, and many have taken second jobs in order to “keep the lights on” in their homes.

Adelson, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Health, stated that additional money had been appropriated for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

“We have increased the DMHSAS budget every year for the past three years,” he said. “It is the only agency that has received this type of increases.” 

Jackson, a DMHSAS employee, responded: “Employees in the department are not sure where those increases in funding have gone. The hospitals are not seeing any increases in funding and requests for services remain high.” 

She pointed out that DMHSAS hospitals are experiencing high turnover rates in clinical areas – registered nurses, for example – as well as in the ancillary support areas. The same problems exist with the mental health centers in retaining many of their clinical positions, and it is difficult to replace those who leave because the salary structure is not competitive.

When questioned further, Adelson placed responsibility on the agency. He said the Department could use its increased funding for salaries if it chose to do so.

Jackson told the Tulsa employees that Commissioner Terri White had agreed to meet quarterly with OPEA Mental Health Council members and that the concerns raised at the Tulsa meeting would be shared with White. 

Zearley suggested that DMHSAS might benefit from the popularity of performance audits at the Capitol.

“In light of the recent reports on News 9 about the lack of beds, the continued increase in census and the exploding issues with mental health in prisons, the agency might benefit tremendously from an audit that would expose the continued lack of funding for treatment,” he said. “It is an issue we may look into with Commissioner White.”