Burrell Behavioral Health creates new facility for faster, more accessible care

Burrell Behavioral Health creates new facility for faster, more accessible care

well behavioral health is now offering a new way for people experiencing behavioral health crises or a substance abuse issue to receive help more quickly good evening once again to you I’m glad you’re here at 9 I’m David Oliver cullerton’s Madison here first tonight with more on this new rapid access unit and how it’s gonna work Madison David this facility is meant to be very accessible for adults and even could lower the number of people going into emergency rooms of hospitals in the area by going to the rapid access unit instead our main purpose is to help people who are having a behavioral crisis or a substance use disorder and they just don’t really know where to go so we can be the first place where they can stop and we can help get them connected to the services that they need Giroux Schumaker is the medical director at Burrell behavioral health new rapid access unit in Springfield we’re offering a psychiatric consultation we’re offering substance use counseling in medication therapy Burrell received support and funding from the Green County Commission and both Mercy and Cox anyone can walk in and receive help without an appointment they’d be greeted upfront be asked which particular services that they were needing and then they would be directed to and the staff that would be able to help them with that particular problem shoemaker says the unit is a good starting point for people who may not know where to go to get help it’s sometimes a little difficult to navigate health care in general and behavioral health also and I think that this is a good place that we can have people come they can tell us what their needs are and then this will be an opportunity for them to get to connected to the services in the community that are available he says access to the unit is what makes it so valuable to the community I think there’s not going to be a lot of barriers to people coming here we take you know commercial insurance Medicare Medicaid we have a sliding scale we have grant funding for people who don’t have any resources so I think the number one thing is just to know that we’re here right now the rapid access unit is open only during the day but starting June 1st it’ll be open 24 hours a day and the unit is located near the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Burrell Behavioral Health is offering a new way for people experiencing behavioral health crises or substance use disorders to recieve help quickly.

The new rapid access facility is meant to be very accessible for adults and even could lower the number of people going into the emergency rooms of hospitals in the area.

“Our main purpose is to help people who are having a behavioral crisis or a substance use disorder and they just don’t really know where to go,” said Drew Shoemaker, the medical director at the Burrell Rapid Access Unit. “So, we can be the first place where they can stop and we can help them get connected to the services that they need.”

Shoemaker said they are offering psychiatric consulation, substance use couseling and medication therapies.

Burrell received support and funding from the Greene County Commission and both Mercy and Cox. Anyone can walk in and recieve help without an appointment.

“They’d be greeted upfront, be asked which particular services that they’re needing and then they’d be directed to the staff that would be able to help them with that particular problem,” Shoemaker said.

Shoemaker says the unit is a good starting point for people who may not know where to go to get help.

“It’s sometimes a little difficult to navigate healthcare, in general, and behavioral health, also,” Shoemaker said. “I think this is a good place we can have people come. They can tell us what their needs are and this will be an opportunity for them to get connected to the services in the community that are available.”

He says access to the unit is what makes it so valuable to the community.

“I think there’s not going to be a lot of barriers to people coming here,” Shoemaker said. “We take commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid. We have a sliding scale. We have grant funding for people who don’t have any resources. I think the number one thing is just to know that we’re here.”

Right now the rapid access unit is open only during the day but starting June 1 it will be open 24-hours a day.

The unit is located near the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield.