Texas invests $5M in forensic psychiatry to bolster mental health workforce

AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced $5 million in state grants aimed at expanding forensic psychiatry fellowships at nine medical training centers across Texas.

9 Texas medical schools awarded funding

Big picture view:

The funding is designed to bolster the state’s mental health workforce by supporting licensed physicians pursuing a subspecialty in forensic psychiatry. This field applies psychiatric expertise to legal proceedings, including mental health evaluations and treatment within the civil and criminal justice systems.

The grants, administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), provide $555,555 to each of the following institutions to develop or expand accredited one-year fellowship programs:

• Baylor College of Medicine (Houston)
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Lubbock)
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
• The University of Texas at Austin
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
• The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
• The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)

What they're saying:

"Higher education institutions will better serve Texans in regions across the state through this grant funding which state leaders and lawmakers provided in the budget," said Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser. "All nine recipients highlighted innovative programs and strong collaboration with other institutions in their grant applications, demonstrating a shared commitment to make Texas a national leader in forensic psychiatry."

"Texas remains steadfast in increasing access to mental healthcare across our state," said Governor Abbott. "These grants will create opportunities for our renowed higher education institutions to develop the next generation of healthcare leaders. I thank the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for their continued work to expand and improve mental health services that will benefit Texans in every community."