Burrell Behavioral Health

Like many members of Burrell Behavioral Health’s team of care providers, Keylee Tesar, Executive Vice President of Community Operations, sought a career in mental health care because she wanted to be the person she once needed for others who are now in need.

“I grew up in a community where mental health wasn’t openly discussed, and access to care was scarce,” Tesar says. “That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of the importance of support systems, and the difference they can make in people’s lives. Today, my work is driven by the belief that no one should feel alone in their struggles and that every individual deserves timely, compassionate care. Our team works across Southwest Missouri to not only provide care where and when it’s needed, but to also de-stigmatize the need in the process.”

The average American who seeks treatment for a mental health issue waits about a decade between the onset of symptoms to schedule their first appointment, and about half of all adult mental illnesses begin during childhood. At Burrell, we work to get further upstream to close that gap between onset and care. That means meeting people where they are.

Important, life-changing counseling still happens in a therapist’s office. We also know that during times in our clients’ lives when they don’t feel safe, they get better care when therapy comes to them. As a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, we provide mental health and substance use treatment services to any client in need. Burrell offers a range of community

services for adults and youths to offer added support to help people function at home, at work and in their communities. We also offer school-based services on many Missouri campuses. We know nearly 70% of youths who do receive behavioral health interventions get them at their schools, according to the CDC. We want to be there to give children the tools they need to succeed in their classrooms and in life.

It’s Burrell’s mission to bring care to the people we serve, because we’ve seen the success our clients have when weoffer programs that meet their needs wherever they are.