Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health joins Brightli, Inc. as newest member

The Board of Directors of Farmington, Mo.-based Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health (SEMOBH) has signed formal documents finalizing a partnership with Brightli, Inc., the parent company of community health providers Burrell Behavioral Health and Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH).

Under the agreement, SEMOBH will continue to operate under the Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health name and serve its existing territory in southeast and east-central Missouri, which includes home offices in Farmington and clinical hubs in Salem and Poplar Bluff, Mo.

SEMOBH employs more than 200 staff and specializes in individualized treatment for personal and family needs in the area of substance-use disorders, psychiatric and behavioral health, community services, employment services, and more.

“We are thrilled to join a vibrant and talent-rich system in Brightli, which will allow us to grow and more effectively compete in a rapidly changing industry and job sector,” said Cathy Schroer, President and CEO of SEMOBH. “Our communities need us more than ever before; this partnership ensures our ability to be there for them whenever and whenever they need us.”

Dr. Barron Pratte, who has led SEMOBH since 1978, will remain connected to the organization as a corporate advisor.

As a Brightli partner, SEMOBH will be able to take advantage of the support resources and scale of a large system; between them Burrell and PFH employ more than 4,000 individuals in four states. The two companies formally created the Brightli parent company in January 2022, but continue to do business under their respective names and retain separate corporate leadership and boards of directors.

“Our goal is to be the community healthcare provider and employer of choice in the nation, and that is advanced by becoming a true statewide leader in Missouri,” said Brightli CEO C.J. Davis. “We are thrilled to welcome Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health to the Brightli family, and look forward to continuing the legacy of quality care that Dr. Pratte and the SEMOBH team have provided to the region for 45 years.”

About Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health:

Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health has been a provider of mental health and substance use services to the people of southeast Missouri and beyond for over 45 years. Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health is a not-for-profit human services corporation that provides mental health services, substance use treatment and social services.