One in five Tulsans has a mental illness, and for more than 40,000 locals, the afflictions are serious, by the account of the Tulsa County Board of County Commissioners. That means that someone in nearly every Tulsa family – a mother, father, son, daughter or other close relative — is likely affected.
Given the scope and challenges, we decided to devote this issue of Snapshot to the stories of locals grappling with mental health issues. By shedding light on the topic, we hope that Tulsans will more easily engage in conversations — public and private — about mental health and find some solutions.
Snapshot is a quarterly publication published by Tulsa Flyer, The Oklahoma Eagle and our partner news outlets at The Frontier, La Semana, KOSU and Focus: Black Oklahoma. This is an opportunity for us to provide in-depth coverage on different subjects of deep interest in Tulsa and Oklahoma. It allows us to draw on the expertise of different news organizations. We key in on a different topic each quarter with narratives, audio reports and digital formats, along with a print edition available by April 1 at 80 locations throughout Tulsa.
For this edition, reporters from each partner publication wrote profiles on the topic from different perspectives.
Tulsa Flyer senior reporter Ginnie Graham profiled Amanda Billings, a Tulsan who has grappled with treatment for mental health issues while seeking to lead a productive professional life, Graham has written extensively on mental health issues. “What made this more of a challenge is that Amanda is in the middle of trying to deal with her issues,” Graham said. “It’s easier to write about people who have been through challenges and come out on the other side.”
Oklahoma Eagle business reporter Ismael Lele wrote about the particular challenges of mental health in the Black community. “There continues to be a stigma associated with mental health,” Lele said. “That made the reporting harder. People were reluctant to talk openly about their struggles. But that also shows why it’s important to bring these issues to public attention.”
The Frontier’s Ari Fife and Garrett Yalch wrote about how funding cuts are requiring mental health providers to offer more services with diminished resources.
“Mental Health Association Oklahoma lost $694,480 in state funding,” they reported, “which led to a reduction in services and the elimination of several programs.”
KOSU’s Sierra Pfeifer did an in-depth report on the 988 help line that thousands of Tulsans and Oklahomans turn to when they have thoughts of suicide. “It’s important that in the midst of diminished resources some positive hopeful things are going on,” Pfeifer said.
Flyer education reporter Anna Colletto gave a close-up look at the harsh mental health challenges facing those in Tulsa’s LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender people. “Being transgender in Oklahoma is like walking in neck-deep water, hoping it will shallow out — but knowing it’s likely you’ll end up treading water,” one source told Colletto.
Angelica Perez, who reports on Tulsa’s eastside and Latino communities through a partnership with the Flyer and La Semana, delved into how the wave of deportations is impacting a young Latina Tulsan. “I wanted to show how Tulsa’s immigrant community has particular mental health challenges,” Perez said. “This story highlights the personal toll taken on immigrants.”
Focus: Black Oklahoma reported on the mental health challenges facing a neglected corridor of east Tulsa, where those living on the margins are juggling housing insecurity, substance abuse and more.
In addition, our team – including Tulsa Documenters, a group of residents trained and paid to take notes on public meetings — compiled a list of resources available to locals seeking help with mental health issues.
Tulsa Flyer and The Oklahoma Eagle are amplifying Snapshot’s mental health coverage with a public forum set for 6 p.m. March 30 at 101 E. Archer St. “Closing the Gap on Mental Health” will feature a panel discussion with contributors to this edition alongside mental health professionals.
We are committed to continuing coverage of mental health in Tulsa. If you have feedback on our coverage or suggestions for what we should explore next, contact us at connect@tulsaflyer.org or connect@theokeagle.org.
