About Us

2003

The Evolution Foundation was founded in 2003 by Michelle and Jeff Tallent to advocate for and support recovery-based programs for people with severe mental illnesses. The Tallent's passion for championing the cause of people challenged by mental health issues was driven by their adult son's diagnosis of severe mental illness, and his struggle to regain his footing in what had become to him an alien world.

Michelle Tallent¹ was responsible for the name of the new organization—Evolution Foundation—because she thought it represented the evolution of how our society has progressed in its understanding and treatment of mental illness.

Jeff became the Executive Director of the Evolution Foundation, and Michelle, Chair of the Board.

Initially, the Tallents focused their efforts on developing entrepreneurial opportunities for adults with severe mental illnesses.

At this time, the national Systems of Care Initiative was being implemented state-wide in Oklahoma, aimed at providing a comprehensive spectrum of services to children and adolescents with complex behavioral challenges, and their families. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services was the state's primary advocate.

One of the federal requirements for the Systems of Care grant was the development of a state-wide family organization consisting of beneficiaries of the wraparound services delivered through that funding. The goal was to develop family leaders who could champion opportunities for family members, and their children, in their local communities.

Jeff Tallent had developed some expertise in family organization management in his prior role as Executive Director of NAMI Oklahoma, and the Evolution Foundation was given the opportunity to bid on the establishment of Systems of Care family organization.

That effort was successful, and the Evolution Foundation embraced its new role in February, 2005.

2005

One of the key elements of implementing the Systems of Care Initiative at the county level was the development of local community coalitions of service providers and civic champions who would provide oversight and assist in the location of resources.

In the beginning, these local coalitions were developed by the ODMHSAS Systems of Care Director, with assistance from the Evolution Foundation.

2006

In 2006, the number of local Systems of Care sites was expanding rapidly, along with the need to develop local Systems of Care community coalitions, and it was soon obvious that more workforce was needed to keep up with the demand for those coalitions.

ODMHSAS made a decision at this point that would cement the Evolution Foundation's position as a key player in children's behavioral health.

The Systems of Care staff were considering hiring additional employees to develop and provide technical assistance to those future coalitions, when the Evolution Foundation asked them to consider instead, contracting with the Foundation to provide those services.

The ODMHSAS response was to affirm that solution, and the Evolution Foundation's role as a Systems of Care partner expanded rapidly as it began to hire specialized community consultants to help develop and maintain emerging Systems of Care coalitions.

In time, the Evolution Foundation played a pivotal role in the development of over 60 Systems of Care coalitions.

On a parallel path, the Evolution Foundation developed a reputation as a staunch defender of children with complex behavioral health issues, and their families. The foundation played a major role in creating the Oklahoma Coalition of Advocates, a network of provider agencies, advocacy organizations, and community champions who united their efforts to support legislative and policy measures to improve the lives of those children and families.

2011

In 2011, the Tallent Advocacy Award was developed to annually honor a selected individual for their outstanding advocacy and commitment to the mental health of Oklahoma's children; Jeff Tallent was the first recipient.

2024

Today, the Evolution Foundation continues its work supporting community coalitions, and advocating for children and family members, which includes families caught up in the child welfare system; families impacted by the juvenile justice system; and advocating for the deployment of protective factors to counteract the effects of adverse childhood experiences.

Two recent developments have the promise of greatly expanding the Evolution Foundation's influence in the sphere of children's behavioral health:

1. The appointment of Sheamekah Williams as the foundation's new President and CEO. Formerly the Director of Children's Services for ODMHSAS, Sheamekah has a nation-wide reputation as an innovative champion for marginalized children, and a fierce warrior for their families; and

2. Concurrently with the appointment of Ms. Williams, the addition of pregnant mothers with substance abuse issues to the Evolution Foundation's advocacy focus. In summary, the Evolution Foundation has been on an intertwined path with the State of Oklahoma's Systems of Care Initiative since its beginning, and continues to work toward the development of a comprehensive spectrum of behavioral health services to meet the needs of children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance, substance abuse or co-occurring disorders, and their families.