Governor Stitt Taps Allie Friesen as Mental Health Commissioner
By the Office of the Governor
Today, Governor Kevin Stitt announced Allie Friesen as the new commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).
"Allie has been on the frontlines of helping families struggling with mental health disorders for over a decade, and I’m glad to have her on the team," Governor Stitt said. "ODMHSAS serves as an intersection of outreach, advocacy, and lifechanging restoration, and Allie will be the best person to promote our mission of wellness and recovery in Oklahoma."
Friesen has worked as the Director of Clinical Programs in Behavioral Health at INTEGRIS since 2020, developing effective and evidence-based practices across their healthcare system. In her role, she developed and implemented initiatives to improve access to care, improve patient safety, and quality of care. Friesen has been a licensed mental health professional since 2014, specializing in working with individuals with neurological disorders and other chronic medical conditions.
She attended Texas Christian University and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Psychology and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling respectively.
"The incidence of mental health disorders across our nation and across our great state continues to climb," Allie Friesen said. "There is outstanding work taking place across Oklahoma to address the existing crisis, and to prevent potential suffering for generations to come. I am passionate about transforming systems of care to optimize access to high quality services and it is time for solutions to be accelerated."
"Oklahoma will set the standard for behavioral health systems that provide transformative, coordinated, and compassionate care," Friesen added. "I am honored to have the opportunity to serve Oklahomans in this capacity."
Governor Stitt’s appointment of Allie Friesen can be found here.