Governor Greg Abbott announced on Mar. 23 that $5 million in state grants will be distributed to support the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program, aiming to strengthen mental healthcare education throughout Texas.
The initiative is intended to expand opportunities for higher education institutions and help develop a new generation of mental health professionals. The funding supports efforts to improve access to mental health services statewide, particularly in forensic psychiatry—a field focusing on psychiatric expertise within legal settings.
“Texas remains steadfast in increasing access to mental healthcare across our state,” said Governor Abbott. “These grants will create opportunities for our renowned 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.”Â
Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser said, “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. 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.”
Nine medical training centers have been selected as recipients, each receiving $555,555: 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, and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). These funds are intended for developing or expanding accredited one-year forensic psychiatry fellowship programs.
The program is administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as part of broader efforts led by Governor Abbott’s office. According to the official website, the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott contributed to jobs growth and record employment levels according to the official website. Additionally, since his election in 2014 according to the official website, Greg Abbott has focused on job creation, economic opportunity expansion, educational enhancement initiatives—including those related to higher education—and protection of individual liberties according to the official website.
The Office maintains its primary offices at Austin’s State Insurance Building according to the official website and delivers services statewide across all regions according to the official website. In recognition for his leadership role as governor since 2014 according to the official website, Greg Abbott was listed among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024.
