Get To Know Me: Josh DeBartolo, ODMHSAS Tribal and Multicultural Liaison

My name is Josh DeBartolo, and I am excited to share more about myself and my role at ODMHSAS.

I came to the ODMHSAS as an intern that needed to complete my practicum for my master’s in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to my practicum I had thought that I wanted to be a therapist, but after my internship I found my passion as a Behavioral Health Case Manager (BHCM). I worked as a BHCM at Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center (COCMHC), a state-operated facility in Norman, OK. As a BHCM, your responsibilities include assessing patients and working with counselors to develop a treatment plan, choosing the necessary resources for each patients' mental health needs and setting up referrals. 

While at COCMHC I experienced mental health needs outside of a classroom setting, which could be challenging at times. Working in the behavioral health field was very hard on me at first, but I ultimately decided to stay and learned adequate self-care. Staying in this field has been one of the greatest decisions I ever made.

As a BHCM, most of my caseload were chronically homeless adults that desired to have their own housing. COCMHC was and still is actively involved in the Cleveland County Continuum of Care that included local community partners like the City of Norman, Salvation Army, Food & Shelter, Thunderbird Clubhouse, Catholic Charities, Domestic Violence Shelters and Norman Housing Authority. The Continuum of Care utilized community resources from these agencies to house the most vulnerable in the Cleveland County area. I learned many valuable lessons in collaboration and communication and how it directly impacted our local community. I witnessed the restoration of autonomy and dignity of several individuals by gaining access to safe and affordable housing. 

Eventually I moved on within ODMHSAS as the Housing Navigator in Oklahoma City. The role was new, and I was tasked with helping to identify housing and housing programs that clients and providers could utilize. I was encouraged to be creative in my job and to make it my own. From my work as a BHCM I understood firsthand the difficulties of identifying safe and affordable housing.

The idea of Landlord Luncheons came from my experience of working directly with landlords, many of whom did not understand the mental health and substance abuse services their clients were utilizing. Landlord Luncheons created a space for relationship building, myth-busting about treatment services and educating about the populations we serve. While I enjoyed my time in housing, I looked forward to new challenges and opportunities working within ODMHSAS, including serving as Assisted Outpatient Treatment Project Manager for the department's second AOT SAMHSA grant. 

Currently, I serve as Tribal & Multicultural Liaison, a role that I aspired to have since I started at ODMHSAS. I am a tribal citizen and have always looked for opportunities to collaborate with our tribal partners. Although it’s only been a few weeks, this role has already inspired me. I work with many different groups, including the Inclusion Diversity Equity and Action (IDEA) Committee. I am constantly thinking of the possibilities this position brings and am looking forward to bringing those ideas to reality soon. I love working for ODMHSAS, and I believe that the best is yet to come from our department. If you would like to reach out to me, please email me at joshua.debartolo@odmhsas.org.