CPP State Policy Feature: Oklahoma
“The state has invested money into systems of care for children’s mental health, and CPP is key to sustaining these efforts.”
-Oklahoma CPP leader
90 rostered providers*
43 agencies
CPP Champions:
– Stephanie Bell
– Audra Haney
3 Safe Babies™ sites using CPP*
Braided funding
streams
Foundational IECMH training
Timeline
2010
OK clinicians join NCTSN LC
2012
1st CPP cohort, sponsored by Parent Child Center of Tulsa
2015
Oklahoma launches its IECMH Strategic Plan
2017
CPP training begins through Oklahoma Systems of Care
2018
State funds TTT LC with Project LAUNCH and SOC Expansion grants
2024
OK awarded $243K through HRSA’s Infant Toddler Court Program
Braided Systems of
Care Funding
Leveraging federal, state, and private funds
Oklahoma is combining funds from Systems of Care (SOC) with sources such as Project LAUNCH, an NCTSI grant from ODMHSAS, an HRSA courts program, and philanthropic support. Collaborating with partners to craft joint funding proposals enables more robust funding for CPP training and also strengthens relationships among IECMH organizations.
Collaboration Around Strategic Plan
A shared framework for change
Oklahoma’s IECMH Strategic Plan was a vital organizational driver of CPP sustainability. OSDH initially developed the Strategic Plan for Project LAUNCH, together with funds from the state’s Systems of Care expansion grant. The agency then partnered with other state stakeholders, such as ODMHSAS and OK-AIMH, to adapt it into a statewide framework. Collaboration around the strategic plan built momentum for CPP.
Relationship with
Local Stakeholders
Local coalitions can help preserve funding and services
In 2015, at the end of the first Safe Babies™ site in Tulsa, a judge, local child welfare staff, and DHS teams saw the value of CPP and preserved CPP services there through a 3-step advocacy process:
- Educated local caregivers and providers on early childhood development
- Engaged other judges, attorneys, and court staff
- Led the coalition in lobbying ODMHSAS
Learn More
Key Organizations
Oklahoma Alliance for Infant Mental Health (OKAIMH)
Learn more about Oklahoma’s statewide IECMH coordinating body, including its history, key components, and funding.
Oklahoma Department of Health Services (OSDHI)
Learn more about Oklahoma’s executive agency for physical health services.
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OK DMH or ODMHSAS)
Learn more about Oklahoma’s executive agency for mental health services.
Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA)
Federal agency under the US Department of Health and Human Services.
National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI)
Program through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service (SAMHSA) to raise awareness about the impact of trauma on children.
Safe Baby Court Teams (SBCT)
A trauma- and developmentally-informed intervention developed by ZERO TO THREE™ for court-involved families with young children.
Key Resources
- Oklahoma’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Strategic Plan (2015-2020) – A statewide framework for the wellbeing of young children and their families, the development of this plan helped advance CPP sustainability by securing buy-in from state leaders and laying the groundwork for continued CPP funding and implementation
- Oklahoma Systems of Care Overview – Explore the logic model and project details of the statewide healthcare initiative that has been used to fund multiple rounds of CPP training
Block Grants
Block grants are large amounts of federal funding allocated to states for a broad mandate (such as Maternal and Infant Health Services). These grants are different than other grants, in that grantees have comparatively more flexibility in use of the funds.
Braided Funding
The ability of state CPP leaders to match (or “braid”) public state dollars for CPP training with funding from other sources has been crucial to its statewide dissemination efforts. They begin by identifying available state funds and assessing potential federal grants and private contributions that correspond with CPP goals. They then engage with the stakeholders for these funds to align funding priorities and share resources. Finally, they develop a comprehensive funding proposal that outlines how these diverse sources will be integrated to support CPP training initiatives. The overall goal is to develop statewide training infrastructure that can grow treatment teams equipped with models that are appropriate for families with children under five years of age.
Relatedly, Oklahoma had overlapping funding years with grants focused on children ages 0-5: the Oklahoma Systems of Care expansion from 2008 to 2014 and Project LAUNCH from 2013 to 2018. State CPP leaders noted that this overlap provided momentum for doing larger training initiatives.
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
Oklahoma has implemented Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to improve care and coordination for vulnerable populations. Eligible for an enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rate, these clinics name CPP as a recommended evidence-based practice.
Statewide Training Infrastructure: OKAIMH
Oklahoma’s CPP dissemination body–the Oklahoma Association for Infant Mental Health–centralizes, funds, and markets dissemination activities. The organization’s state-wide scope has resulted in:
- Dedicated state trainers who understand OK systems
- A pre-training pathway to meet the workforce where they are
- Collaboration with other relevant training programs, such as DC:0-5
CPP Champions
CPP in Oklahoma is taking root in no small part thanks to the efforts of two champions:
- Stephanie Bell at DMH identifies high-need communities and secures funding opportunities for CPP. She also prepares the workforce for training
- Audra Haney oversees CPP training and supports the community of providers, not just in CPP training but also in general competencies for serving young children and their families
Future CPP Sustainability Considerations
- Offer ongoing calls on systemic support of CPP with supervisors of agencies with participants in CPP training
- Evaluate challenges to sustaining CPP workforce at Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, especially in rural areas
*Numbers are current as of March 2025.
The content of this document is intended for informational use only. If you are interested in becoming involved with CPP policy advocacy in your state, please fill out this survey.
The CPP Dissemination Team would like to thank Angela Fultz, Ashleigh Kraft, Audra Haney, and Stephanie Bell for providing context into CPP sustainability in Oklahoma.