UT Southwestern Medical Center to run North Texas' first state-run psychiatric hospital
The first state-run psychiatric hospital will open next summer under the direction of UT Southwestern Medical Center in the heart of Dallas' Medical District.
It will include an adult and pediatric wing with 292 beds. Two hundred beds will be for adults, and 92 will be for kids.
Construction is underway for the 505,000 square-foot Texas Behavioral Health Center at the corner of Medical District Drive and Harry Hines Boulevard. It's in partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Interim Chief Executive Officer Hicham Ibrahim said the need is crucial for mental health beds and services, especially from hospitals and jails.
"We plan to introduce new models of care over time, such as interventional psychiatry. These services are designed to expand access, improve outcomes, and strengthen the continuum of behavioral health care for North Texas and the state," Ibrahim said.
Lawmakers approved the center as part of a multi-billion-dollar investment into expanding mental health services throughout Texas.