Terri White. Commissioner

Terri White. Commissioner

As an agency, ODMHSAS is committed to delivery of evidence-based practices, and the use of technology to help us reach Oklahomans in need. Our use of telemedicine is part of that commitment, and we have become a national leader in its use to deliver behavioral health services.

Our rise as a national leader was born out of necessity: Rising demand for services and limited (shrinking) funding to meet demand. Geographic challenges in reaching the population in need (a large rural population). Limited availability of behavioral health professionals (limited specialists and few outside of the I-44 Corridor).

In Oklahoma, mental disorders are the third leading cause of chronic disease behind only pulmonary conditions and hypertension and more prevalent than heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. Oklahoma consistently ranks as having among the highest rates of mental illness when compared to all other states. More than 245,000 Oklahomans above the age of 12 abuse or are dependent on alcohol or illicit drugs; and underage buyers still account for just over 20% of all alcohol sold in Oklahoma. Deaths due to suicide are increasing, jumping from 567 in 2009 to 618 in 2010. Oklahoma ranks 13 th nationally in terms of suicide rate. Between 1-3% of all Oklahomans are problem or compulsive gamblers and in need of intervention.

And, the demand for treatment is on the rise Despite budget challenges in previous years, and increasing costs for doing business, ODMHSAS has managed to maintain and in some instances increase the number of Oklahomans we serve. This has been due to process changes and restructuring of services, targeted funding for specific at-risk populations and in a big part, due to our use of technology such as telehealth.

Age at Death Why is this important? Because Oklahomans with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders die much sooner than the rest of our population. 90 Mortality Average Age at Death by Cohort 80 70 60 57.5 71.7 50 40 30 20 10 43.2 40.6 0 Mental Health Substance Abuse MH & SA General Population

Why is this important? Because delays in treatment mean that diseases become progressively worse, harder to treat and more destructive to the individual, their families and the community. Results of a recent study Published in the publication Psychiatric Services, states that the majority of respondents who report having a mental disorder in the past 12 months also report that they have not received help for their illness. And, we know that in many cases, people with mental health and substance abuse disorders may go years, decades, before they access care too often because their illness has reached a crisis level.

Decades of underfunded care, rising costs to deliver services and prior year budget challenges in addition to lack of access to privately funded behavioral health care have left many Oklahomans in need of treatment services without any place to turn: In Oklahoma, 70% of indigent adults needing treatment for a serious mental illness and 78% in need of substance abuse treatment aren t receiving appropriate care. More than 40% of youth who need mental health services and 80% who need substance abuse treatment services aren t receiving them. At any given time, 600-900 Oklahomans (a conservative estimate) are on a waiting list for residential substance abuse treatment.

Inability to deliver services costs our state in many ways. Costs to families and society that impact our state s future. Cost to communities, local and state governments. Cost to many other areas of our state government such as overall health care, education, criminal justice and incarceration.

Telemedicine is helping to fill some of those service gaps. It s reaching many rural Oklahomans, for whom receiving mental health or addictionrelated services has often meant taking time off work, finding child care, spending hours in travel, and other considerations. It is also helping us to proactively prepare for the future and be on the cutting-edge of service delivery.

Through the Oklahoma Telehealth Network, Oklahomans who were once unable to receive services due to geographical, economic or workforce barriers are now able to receive the care they desire. This network has also facilitated new partnerships, strengthened existing ones and contributed to the goal of merging physical and mental healthcare by providing a mechanism for physicians and behavioral health professionals to consult with each other in a more rapid fashion. As a result of this network, the landscape of the service delivery system in Oklahoma has been forever changed.

ODMHSAS has been recognized by the American Telemedicine Association as having the largest telemedicine network in the nation that specializes in behavioral health. In FY13, 112,100 services were delivered via telepsychiatry more than a 20% increase from FY12. 26,590 Oklahomans were served through the ODMHSAS Telehealth 4790 more than in FY12. $3.4 million was saved by delivering services via telemedicine up from $2.4 million in FY12. More than 15.9 million kgs of CO2 were prevented from being emitted into our atmosphere by conducting services and business processes via telemedicine more than 9x that of FY12.

Oklahoma serves as a model for ALL States that are developing telemedicine networks for behavioral health services. ODMHSAS now oversees 141 distinct telemedicine sites in Oklahoma. More than 550 instances of videoconferencing in use to improve business processes.

141 Distinct Locations Spanning the State

Our future is telehealth. It is working to meet the needs of the people of Oklahoma. Additional investment in core behavioral health services is a key to continuing our efforts to address priority health concerns in Oklahoma. Should that investment come, our proven record with utilization of technology and best practices will result in the maximization of that investment.