Brightli Foundation is pleased to announce it received a $48,000 Stronger Pathways Award from The Bobby Allison Fund to support the development of an outdoor and recreational area at the new Burrell Behavioral Health Youth Resiliency Center (YRC), opening by early 2026 in north Springfield.
The award will fund the creation of a youth-friendly outdoor space designed to promote physical health and emotional well-being through activities such as volleyball, basketball, yoga, meditation and mindfulness. This outdoor area will be a key component of Burrell’s “Healing Through Expression and Community” initiative, which aims to enhance the physical, mental and socio-emotional well-being of youth ages 12–17 through expressive art and recreational therapies.
“This generous support from The Bobby Allison Fund allows us to build a space where youth can heal, grow, and connect,” said Mitra Pedram, Director of Behavioral Crisis Center and Youth Residential Services at Burrell Behavioral Health. “Outdoor recreation is a powerful tool in trauma recovery and resilience-building, and we’re excited to offer these opportunities to our clients.”
The Stronger Pathways Award is designed to strengthen and expand the service capabilities of nonprofits serving children and youth. The outdoor recreational area will support high-acuity youth receiving services at the Burrell Youth Resiliency Campus. Clients will develop coping skills, engage in prosocial activities and process trauma in a developmentally appropriate and therapeutic environment.
“We are proud to support Brightli Foundation and Burrell Behavioral Health in their mission to create safe, supportive spaces for youth,” Travis Fisher with The Bobby Allison Fund said. "Bobby Allison was passionate about improving the mental and physical well-being of children in this community, and this funding is a continuation of his commitment and legacy towards that."
The Youth Resiliency Campus will address critical gaps in youth mental health services in Greene County and the surrounding Ozarks region. Currently, youth experiencing behavioral health crises are often directed to emergency rooms or adult facilities ill-equipped to meet their unique needs. The new campus will provide a centralized hub for crisis stabilization, residential care, outpatient services and family support. Services will be tailored to support youth clients.
Thanks to the generosity of The Bobby Allison Fund, the Brightli network will work with vendors to procure equipment and supplies to make the outdoor and recreational space fully ready for client use by June 1, 2026.
About Brightli Foundation:
We are the philanthropic arm of Brightli, the parent company for Burrell Behavioral Health (and subsidiary Comprehensive Mental Health Services), Preferred Family Healthcare, Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health, Firefly, Adult & Child Health and Places for People. Our mission is to support the Brightli system to increase access to high quality community-based healthcare across the Midwest through cultivating collaborative funder relationships.
About Burrell Behavioral Health:
Burrell Behavioral Health serves 18 Missouri counties and provides behavioral health, substance-use treatment, case management, crisis, developmental disability and employment services. Learn more at http://burrellcenter.com.