JOPLIN, Mo. – Missouri Southern State University Athletics and Freeman Health System Ozark Center announced Thursday a partnership to establish an initiative designed to support the mental health, emotional well-being and overall performance needs of MSSU student-athletes.

Moving forward, Missouri Southern Lion student-athletes will have increased access to specialized resources, counseling services, performance support and educational programming provided by Ozark Center's Performance Coach Dr. Brett Miller and Performance Therapist Morgan Cristy. Together, they will help Southern student-athletes succeed both on and off the field of play.

"This partnership with Ozark Center positions our department at the forefront of the MIAA and Division II in providing these types of services to our student-athletes," said Missouri Southern Athletics Director Rob Mallory. "Having two mental health professionals as part of our team will give our student-athletes much-needed access to critical services. However, this initiative goes far beyond traditional mental health services and allows us to integrate the development and training of mental performance in the same way we traditionally think about physical performance. We want our student-athletes to feel cared for and to be resilient not just in moments of crisis or concern, but in everything they do every day."

Student-athletes face unique mental health challenges due to the pressures of balancing academics, athletics and personal lives. Research shows that collegiate athletes experience mental health issues at rates equal to or higher than their non-athlete peers, while also being less likely to seek help.

"Mental health has become one of the most important conversations in higher education, and nowhere is that conversation more important than in college athletics," said Vicky Mieseler, Chief Executive Officer at Ozark Center. "The integration of mental health services into college athletics is transforming the future of college sports. Mental health integration means embedding mental wellness into the everyday culture of athletics.

"This initiative sends a clear message to every student-athlete: Your mental health matters, your well-being matters and your success matters. We are committed to supporting the whole person, not just the performance."

Missouri Southern head football coach Atiba Bradley and head volleyball coach Joshua Moore attended Thursday's press conference and have both benefited from the initiative. Dr. Miller joined the MSSU staff last fall and has worked with both programs.

"Missouri Southern has always offered our student-athletes resources for academics, sports training, physical rehabilitation, and strength training," Bradley said. "Recently we implemented a program to provide mental health support as well. Through partnership with Freeman Health and the Ozark Center, we welcomed Dr. Brett Miller to MSSU Athletics as our own sports psychologist. Dr. Miller has been essential in providing another way to reach, mentor, and coach our players to be successful in football and beyond. He has made himself an integral part of our staff, sharing a common vision of preparing our student-athletes to be the best version of themselves in life."

"The mental side of athletics is such an important part of performance, development, and overall well-being, and having a professional who can work directly with our teams allows us to better support our athletes in all aspects of their experience," Moore said. "Dr. Miller has been a tremendous asset to our program. He has built genuine relationships with our athletes, understands the demands of collegiate athletics, and provides a perspective that complements what we do as coaches. Dr. Miller strengthens our volleyball program's ability to help athletes handle pressure, build confidence and resilience, navigate adversity, and ultimately perform at their best."

About Freeman Health System
Locally owned and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System is a not-for-profit health system serving communities across Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas through a network of hospitals, physician clinics, outpatient locations, and specialty services. The system includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Inc. and the Freeman Health System facilities in Bentonville, Springdale, Johnson and Siloam Springs. Freeman Health System also operates Ozark Center—the region's largest provider of behavioral health services, and offers comprehensive cancer, cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and women's and children's services. The system is supported by more than 7,000 employees and is the only Children's Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit Freeman Health System.