Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services announced Wednesday that they plan to eliminate all state-funded outpatient services statewide in response to the $75 million in budget cuts to the department.Officials said if additional funds are not appropriated for fiscal year 2018, the department will be forced to initiate the plans in November.“The agency has no choice but to announce plans for cuts that must be initiated in November, and fully implemented during December and January. ODMHSAS has delayed this action as long as possible; however, we must intimate processes the first week of November to meet the shortfall that begins in December,” officials said in a statement.If initiated, officials said the cuts will impact nearly 189,000 Oklahomans currently receiving outpatient services, 700 treatment agencies in communities statewide and more than 8,500 therapists, case managers, doctors, nurses and support staff. Stay with KOCO 5 for updates.

Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services announced Wednesday that they plan to eliminate all state-funded outpatient services statewide in response to the $75 million in budget cuts to the department.

Officials said if additional funds are not appropriated for fiscal year 2018, the department will be forced to initiate the plans in November.

“The agency has no choice but to announce plans for cuts that must be initiated in November, and fully implemented during December and January. ODMHSAS has delayed this action as long as possible; however, we must intimate processes the first week of November to meet the shortfall that begins in December,” officials said in a statement.

If initiated, officials said the cuts will impact nearly 189,000 Oklahomans currently receiving outpatient services, 700 treatment agencies in communities statewide and more than 8,500 therapists, case managers, doctors, nurses and support staff.

Stay with KOCO 5 for updates.