Tulsa Initiative Equips Outreach Workers to Reach Individuals Unaware of Mental Illness
Tulsa, OK – A new training program in Tulsa is focusing on a critical, often-overlooked barrier to mental health care: anosognosia, the lack of self-awareness of illness due to an underlying mental or physical condition. The initiative, a collaboration between the LEAP Institute, the Department of Human Relations, and OU-Tulsa’s Clinical Mental Health Program, aims to improve outreach to individuals with serious mental illnesses who don’t recognize they need help.
Approximately 80,000 Oklahomans are estimated to live with a serious mental illness and lack awareness of their condition, rendering traditional outreach ineffective. Individuals with anosognosia face increased risks of homelessness, incarceration, and social isolation.
“We can’t reach out to them like we do to the person who understands they’re ill and say, ‘hey, we all agree you have an illness and we’ve got some treatments for you,'” explained Dr. Xavier Amador, founder of the LEAP Institute.
The training centers around the “LEAP” approach – Listen,Empathize,Agree,and Partner - a method designed to build trust and reduce paranoia,facilitating engagement with individuals who typically avoid treatment. Participants are learning practical strategies to connect people with vital resources, including therapy, medication, peer support, and supervised housing.
The program’s goal is to meet individuals where they are, even in challenging environments like streets or under bridges, and present viable recovery options.Dr. Amador believes addressing serious mental illness within Tulsa’s homeless population is a key step toward achieving “functional zero homelessness,” a goal supported by Mayor Monroe Nichols’ city-funded “Safe Move Tulsa” initiative.
The training is particularly relevant as local organizations respond to individuals impacted by Governor Stitt’s Operation SAFE. While acknowledging the program’s intentions, Dr. amador stressed the importance of delivering mental health care directly to those experiencing homelessness.
Local agencies participating in the training include GRAND Mental Health and the Tulsa day center, demonstrating a community-wide commitment to a more empathetic and effective approach to mental health outreach.Organizers hope participants will leave equipped to assist those in need, even those initially resistant to treatment.
According to Dr. Amador,without such interventions,individuals with anosognosia may “end up living lives in their parents’ house in the back bedrooms,never working,never going back to school,never forming relationships.” This training represents a crucial step toward altering that trajectory for many Oklahomans.
