Health System with 3 hospitals across 1 state
| Health System | Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services |
|---|---|
| Total Hospitals | 3 |
| Commercial/Acute Hospitals | 0 |
| Total Beds | 206 |
| Commercial/Acute Beds | 0 |
| Headquarters | Norman, OK |
| Website | odmhsas.org |
| Hospital | Type | Beds | Teaching | Recently Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Griffin Memorial Hospital | Psychiatric | 120 | Yes | No |
| Jim Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center | Psychiatric | 30 | No | No |
| Tulsa Center for Behavioral Health | Psychiatric | 56 | No | No |
Allie Friesen was appointed as the Commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) by Governor Kevin Stitt in January 2024. Prior to this role, Friesen served as the Director of Clinical Programs in Behavioral Health at INTEGRIS since 2020, where she focused on developing evidence-based practices and improving access to care, patient safety, and quality of care across their healthcare system. She has been a licensed mental health professional since 2014, with a specialization in working with individuals with neurological disorders and other chronic medical conditions. Friesen holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Texas Christian University and a master's degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Her full name is Victoria Allison Friesen.
Skip Leonard is the Interim CFO at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. He graduated from Harvard with a master's degree in public administration. His prior roles include working as the vice president of Dartmouth College's school of medicine, chief foundation officer of the Lee Health Foundation in Florida, and vice president of the INTEGRIS Health Foundation. He has experience working in city and county management. He is not a CPA and has stated he has no experience overseeing finances for a state agency.
Ben Brown served as the Deputy Commissioner for Substance Abuse Services at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS). Prior to this role, he was a Democratic state senator representing a south Oklahoma City district for 15 years. He holds a Masters Degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and is certified by the Academy of Certified Social Workers. He was recommended for the Deputy Commissioner position by a committee from a pool of 65 applicants, with Oklahoma's secretary of health and human services, Jerry Regier, stating that Brown would bring passion and expertise to the job. Brown retired from his Deputy Commissioner position, effective January 1, 2007, after being on paid administrative leave since September 1, 2006, due to an investigation into allegations of pressuring a non-profit to hire a "ghost" employee. He had previously opposed a proposal to divide the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services into two separate departments.
Dr. Peggy Jewell is the Medical Director at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. She is a psychiatrist with over 35 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Jewell graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1983 and specializes in Neurology and Psychiatry. She has been involved in initiatives related to smoking policy and treatment in state-operated psychiatric facilities. She is also listed as volunteer faculty at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.