Burrell Behavioral Health planting permanent roots in Webster Co. with future Marshfield Clinic

Residents of Marshfield, Webster County and the surrounding area will soon have expanded access to behavioral health care, which was cause for celebration and a sign of continued progress at the Oct. 27 groundbreaking of Burrell Behavioral Health’s new Marshfield Clinic.

“Today we celebrate an even greater commitment from Burrell to Webster County, and break ground on this brand-new behavioral health center,” said Scott Allen, Webster County Health Department Administrator.

Area leaders joined Burrell leadership in Marshfield on Friday at 1069 Banning Street, the future site of the 5,000-sq. ft., $2,075,000 clinic. State funding accounts for half of the investment in a new behavioral health clinic, with Burrell providing the other half. Burrell currently operates a clinic in Marshfield at 1350 Spur Dr., Suite 230, where addiction recovery services, community services, adult outpatient, youth outpatient, adult psychiatry, youth psychiatry and telehealth services are offered. The new location, located near Interstate 44, will be conveniently accessible to the communities it serves and also bigger in both size and scope than the current location.

With the expanded space, the Marshfield Clinic team is expected to roughly double in size. That will strengthen existing service lines and allow for additional service lines, such as group therapy. Elizabeth Avery, Southwest Region Chief Operating Officer, said that the new clinic will bring aboard about eight to 10 additional team members. Between the larger team and the larger clinic space, Avery said hundreds more Webster County residents will be able to access behavioral health care close to home.

Clay Goddard, Southwest Region President of Brightli, Burrell’s parent company, said the Marshfield Clinic is a testament to Burrell’s commitment to establish permanent roots in Webster County. And the timing of the project, he said, could not come at a more crucial juncture.

“Mental health access is a significant need in rural communities,” he said. “A nationwide survey in 2021 found that over one in five adults in rural areas reported having a mental illness. And 5.1% of adults in non-metro areas reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year.”

Goddard also pointed to the recent Ozarks Health Commission Community Health Assessment report, which listed mental health and substance use among the top three public health issues in the Springfield region. The region includes Webster, Christian and Greene counties.

“Accessibility and availability of services are among the top challenges facing rural residents across the nation, and especially in Missouri,” Goddard said. “Our new Marshfield Clinic, with its expansion of providers and services, helps address both of those challenges for residents of this community.”

It will be a welcome addition to Webster County, Allen said. While Webster County ranks favorably among Missouri counties in many public health categories, Allen said it also currently, and unfortunately, ranks higher than state or national averages in terms of residents who have reported mental illness issues. Burrell’s new Marshfield Clinic, he said, will increase access to behavioral health services in a number of ways, “including not only increased staffing but also introducing creative ways to help our residents receive access to care,” including the development of group therapy services.

The new Marshfield Clinic is expected to be completed in 12 to 18 months.

Photo caption information: From L to R: Clay Goddard, Southwest Region President of Brightli, Burrell’s parent company; Alexander Gerry, Youth Behavioral Health Liaison with Burrell Behavioral Health; Elizabeth Avery, Brightli Southwest Region Chief Operating Officer; Krisi Schell, Burrell Board of Directors Board Member; Denise Norbury, Regional Executive Officer with the Missouri Department of Mental Health; and Scott Allen, Webster County Health Department Administrator, participate in the Oct. 27, 2023, groundbreaking of the future Burrell Behavioral Health Marshfield Clinic.