Terry L. Cline (born 1958) is an American

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

and

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

policy specialist from

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. Cline resigned on October 30, 2017 from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. He has served in various positions under Governors of Oklahoma Frank Keating (R), Brad Henry (D), and

Mary Fallin Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 Oklahoma gub ...

(R). Cline resigned his position after financial mismanagement was discovered within the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Cline previously served as the administrator of the federal

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; pronounced ) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). SAMHSA is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitati ...

, an agency within the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) from December 2006 through August 2008. Prior to that, Cline served as the Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as well as Oklahoma Secretary of Health under

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...

Brad Henry.Staff (21 March 2009) "Welcome Back" ''Tulsa World'' (Tulsa, Oklahoma) p. A-14

Early career

Cline grew up in

Ardmore, Oklahoma Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 24,725 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 1.8% increase over the 2010 census figure of 24,283. The Ardmo ...

and attended the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1980. He then received both a master's degree and a PhD in clinical psychology from

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

, following which he held a six-year appointment as a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...

in Boston. Cline also served as the Chairman of the Governing Board for a Harvard Community Teaching Hospital in Cambridge for several years. Cline served as a Health Care Policy Fellow at the federal Center for Mental Health Services in the

in Washington D.C. While there, his primary focus was on the organization and financing of mental health services. During the 1990s, he served as the Clinical Director of the Cambridge Youth Guidance Center in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

and was employed as a Staff Psychologist at McLean Hospital in

Belmont, Massachusetts Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a western suburb of Boston and is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, its population was 27,295, an increase of 10.4% from 2010. H ...

Keating Administration

Cline returned to Oklahoma to accept the position of Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services during the administration of Republican Governor Frank Keating. He began that role in January 2001. As Commissioner, Cline was responsible for providing public health services relating to mental illness and substance abuse.

Henry Administration

Democratic

Brad Henry appointed Cline as

Secretary of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare spending and other social security services. Some governments have separate Minister of Mental Health, ...

in 2004 following the resignation of Tom Adelson to run for the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.

SAMSHA Administrator

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

nominated Cline to serve as the Administrator of the

, an agency of the

United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

, in November 2006, and his nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December. At the end of August 2008, Terry Cline became the HHS Department's Health Attaché and representative at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq."HHS Secretary Taps SAMHSA Administrator for New Post"
''SAMHSA News'' (July/August 2008) 16(4): p. 1 As Health Attaché, Cline coordinated HHS programs in Iraq and provided advice to the U.S. ambassador, HHS Secretary and others. He also was a liaison to Iraq's Ministries of Health, Higher Education and Social Affairs, and worked with international organizations, private partners and other U.S. government agencies engaged in health-related activities in Iraq.

State Health Commissioner

In June 2009 Cline became the Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. He replaced Michael Crutcher who had retired the previous January.

Fallin Administration

On February 1, 2011, Republican

announced she had selected Commissioner Cline to serve as the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services in her Cabinet. As Health and Human Services Secretary, Cline had oversight over all public health and public assistance agencies of the State government. Cline continued to serve as Health Commissioner in addition to his duties as a Cabinet Secretary.

Resignation

On October 30, 2017, Cline submitted his resignation to the State Board of Health, during an emergency meeting of the Board. The Board named Preston Doerflinger as the Interim Commissioner of Health during the meeting. Cline's resignation was prompted by allegations of financial mismanagement within the Department, which were subsequently investigated by the Oklahoma State Auditor.

References

1958 births Living people People from Ardmore, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma alumni Oklahoma State University alumni Harvard Medical School faculty State cabinet secretaries of Oklahoma Heads of Oklahoma state agencies McLean Hospital people State health commissioners of the United States {{Oklahoma-politician-stub