Behavior Health Clinic expands services to De Pere

DE PERE – As the demand for mental health care continues to rise across Wisconsin communities, Behavioral Health Clinic (BHC) has opened a new location in De Pere, expanding access to in-person and telehealth therapy in the Green Bay area.

“The need for mental health services has never been greater,” a BHC press release stated. “Mental health diagnoses in the U.S. rose nearly 40% between 2019 and 2023, with conditions like depression, anxiety and ADHD increasing at significant rates. Yet, access to care hasn’t kept pace with demand — more than 44% of the U.S. population lives in federally designated mental health professional shortage areas, with rural communities and Midwestern states facing some of the most constrained access to providers.”

BHC is seeking to address these gaps by providing access to local and immediate care, with no doctor’s referral needed.

“Mental health care shouldn’t be complicated,” said Dr. Shannon Schaefer, one of the owners of BHC. “We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people in the De Pere and Green Bay area to get the support they need.”

BHC has previously supported De Pere through work with area physicians, schools and employers, but will now be integrated into the community full-time through the new clinic.

Schaefer said that a shift on how mental health is viewed may be contributing to an increase in people seeking support.

“There is an increasing recognition of mental health issues,” said Schaefer. “More and more people feel that it’s okay — and important — to discuss their mental health and talk about what they’re experiencing emotionally.”

Schaefer added that the growing pace and pressures of modern life have also contributed to rising mental health concerns.

“We’re finding that the expectations placed on people today are often greater than their capacity to cope with them,” she said. “For some individuals, stress can even show up as physical health issues or ailments.”

Schaefer emphasized the role communities can play in reducing stigma and promoting mental wellness.

“It sounds simple, but asking people questions about how they’re feeling, modeling healthy coping strategies and talking openly about mental health can make a real difference. The really interesting thing about mental health is that all of us are experiencing and addressing our own emotional wellness all the time, but it is something that most of us rarely talk about,” said Schaefer. “We’re kind of giving people a gift when we talk about it.”

BHC aims to offer inclusive, integrated care by bringing together a range of providers including psychologists, medication management professionals and therapists.

“As clinicians, we enjoy a very collaborative environment where we’re often learning from and communicating with each other about important topics,” shared Schaefer. “We’re looking forward to expanding into the De Pere and Green Bay community and helping address mental health needs.”

For more information on Behavioral Health Clinic, visit wibehavioralhealth.com.