Richard White is the Housing Programs Manager for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. His public service background includes serving on the staff of a Member of the U.S. Congress, technical contract work for the Federal Aviation Administration, civilian contract work for the Department of Defense in Afghanistan, and serving in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and United States Air Force.

As Housing Programs Manager, he oversees transitional living and permanent supportive housing programs for individuals experiencing homelessness while struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders. His responsibilities include consultation, training, and technical assistance for contracted providers, community stakeholders, partner organizations, and other state agencies. He leads the development of housing initiatives based on best practices to improve housing stability and recovery outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Richard has developed expertise in youth homelessness and has presented at conferences nationally on this topic. His professional experience includes forming and overseeing lived experience boards, youth street outreach, shelter case management, grant writing, and implementing innovative housing programs such as host homes.

He serves on the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Oklahoma’s Health Services Committee and the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth’s Homeless Children and Youth Steering Committee and Policy Subcommittee. He is also a member of the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work.

Richard is a Master of Social Work student at Missouri State University and earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Oklahoma.