Burrell to absorb former Sigma House

Burrell Behavioral Health has inked a deal to absorb Clarity Recovery & Wellness, formerly known as Sigma House of Springfield Inc., at the beginning of the year.

Effective Jan. 1, Clarity will become part of Burrell through a merger agreement approved by the nonprofits. Both began offering services to the community in spring 1977, according to a news release. The surviving corporation of the merger, Burrell would assume all debts and obligations of Clarity, according to Denise Mills, Burrell's director of corporate services.

“In the interest of those we serve and in recognition of the limited resources to treat people, it is essential that we focus on ways and means to ensure that the whole of our health care delivery system truly is greater than the sum of its various parts," Burrell President and CEO Dr. Todd Schaible said in the release. "Integrating the expertise and focus of the staff and programs of Clarity Recovery into the context of Burrell services, and vice versa, will do much to assist in movement toward that goal.”  

Burrell, a 1,000-employee organization with an agreement to administer outpatient mental health services for CoxHealth, provides mental health, substance abuse and developmental services to roughly 38,000 people a year at 34 locations in 17 southwest and central Missouri counties. With its staff of 80, Clarity provides detox, residential and outpatient services to approximately 8,000 clients annually at five locations serving 10 counties in southwest Missouri, the release said.

Mills said the ownership and management of Clarity's facilities would transfer to Burrell upon completion of the merger.

Clarity, which changed its name from Sigma House on March 22, was founded under Council of Churches of the Ozarks, but now operates under its own 12-member board.

The Burrell and Clarity merger becomes effective a year after Burrell finalized a merger deal with the School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute. The deal made Forest a subsidiary of Burrell and was approved by the nonprofits' boards in January and by the Higher Learning Commission in July.