This development builds on the precedent set by the Dallas psychiatric hospital currently under construction, a decision we praised in 2021. The hospital will be overseen by the state but operated by UT Southwestern Medical Center, a strategic decision we applauded for the quality of care it will provide and its emphasis on training.

These state-level projects are supported, in part, by federal funding — like the $237.8 million allocated in 2021 for the Dallas hospital. Federal investment has helped jump-start initiatives in Texas, but it shouldn’t stop there. A concerted federal effort is needed to ensure that mental health facilities are accessible and equitable across the country.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is currently supporting construction or renovation of psychiatric hospitals in at least eight cities around the state.

In the most recent session, the Legislature approved more than $378 million to expand inpatient psychiatric care in the state, including funding to staff new and existing state hospitals, operate the new Dallas facility and support community mental health centers, said Andy Keller, president and CEO of Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

We’re grateful for these state-level initiatives to expand mental health facilities and resources, but we can’t stop here. Demand for beds in psychiatric hospitals outpaces those that are available. Even with the added capacity of new facilities like the Dallas hospital, which will provide approximately 200 beds for adults and 100 beds in the pediatric wing, the need for even more beds will remain urgent.

The Dallas County Jail is facing a mental health crisis. The News reported that about 57% of people in jail last year had received mental health services from the state. Too often, individuals with mental health needs end up behind bars instead of in treatment — and many remain in legal limbo, waiting for a psychiatric bed before they can even stand trial.

The progress that Texas has made in expanding psychiatric facilities is promising and too uncommon in our country today. Projects like the new Amarillo facility and the hospital at Southwestern are a good start at addressing the mental health crisis, but ultimately this should be a part of a broader federal effort.

To truly meet the scale of this crisis, we need a coordinated national response. Texas is laying the groundwork, but the federal government must help build on it.