Governor Greg Abbott announced on Mar. 23 that $5 million in state grants will be awarded to support the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program, aiming to expand mental healthcare education throughout Texas.
The initiative is designed to address the need for specialized mental health professionals by providing funding to nine medical training centers across the state. Each institution will receive $555,555 to develop or expand one-year accredited forensic psychiatry fellowship programs for licensed physicians pursuing careers in this field.
“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.”
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.”
Forensic psychiatry is a subspecialty involving psychiatric expertise applied within civil, criminal, and administrative legal proceedings, including evaluations and treatment related to safety and risk mitigation. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board administers these grants as part of efforts aligned with Governor Abbott’s vision of boosting access and funding for mental healthcare statewide.
The list of recipients includes Baylor College of Medicine (Houston), both campuses of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Lubbock and El Paso), The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas Health Science Centers at Houston, San Antonio, Tyler; The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas).
According to the official website, Governor Abbott has led initiatives focused on job creation, economic opportunity expansion, educational enhancement, protection of individual liberties, parental empowerment regarding schooling decisions, and southern border security since his election as governor in 2014. His office maintains its primary location at the State Insurance Building in Austin but delivers services statewide.
Additionally,the official website reports that under his leadership since 2014—the year he was elected—Texas has seen significant jobs growth with record employment levels achieved during his tenure.
Greg Abbott was also recognized among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list for 2024 according to official records.
