UT Southwestern Medical Center unveiled the first state behavioral health hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Tuesday during a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Texas Behavioral Health Center located in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District on Harry Hines Boulevard will provide services for hundreds of people with serious mental health issues.
“It’s not just a structure of brick and mortar,” said state Sen. Royce West, who represents parts of Dallas. “It’s a sanctuary.”
It joins Texas’ 10 other behavioral health facilities – nine state hospitals and one residential youth center. Texas Behavioral Health Center will be the second state hospital in North Texas, with the closest being Terrell State Hospital — which is currently under renovation to increase capacity.
Late last year, the Texas Health and Human Services commission tapped UTSW to run the new hospital after it helped with the project’s development, design and construction.
Dr. Hicham Ibrahim, a professor of psychiatry at UTSW, played a key role in creating and designing a space that benefits patients as much as possible. During the ceremony, he was emotional as he spoke about the value being added to the mental healthcare infrastructure in North Texas.
“All of it is designed with the patient at the center of our thinking, really to get our patients to be better in the shortest amount of time possible and allow access to more beds for other patients,” Ibrahim said after the event. “This is going to be a hospital that will serve needs that are currently going un-served, unmet, whether it’s for patients who have been, you know, committed by the jail to get in treatment or patients who just need that kind of treatment.”
The Texas Legislature allocated $384 million to fund the design and construction of the facility, which will house almost 300 inpatient beds once fully operational. While 200 beds are for adult patients, Children’s Health made a $261 million donation to include an additional 92 inpatient beds for pediatric patients.
West said this nearly doubles the state’s capacity to serve adolescent patients with severe mental health illnesses.
In addition, the pediatric unit is the largest pediatric facility in the country, according to Ibrahim and UTSW’s president, Dr. Daniel Podolsky.
“As we sit here today, it’s within two weeks of our first patient,” Podolsky said, “which will have been four months since the signing of our contract. For anyone who’s had any experience in opening a new hospital, that’s something faster than light speed.”
The Texas Behavioral Health Center is part of the state’s plan to expand inpatient care for behavioral health patients that began almost a decade ago. Since 2017, lawmakers have approved more than $2 billion to replace and renovate the state’s psychiatric hospitals.
“This is an unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime investment in mental health care,” said Stephanie Muth, executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services commission. “And most importantly, Texans can be served closer to their home. The Texas Behavioral Health Center is more than just a new building. It’s a symbol of hope and healing for those that are in need.”
Muth said the state cares for about 2,000 patients across Texas on any given day, and facilities like the new one in North Texas are critical to that work.
Kristy Carr, associate commissioner of state hospitals with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said increasing capacity in state hospitals can also help strengthen the healthcare workforce. She said that’s why it’s critical to make empower providers to give patients the best level of care possible.
“We’re creating a culture for them where [providers] want to stay once they’re finished,” Carr said. “It may take us a little bit of time to get there, but through that investment, it’s slowly turning to a different trajectory.”
Carr said the facility could help Texas lead the nation in addressing important mental health issues. The project is one of seven meant to increase capacity throughout the state.
West said the new facility will help cut down waiting times and create a stronger, more robust continuum of care that helps people transition back into the community after receiving care. He also said it could have a positive effect on the criminal justice system – as people with mental health concerns often end up in jails when they don’t have access to services.
Despite the state’s investment, some advocates and families said Texas needs to further increase capacity and access to state hospitals.
State officials said the current projects in progress could add a total of 700 beds by fiscal year 2028, but the need for mental health services has grown significantly in recent years.
West recognized the improvements in mental healthcare in Texas but said the problem hasn’t been completely solved.
“There’s still work to be done,” he said. “So, we need to make certain we continue that work.”
Abigail Ruhman is KERA’s health reporter. Got a tip? Email Abigail at aruhman@kera.org.
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