Oklahoma is transforming its approach to treating and preventing mental health issues. Evidence of this transformation is abundant. In March, state and local leaders broke ground on a new $70 million, 106-bed psychiatric hospital in Tulsa. Since its launch last July, 988 ― the three-digit lifeline anyone can call at any time for help with a mental health challenge ― has received nearly 40,000 calls from Oklahoma. And communities across the state have dedicated millions of dollars in local funds to launch new mental health services and resources for their most vulnerable residents.

This unprecedented level of investment has generated significant momentum for improving mental health outcomes in our state. To sustain that momentum, we must continue to remove the barriers too many Oklahomans face in accessing care.

For more than 2 million Oklahomans with private health insurance, a persistent barrier has been finding an in-network behavioral health provider who can be seen in a reasonable amount of time. In a recent survey of licensed behavioral health providers conducted by Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, 23% of actively practicing psychiatrists said it takes one to three months to get an appointment.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed two bills this year that are among the strongest reforms anywhere in the country to address the issue of “ghost networks” ― insurance plans that appear robust on paper but in fact include inaccessible or nonexistent providers. Such networks commonly force patients to wait months for care, incur higher costs to see an out-of-network provider or go without care altogether.

Senate Bill 442 addresses high patient costs and excessive wait times for appointments by ensuring the accuracy of commercial health insurance plans’ directories of in-network providers. Senate Bill 254 caps out-of-pocket costs for consumers with private insurance when an insurer can’t arrange a timely appointment with an in-network provider. These bills address key takeaways of a report released earlier this year by Healthy Minds that found most behavioral health providers listed on health plan directories can’t be reached, aren’t actually in-network or can’t schedule an appointment in a timely manner.

We commend Sen. Jessica Garvin, former Sen. John Michael Montgomery, and Reps. Chris Sneed and Jeff Boatman for their leadership in tackling this issue. Oklahomans with private health insurance should be prepared to hold their carriers accountable when the new laws take effect on Nov. 1. The Oklahoma Department of Insurance’s Consumer Assistance Division provides resources and support to consumers navigating issues with insurance companies.

The biggest opportunity now ahead of Oklahoma is to increase the size and reach of the state’s behavioral health workforce. We face an acute shortage of critical professions that is projected to worsen if left unchecked. According to the Oklahoma Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, 2021 marked a 10-year low in the number of mental health-related degrees conferred by Oklahoma higher education institutions. And research published in the American Psychiatric Association’s journal Psychiatry Services found that the number of psychiatrists leaving the workforce will be more than twice that of those joining the workforce by 2024.

Earlier this year, the Legislature created two new behavioral health workforce development funds to retain existing professionals and support clinicians who want to advance their careers. However, only one fund received an appropriation, leaving the full potential of these workforce development tools unrealized. Several legislators have requested interim studies on Oklahoma’s behavioral health workforce. We encourage legislative leaders to seriously consider this issue and explore innovative funding solutions that incentivize growth in high-need occupations.

By investing in the development, retention and recruitment of behavioral health care providers, our state can sustain its momentum on mental health and improve the availability and accessibility of services that benefit all Oklahomans.

Zack Stoycoff is executive director of Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, a policy think tank working to improve mental health outcomes in Oklahoma.

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The Government of Sweden aims to broaden the human resource base with experience of international work and work within the development sector, by giving younger, passionate, and educated people the opportunity to serve in the United Nations as junior professional officers (JPOs). In 2017 UNSSC and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) co-created a phenomenally successful learning programme designed to broaden JPOs’ leadership skills, improve their career prospects, and foster collaboration within the UN System.

“Sida finances programs for the Swedish JPOs to provide them with the keys to advance their careers towards serving in the UN system.”

– Thao Do Jorgensen, Programme Manager, Sida

This year 2023 UN Emerging Leadership and Career Booster for Swedish JPOs welcomed 29 mid-level Swedish JPOs representing 16 agencies and 22 duty stations to the Staff College campus in Turin, Italy.

Becoming a leader in the UN 

From the beginning of programme, participants were asked to reflect on the true meaning of being a leader in the UN, starting with their interactions with a former JPO (now Evaluation Specialist) and UNICEF Representative in El Salvador. They touched on the topics of mobility, accountability, and the values that guide the work of young professionals and leaders within the UN.   

To prompt dialogue and encourage reflection, the JPOs were tasked with conveying their stories and values through a Lego ® Serious Play, discussing their career journeys and giving advice to their peers with similar experiences. 

Mindfulness in the workplace and assessing DiSC profile results

Consistent self-care practice is one of the most effective ways working professionals can avoid or reduce the effects of burnout. Participants were provided with tips, advice and practical approaches to self-care as well as stress management techniques and tools to help them keep a healthy work-life balance.

Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance (DiSC) Assessments help improve workplace productivity, teamwork, and communication. JPOs received feedback and guidance on how to optimize and benefit from the results of their assessments.

“Exchanging and learning from each other was the best part of this programme. We all face very similar challenges which were very powerful and useful to learn. This network will be extremely useful and important going forward.”

– Participant, Sida JPO Programme, 2023

Personal branding, acing interviews, and career trajectories 

Participants had the opportunity to learn how improve their personal branding and how to best showcase their skills or competencies in interviews. JPOs participants were also guided to develop their career timelines and vision for their future. They were asked to reflect on their purpose and priorities and draft a vision that reflected their values.

In a special session hosted by IOM’s Director of Human Resource Management, Michael Emery, JPOs gained insights on the latest developments in terms of UN career trends, news, and opportunities to help them effectively prepare and plan their career trajectories.

“Enjoyed the opportunity to network with peers and other JPOs present during the residential week. The most effective was the session on “Peers as Resources” as it gave us the opportunity to allocate time to listen to each other in a more structured way.”

– Participant, Sida JPO Programme, 2023

Next Steps

“This year marked seven years and the second blended edition of emerging leadership and career booster for Swedish Junior Professional Officers. This programme speaks very much to the UN System Staff College’s core mandate and mission. The collaboration and co-creation with Sida specifically amplifies it in a powerful way. Throughout our seventh-year collaboration with Sida on this programme, we have enjoyed accompanying the JPOs on this important learning journey. At UNSSC we help them become better leaders, find their career path in the UN and prepare for their next career move.”

– Aida Ghazaryan, Learning Portfolio Manager, UNSSC

It was a jam-packed programme full of fruitful learning for the Swedish JPOs, providing them with opportunities to connect with peers while learning from a host of qualified leaders both within and outside the United Nations.

The learning continues even though they have left Turin! Each JPO will benefit from bilateral sessions with leadership and career coaches to ensure they turn all the wisdom they received into action.

UNSSC is proud to have hosted this 2023 cohort of JPOs in collaboration Sida. Learn more about the 2023 UN Emerging Leadership and Career Booster for Swedish JPOs on social media! 

#SIDA2023 #UNSSC 

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On June 15, I was proud to gather more than 1,000 people at New York’s first-ever Youth Mental Health Summit, where I was joined by advocates who care deeply about fixing the unprecedented mental health challenges many children and teenagers face. The presence of so many at the summit — including national mental health experts, youth advocates and providers, parents and caregivers, educators, and others — made a statement that we collectively understand the magnitude of this crisis, the pain it’s causing, and the kids who need our help.

It also gave me hope that we are a caring state who can work together to be a part of the solution.

Governor Hochul hosts the New York State Youth Mental Health Summit. (Aidin Bharti)

Children and teenagers are facing a crisis unlike anything this country has ever seen before. Today, mental health challenges run deep, as our youth face staggering rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. According to the CDC, 42% — almost half of all high school students — feel persistently sad or hopeless. And 22%, particularly high school girls, have considered that the alternative to life would be better.

Among LGBTQ youth, who have increasingly become the targets of politically-motivated attacks from far-right extremists, the numbers are even more jarring. Almost 70% of LGBTQ kids feel persistently sad or hopeless. Among them, 37% have made a suicide plan.

Suicide rates among Black youth are reaching alarming rates, rising 37% between 2018 and 2021. Concerningly, those numbers do not weigh the full effects of the pandemic, which impacted the mental health of children and teenagers in ways we do not yet fully comprehend.

These numbers are chilling, and as the first mother to govern the State of New York — and someone who has seen kids in pain — they are personal. More than anything, the statistics are a worrying reminder that what we’ve been doing is simply not enough.

For too long, we have underinvested in mental health care, and the decades of ignoring this crisis, especially in schools, led us to a critical point, which was only exasperated further by COVID, a national gun violence epidemic, and an increased reliance on social media for connectivity.

Having spoken to kids and hearing their heartbreaking stories of isolation, fear, and loss, they have consistently made it clear: they need more help. They need more mental health professionals in schools, not one counselor for a school with 700 students. They need to learn in an environment free from the fear of gun violence, which has become the leading cause of death for children and teens. They need training to discuss the power of social media and its impact on mental health in smart, thoughtful ways.

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More than anything, they need all of us to step up and take action to implement bold, common-sense measures that can mitigate this crisis.

Beginning this year, my administration took the first step in establishing meaningful solutions to this crisis by ending years of underinvestment in mental health care. We are overhauling the entire system with a long-term, $1 billion investment to provide services for all levels of need, prevent people from falling through the cracks, and ensure everyone gets care on a continuous basis. Additionally, we announced a historic $34.5 billion investment in education and $347 million in gun violence prevention funding, allowing us to take well-rounded, comprehensive approaches to assisting our youth.

Further, we are going to define specifically what future policies New York can implement while pushing other states and the federal government to follow our lead. These should include measures to stop social media from preying on our kids and reduce its influence on their mental health, embed professionals in the communities most heavily impacted by this crisis (e.g., LGBTQ, Black, and Latino communities), and invest in nation-leading mental health research programs to help inform future policy decisions.

Finally, we will continue to work directly with those impacted by this crisis: young people. After hosting listening tours with kids and teenagers throughout the state and gathering so many committed New Yorkers at our Youth Mental Health Summit, the importance of young voices helping shape the conversation could not be clearer, and it will be essential for them to be at the forefront as we devise new policies.

These critical actions are just the beginning. They are a vow to take on the hard questions, give unconventional answers, and challenge the status quo on mental health. More simply, they are a promise to do better.

Together, with the thousands who gathered and lent their voices at the summit — and the millions of others for whom this issue is so personal –— I believe that we can accomplish better starting today.

Hochul is governor of New York.

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