Burrell Behavioral Health joins Springfield’s Alliance for Healthcare Education 

SPRINGFIELD — Burrell Behavioral Health is proud to announce its intent to join the Alliance for Healthcare Education, a Springfield-based effort to train the health care professionals and leaders of tomorrow. 

Joining the Alliance for Healthcare Education is part of Burrell’s pursuit of “treating the whole person,” because mental health care ties directly to a person’s physical health and overall well-being. 

Burrell Behavioral Health is part of Brightli, a Springfield-based parent company with more than 6,500 team members that treated more than 110,000 unique clients in five U.S. states in the 2025 fiscal year. Alliance membership offers Burrell the chance to partner with Ozarks Technical Community College, CoxHealth, Springfield Public Schools, Missouri State University and other Alliance-affiliated stakeholders to shape the future of health care in Springfield. 

“This is really a milestone event for an effort we are proud to be part of,” Burrell Behavioral Health CEO Mat Gass. “When we examine the mental health care needs of our southwest Missouri community and our world, we know that we need at least 25 percent more behavioral health care providers than we have in order to serve the demand. That gap is projected to grow wider between now and 2036 as demands increase.” 

The Alliance for Healthcare Education offers training to high school students, mid-career professionals looking to advance their careers and adults starting fresh in a new health care career. 

Burrell’s flagship campus in Springfield hosts individual therapy, group therapy, medication-assisted treatment, the Burrell Autism Center and the RecoverED eating disorder clinic. 

As part of Burrell’s membership in the Alliance, high school juniors will spend time training on site with Burrell team members. Students will be introduced to careers in behavioral health and gain hands-on insight and experience from Burrell’s professionals in Springfield. Burrell leaders and team members will be invited to speak to students in their classrooms, where the ins and outs of behavioral health care can be taught and explored. 

“Every one of us is touched somehow by addictions and mental health services,” Burrell Southwest Regional President Clay Goddard said. “We are excited to build more community partnerships in Springfield that will inspire more people to consider careers in behavioral health. We can break down those barriers to quality care together.”