Missouri Ozarks Community Health recently announced the expansion of its behavioral health services with the addition of a substance use disorder treatment program.
This program will be the first of its kind in the community of Ava, providing medication and behavioral health therapy for opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. Telehealth services will allow patients in other communities, like Houston and Cabool, to benefit.
“We are hopeful to begin providing additional behavioral health services by mid-February with the addition of a psychologist to our team and begin the expanded substance use treatment services in the summer of 2025, pending recruitment,” said Randall Gann, CEO of Missouri Ozarks Community Health.
A psychiatric nurse practitioner is one of the three positions being added to the behavioral health team. That provider will be able to work with other counselors to prescribe medication-assisted treatment for those with substance use disorders. “There’s a great need in our communities for this type of treatment,” said David Evans, a licensed professional counselor at Missouri Ozarks. “This will give many people back control of their life.”
A community health worker will also be added to the team, to help at-risk patients manage their health and navigate the health system.
Missouri Ozarks currently has five behavioral health providers on staff, providing care to all clinics in its service area. However, the need is so great that it can sometimes take weeks for a patient to see a counselor.
“I am excited to see Missouri Ozarks Community Health expand services to include treatment for substance use issues,” said Carla Trick, a licensed professional counselor at Missouri Ozarks’ Houston clinic. “This kind of care is necessary for overall wellness for the community and far too few services of this nature are available.”
Missouri Ozarks is also actively recruiting licensed social workers and counselors for the Ava and Cabool clinics, as well as the Ava School District.
The substance use disorder treatment services will be funded by a federal grant, with $600,000 for the first year and $500,000 for the second year. Only 10 community health centers in Missouri received the award.
“We are very blessed to receive this funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration to bring a much-needed service to our communities,” said Gann. “We are very excited for what the future holds for Missouri Ozarks and our patients.”
Missouri Ozarks Community Health is a federally qualified health center established in 1996. Missouri Ozarks serves the counties of Douglas, Wright, Texas and Ozark.