Effects of budget cuts on HOPE Community Services, Inc.
    Effects of budget cuts on HOPE Community Services, Inc.
    • Our current budget is 11 million
    • We employ 142 team members
    • We server 8,300 clients last year.
    • These individuals will no longer have access to any service at HOPE other than medication clinic and a few small federally funded services. 
    • These budget cuts will decrease agency to a 3 million dollar budget.
    • HOPE will incur a 75% cut to our agency
    • We will also experience a reduction in force by approximately 112 staff members. (79%)
    • These cuts are devastating to the community that we serve.

    These cuts will increase our State's cost through jails, prisons, Emergency Rooms, and Inpatient hospitalization.

    Lives will be lost, families will suffer, children will be affected, and our State will pay more in tax dollars for this devastation. We ask that Oklahoman's contact your elected officials and make your voice heard.

    Notes From Our Executive Director
    To all our consumers of services, family members, staff, etc. 

    We have had so many of you share your concern and ask what you can do. Lisa Webb, our Consumer Advocate, has compiled an excellent guide to help you know where you can make a difference. Please know your services will continue until such time as the funding is not available. This will be through at least December 1st, 2017. You will be able to keep your medication services even after that date. You can always call your assigned clinician or contact Lisa Webb, Consumer Advocate, within the next 4 weeks at 634-4400 with any questions you have. Again, services are still being provided right now. 

    We will remain optimistic that our legislature will find a compromise and that they will work together to fund these critical services in Oklahoma. While this promotes a lot of fear and anxiety, please share in our optimism and make your voice be heard!

    Sincerely,

    Jeanette Moore, LCSW, Executive Director



    WHAT YOU CAN DO...

    We have had numerous people ask how they can help as there is still time for legislators to make some important decisions regarding the budget that would impact thousands of Oklahoman's out-patient Mental Health and Substance Abuse services.
    • Contact your legislators on Monday, if you do not know they are you can go to( FindMyLegislature ) on this website you can input your address information and it will provide their name, phone number, office number at the Capitol and their email address, atc.
    • Contact the Governor's office (405) 521 - 2342.
    • Attend the Rally at the Capitol on Tuesday, October 24th at 10 a.m. on the 4th floor. Be sure to bring your legislators office number with you so that you will be able to locate their offices. Legislators may not be in when you stop by Tuesday, so take a note with some of the points below and leave with their assistant and sign in so that they will know you have been there.
    • Contact your family members and friends and ask them to call, email or attend the rally and talk to their legislators as well.
     When leaving a voice message, speaking to your legislators, emailing or writing a note:
    • First, share that you are their constituent.
    • Share that these cuts will impact children, adults and families across Oklahoma that rely on these lifesaving services.
    • Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services are crucial to the lives of many Oklahoman's and without these services some will end up in jail, prison, hospitals or worse due to lack of services in their communities.
    • Share how these cuts would impact you personally.
    • Ask them to work together to fix the budget to insure that ODMHSAS receives adequate funding so that mental health and substance abuse outpatient services and programs will not be cut completely.
    • Be respectful and thank them for their time.
    Keep in mind that when calling you may have to leave a message - please leave; your name, your phone number, why you are calling and ask them to call you back if you choose for them to do so.New Paragraph
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