AVA, Mo. (February 5, 2025) – Missouri Ozarks Community Health is excited to announce 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 disorders 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 in 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. I am excited for the new substance use program to start as it will fill a gap in much-needed services in this area and will complement the mental health treatment we have available now at Missouri Ozarks Community Health,” said Hannah Paul, a licensed clinical social worker at Missouri Ozarks’ Ava clinic.
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. “Unless you or someone you love has experienced needing access to crisis care, mental health services or substance use treatment in a rural area, then it is kind of hard to imagine the kind of desperation people face when there is no care available,” said Lacy Shields, a licensed master social worker at Missouri Ozarks in Gainesville. “I believe this clinic will save and transform lives.” 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.
