Ozarks Technical Community College and Burrell Behavioral Health have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide mental health services, free of charge, to OTC students and employees.
Burrell will provide the following services:
- A part-time mental health counselor for students at the OTC Springfield Campus.
- A part-time mental health counselor for students at the OTC Republic Center who will also provide telehealth counseling to students at the Lebanon and Waynesville centers.
- Up to five counseling sessions for part-time staff and faculty.
“These are stressful times for everyone, and this partnership with Burrell is a cost-effective method to provide enhanced mental health services to our students and employees,” said Dr. Joan Barrett, OTC vice chancellor for student services.
The Burrell Behavioral Health professional at the OTC Springfield Campus will supplement the counseling services provided by the college. Plus, it will give students direct access to Burrell resources for those seeking long-term therapy.
As the newest location in the OTC system, the Republic center has office space to house a counselor who will dedicate time to serve students at the OTC centers in Lebanon and Waynesville via video conferencing.
Full-time OTC employees may attend five free counseling sessions each year as part of the college’s insurance plan. Through this new agreement with Burrell Behavioral Health, that same benefit is now extended to part-time staff and faculty members.
The partnership with OTC is the latest in Burrell’s continued efforts to advance behavioral health on college and university campuses.
“The ability to provide mental health access to college students and employees in the campus setting, where they are most comfortable and reachable, is vital to the long-term health of these populations,” said Dr. Dustin Brown, Burrell’s Vice President of Integration. “We’re proud to partner with OTC to help students, faculty and staff whenever and wherever they need us.”
OTC and Burrell hope to have the counselors in place by the beginning of December, and they will work through the end of the spring semester in May, when a long-term extension of the program will be evaluated based on student and staff outcomes. The Burrell Crisis Help Line (1-800-395-2132) is available to all students as well as the wider community for after-hours needs.
About Burrell Behavioral Health
Burrell Behavioral Health is the second largest behavioral health center in Missouri, working with more than 40,000 clients across 25 counties in Missouri and Arkansas. Burrell has more than 400 licensed providers offering a full continuum of care through an integrated network. Services include individual therapy and counseling, addiction recovery, psychiatric and medication management, crisis intervention, case management, developmental disability support, and more. Learn more about Burrell’s programs and services at burrellcenter.com.