Exactly $50 million has been approved for the expansion of a well-known mental health service and treatment facility in El Paso.
Located at 4615 Alameda Avenue, the El Paso Psychiatric Center is tasked with providing inpatient psychiatric care for both children and adults.
The facility operates under the auspices of the Texas Health and Human Services system and has in recent years seen a significant increased demand for its services.
The $50 million approved by members of the Texas State Legislature is part of an unprecedented nearly $12 billion approved by lawmakers this spring to improve mental health facilities across the Lone Star State.
“This investment is a responsible use of our unprecedented budget surplus,” Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick remarked during the passage of the legislation, adding, “I am proud that the Senate has come together as one to support this important and historic endeavor.”
Besides expansion of the El Paso Psychiatric Center, the new funding will also pay for the construction of a new $159 million, 75-bed hospital in Amarillo; as well as a $121 million, 50-bed hospital in Lubbock.
The funded work at the El Paso Psychiatric Center will see the building of new space to accommodate up to 50 non-maximum security beds.
Opened nearly three decades ago, the center currently has a 74-bed capacity and is one of ten state hospitals in Texas that treats both children and adults struggling with mental health issues. It was opened in the summer of 1996 at a cost of $10.4 million.
June 10, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Image courtesy of Pixabay
