Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett: 'We can't look at the mental health issue and say we're succeeding'

Oklahoma is not succeeding in addressing the mental health needs of its residents, said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett during a recent speech at Oklahoma Christian University.

"It was more so a generation ago but still true today that it carries a stigma inside a family," Cornett said. "You might not be comfortable talking about someone you know personally, a friend or family member that suffers with mental health, but I think what you're going to find when you do open up is, you have receptive ears all around you. There's nothing to be ashamed about when you're starting to talk about mental health."

Oklahoma has historically spent among the least in the country on its mental health system. Because of a lack of treatment options and long waiting lines for care, many Oklahomans with serious mental illnesses cycle in and out of county jails. Many end up in prison, the least effective, most expensive form of "treatment."