‘Somebody stepped in and helped’: Advocates press to keep Oklahoma’s mental healthcare ‘safety net’

Oklahoma Voice by Emma Murphy, November 2026

Editor’s note: This story discusses suicide and mental health crises. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988, the U.S. suicide and crisis lifeline, or access online chat at 988lifeline.org.

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Christopher Dean feels he has debt to repay by reducing the stigma surrounding mental health treatment.

The Muskogee Police night shift captain spent a week at a local inpatient facility being treated for suicidal thoughts about four years ago.

Then for a year and a half, he received therapy from Green Country Behavioral Health Services, a certified community behavioral health clinic, and one of its subsidiaries. At first, the services were just “checking a box,” but Dean said working on his mental health gave him a desire to figure out where the “wrong turn” happened in his life.

“I survived something that many times people don’t survive due to those that were willing to reach out and provide that help,” Dean said. “Whether it be, you know, a mental health facility or an individual or a really good boss, somebody stepped in and helped.”

For nearly a decade, certified community behavioral health clinics like Green Country have served as a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans who need access to mental health or substance use treatment, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. But now, the cash-strapped state Legislature and the clinics have both found themselves burdened with soaring costs, creating uncertainty over the long-term survival of these clinics.

Read more at Oklahoma Voice.