Ozark Center Gets $1.46M for Mental Health Facility
The Missouri Department of Social Services awarded the Joplin provider a grant to open an 8-bed residential treatment program for defendants found not competent to stand trial.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Autism
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Ozark Center received $1.46 million through the state's Horizon 2 grant to renovate a 4,500 square foot building near 34th and Schifferdecker in Joplin. The 8-bed facility will serve Missouri defendants who are not competent to stand trial because of mental health conditions.
Why it matters
Defendants found incompetent to stand trial can remain in jail longer than their original charges would warrant while awaiting treatment. The new facility aims to provide a treatment setting for these individuals in Joplin and across the state.
The Horizon 2 grant selected 26 providers statewide, and Ozark Center's share is $1.46 million for an 8-bed, 4,500 square foot facility. The source does not detail the grant's total statewide allocation or how per-provider amounts were determined.
The players
Ozark Center
Ozark Center is a Joplin-based behavioral health provider that will operate the new residential treatment facility.
Missouri Department of Social Services
The Missouri Department of Social Services is the state agency that administers the Horizon 2 grant program and awarded the funding.
The details
Ozark Center will renovate a 4,500 square foot building near 34th and Schifferdecker to house the program. The facility is designed to serve defendants who are not competent to stand trial due to mental health conditions, and the company expects it to be running by Fall 2027.
Timeline
Fall 2027: Ozark Center expects the program to be operational.
First couple years of operation: Ozark Center expects to serve 30 to 50 patients.
Roadmap
The award is one of 26 Horizon 2 grants distributed across Missouri to expand competency-restoration capacity for defendants with mental health conditions. It places Joplin among the communities building local alternatives to jail-based waiting for these defendants.
Defendants who are not competent to stand trial may receive treatment in a local residential setting rather than remaining in jail. The program's arrival in Joplin could shorten time spent in custody for those awaiting competency restoration.
The takeaway
Local residential treatment for incompetent defendants offers an alternative to extended jail stays. Readers following criminal justice or mental health policy can track the facility's progress toward its Fall 2027 opening.
What happens next
Ozark Center expects the program to be running by Fall 2027, when the facility's operations are expected to begin.
Further reading
Explore more on Autism coverage from Joplin.
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