The number of people waiting for the state to provide court-mandated mental health treatment has grown by 58% in the last two months, consultants said in a new report.
The report found there were 218 people stranded in county jails waiting for mental health treatment, as of Jan. 13. In November 2025, there were 138 people on the waitlist.
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ progress to improve the state’s mental health system “is still halting,” consultants said. The independent consultants have been hired to monitor the agency as it implements reforms that are part of a consent decree to settle a class action lawsuit…