The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse recently honored Sen. Jessica Garvin with their 2023 Prevention Pioneer Award. The Duncan Republican, who serves the Newcastle area, was chosen for her outstanding commitment, dedication, and leadership in the area of mental health and substance abuse.
“Having worked in the healthcare industry for years, I’ve seen the mental health and addiction crisis our state is facing, and I’ve worked hard to find ways for us to better help those in need,” Garvin said. “It’s important that we do all we can to support these individuals before their issues reach crisis level because without proper treatment and support, those issues can lead to unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, selfharm, and even death.
“No one should have to suffer in silence or simply because they don’t have access to or can’t afford appropriate mental or behavioral healthcare. I’ve focused on authoring and supporting legislation to improve access to and affordability of such services, and I’ll continue to do so because our fight is far from over.”
This session, Garvin authored Senate Bill 254, requiring insurance companies to assist individuals in quickly finding out-of-network mental and behavioral healthcare when patients cannot find such services in-network.
The bill further prohibits insurers from charging a higher price for out-of-network services in such cases.
Garvin serves as the cochair of the Senate Mental Health Caucus and is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
During her tenure, she has advocated for and supported using federal ARPA funding to assist in building two new behavioral health hospitals in Tulsa and Norman and addressing behavioral health workforce shortages.
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse presented the award to Garvin at their Overdose Awareness Day at the State Capitol in May.
