Burrell Behavioral Health has announced the opening of a $2 million clinic in Marshfield. The clinic, which is now open, provides addiction recovery services, community services, adult and youth outpatient, adult and youth psychiatry and telehealth services, according to a press release from Burrell. The new clinic is accessible from Interstate 44 to more easily serve surrounding counties such as Webster, Wright, Laclede, Dallas and Douglas.
The new location is bigger than the clinic that was already in Marshfield. Burrell plans to expand the number of providers working at the new clinic. This expansion is a part of a larger effort to increase behavioral health care access to rural residents.
According to Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub), a rural health resource center, a 2023 health study estimated 7.7 million nonmetropolitan adults reported having any mental illness in 2023, accounting for 22.7% of nonmetropolitan adults. RHIhub also said that rural communities lack mental healthcare resources compared to urban areas.
While mental health challenges are prominent in both rural and urban areas, RHIhub said its the available services that vary. Residents living in rural areas often face healthcare challenges like lacking healthcare professionals, struggling to meet the cost of care and simply having to travel long distances to get to appointments, according to their website. Additionally, stigmas around healthcare are prevalent in smaller, rural areas, especially areas that lack mental healthcare professionals. These stigmas can deter rural residents from feeling that professional mental healthcare is necessary. Informal healthcare, from family, close friends or religious figures can be seen in small, rural areas, where everyone knows and relies on each other instead of trusting professional healthcare. In addition, residents in rural areas may fear judgement from others about seeking mental healthcare and may worry about a lack of confidentiality within the community.
Several resources on RHIhub highlight solutions that can help improve mental healthcare challenges in rural areas. According to Burrell, the biggest barrier for residents in Webster County is fear. Mental health education and public awareness can be a way to normalize mental health challenges to encourage residents to acknowledge their mental health and seek help.
Similarly, mental health literacy, or lack of, can influence an individual’s willingness to seek help. Mental health literacy can be a tool to inform yourself on your mental health and how to take care of it, as well as encourage others to seek help without shame or fear of judgement. The Mental Health Literacy Collaborative (MHLC) is an online platform that has mental health literacy resources such as general information, training and workshop opportunities and the opportunity to implement mental health literacy initiatives in your own community through MHLC.
The hours of the Marshfield clinic are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Just dial 988. 211 is another source for help. It's a comprehensive hotline that connects callers with local resources.
