Mental Health Dept. goes ‘bad’ with video challenge

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Terri White is no stranger to playing the badass in boots.

The commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is most known for her blunt Powerpoint presentations about brain disease and addiction.

But, apparently, she and her staff also like to dance.

White, dressed as posthumous, blonde and female Michael Jackson in his video “Bad,” explained the performance at its conclusion: “We are the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority called us out in the Just Keep Dancing challenge — the fight against pediatric cancer.

“We’re calling out the Oklahoma Department of Human Services‘ Child Welfare Division to show us how BAD you are.”

The mental health dance squad had been called out themselves by the state Medicaid Agency, whose director, Nico Gomez, worked it side to side as MC Hammer, reminding us we can’t touch something.  Maybe his Sooner Care funding, I dunno.

U Can’t Touch This – Oklahoma Health Care Authority in Ellen’s…Recently, we were challenged by some of our SoonerCare moms and Momcology to join them in The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s #JustKeepDancing Challenge and the fight against pediatric cancer! We now challenge the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) to BEAT THAT! #mysoonercare

Posted by Oklahoma Health Care Authority on Wednesday, July 8, 2015

 

Now, White has called out people who work daily to help abused and neglected children. No wonder everyone wants to dance.

The #JustKeepDancing challenge was launched by the Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier this year. While biological research funding from the National Institutes of Health surely does more to “fight” pediatric cancer in America, it looks like a lot of people have been enjoying themselves dancing.

And that ain’t bad.

  • Tres Savage

    Tres Savage (William W. Savage III) has served as editor in chief of NonDoc since the publication launched in 2015. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and worked in health care for six years before returning to the media industry. He is a nationally certified Mental Health First Aid instructor and serves on the board of the Oklahoma Media Center.