The Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri has entered into a partnership with Burrell Behavioral Health to provide on-site services for youth and families served by the Club.
Through this agreement, a Burrell Community Support Specialist will provide individual and group therapy and community services on-site at two BGC locations – Smithton and Skyline. These services include connecting youth and their families to appropriate community services. Also as part of the agreement, Burrell will offer free professional development training to Boys & Girls Club staff, with the goals of identifying kids that may benefit from behavioral health intervention, and equipping staff with strategies to more effectively work with these youth.
“I am excited for this partnership to help build stronger kids by providing them the resources to deal with difficult situations that they struggle with throughout their day,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri’s Executive Director Gary Beckman. “The goal is to introduce our members with healthy, productive alternatives to stressful moments they encounter, which they can utilize into adulthood.
Burrell specializes in integrated behavioral healthcare, and works within dozens of school districts and other youth contact points, including Boys & Girls Clubs, across its 25-county coverage area to provide on-site services for youth of all ages.
“We are committed to early intervention and identification of behavioral health issues among our youth, most of whom can go eight to ten years between the onset of behavioral health struggles and their first treatment,” says Burrell V.P., Youth Services Elizabeth Avery. “It’s vital that we close that gap, and by partnering with organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri, we are able to reach these youth when they need our help most, in the place where they and their parents are most comfortable.”
