The 292-bed Texas Behavioral Health Center, operated by UT Southwestern, includes a dedicated pediatric wing and is set to begin admitting patients this summer
Texas officials marked a major milestone for mental health care in North Texas this week with the opening of a new state psychiatric hospital in Dallas.
According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the agency and UT Southwestern Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Texas Behavioral Health Center. HHSC said it partnered with UT Southwestern to design and build the facility, and that UT Southwestern will also operate it.
The agency said that once fully operational, the inpatient hospital will have 292 beds — 200 for adults and up to 92 reserved for pediatric patients — with admissions scheduled to begin this summer. According to HHSC, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature approved funding for the design and construction of the center, and Children’s Health donated funding to build the pediatric wing.
“This state-of-the-art hospital will serve as a beacon of hope for those who need quality behavioral treatment,” Abbott said in a statement, adding that the added resources would help Texans receive care for generations to come.
A Facility Built for Healing
HHSC said the 456,265-square-foot facility offers therapeutic, recreational, and social spaces designed to prepare patients for life outside the hospital. According to the agency, the complex includes a beauty salon, café, gym, greenhouse, and chapel, and uses natural lighting throughout patient rooms and common areas, with secure outdoor spaces meant to support comfort and well-being.
“This modern hospital reflects our commitment to putting patients and families first by expanding access to compassionate, high-quality care,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth.
UT Southwestern President Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky said meeting the state’s behavioral health needs requires both greater access to care and continued innovation in how it’s delivered. He said the center brings together comprehensive treatment services, new models of care, and training across behavioral health disciplines to support better outcomes for patients and families.
Years in the Making
Several North Texas lawmakers said the project was the result of a long effort. “For the better part of the last decade or more, lawmakers, local elected officials, and community leaders from Dallas and surrounding counties have worked to make this facility a reality,” said state Sen. Royce West, who said the hospital would serve residents’ needs for years to come.
State Rep. Toni Rose, who said she led the effort to secure the investment, said demand for inpatient behavioral health care in the region had long exceeded available capacity. “This facility will expand access to care for children and adults, support families in crisis, and strengthen our region’s health care system,” she said.
According to HHSC, the new hospital is part of a broader statewide push: since 2017, the governor and Legislature have invested more than $2.5 billion to replace, renovate, and build state hospitals across Texas as part of a plan to modernize facilities and expand access to inpatient psychiatric care.
