Two Oklahoma lawmakers are raising serious alarms after reports surfaced that state mental health employees are being pressured to quit their jobs via blank resignation letters. Representatives Jim Grego and Rick West claim that staff members at state run outpatient clinics are receiving emails featuring the commissioner’s name and agency letterhead, but leaving the dates and names empty for the workers to fill in themselves. The controversy comes as the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services moves forward with plans to privatize four community behavioral health clinics, including one in McAlester slated for takeover by CREOKS Health Services.
The two representatives expressed deep frustration over what they describe as a lack of transparency and poor communication from agency leadership. While Mental Health Commissioner Josh Anderson previously assured them that the transition would be smooth and most employees would retain their positions, Grego says the reality feels much darker. The legislators are particularly worried about those who may not find placement with private providers, noting that there has been little clarity regarding promised severance packages. Grego compared the current atmosphere to the abrupt 2021 closure of a veterans center in Talihina where nearly everyone lost their livelihood.
In response to these claims, a spokesperson for the department defended the process, stating that continuity of care remains the top priority during the privatization effort. According to Maria Chaverri, more than ninety percent of state employees involved in the move have already received job offers from the incoming private providers. This suggests that while some transitions are rocky, the vast majority of experienced staff will stay within Oklahoma’s behavioral health system under new management.
Despite these assurances, Reps. Grego and West remain skeptical, having resorted to sending an official letter to Commissioner Anderson after failing to reach him directly. For years, Oklahoma’s mental health agency has grappled with massive service demands alongside accusations of chronic overspending and budget deficits reaching tens of millions of dollars. As these clinics shift into private hands, local leaders fear that political promises of a seamless handover are masking a more painful reality for frontline healthcare workers.
