September 10, 2025 | Fort Worth, Texas – JPS Health Network will be opening its new Psychiatric Emergency Center (PEC) on Wednesday, September 17, expanding access to urgent behavioral health care for the more than 2 million residents of Tarrant County. The free-standing, purpose-built facility replaces the hospital’s previous 10th-floor location with a modern environment designed for patients, families, and care teams.
The new center was officially introduced during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, September 10, where community leaders and partners joined JPS in marking this milestone in behavioral health care for Tarrant County.
The new PEC increases capacity, improves accessibility, and enhances the patient experience. With dignity, safety, and healing at its core, the center features additional treatment rooms, advanced safety measures, and thoughtfully designed spaces with calming colors, natural artwork, and therapeutic lighting. Separate treatment areas for adults and adolescents reduce stress for families and ensure care is tailored to patient needs.
Behavioral health needs in Tarrant County remain urgent.
The county’s overall suicide rate has risen by more than 50% since 2010, reaching 15.5 per 100,000 in 2023. Among youth, the suicide rate for ages 15–19 nearly doubled between 2004 and 2023, climbing from 7.6 to 13.6 per 100,000. Suicide also spread into the younger 10–14 age group, where rates rose to 3.1 per 100,000 by 2019–2023. These trends underscore the importance of timely, accessible, and compassionate behavioral health services like those provided at the new PEC.
“With the opening of the new Psychiatric Emergency Center, we’re expanding access to care in a way that is meeting the needs of our growing community,” said Karen Duncan, M.D., President and CEO of JPS Health Network. “This center ensures that no matter the circumstance, individuals and families can come to JPS and be supported by experts who are ready to respond around the clock.”
Expanding Access for Families and First Responders
Families across Tarrant County now have quicker access to lifesaving psychiatric care. The PEC offers a streamlined process for first responders bringing patients in crisis, while also welcoming community members who walk in directly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition to acute emergencies, the center provides immediate help for individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, or other behavioral health concerns before those issues escalate.
“With this new center, our patients and families receive high-quality care in an environment that feels safe, calming, and respectful of their unique needs,” said Nekesha Oliphant, M.D., Medical Director, Behavioral Health. “I want our community to know we are here – without judgment – and this is a safe place for healing and wholeness.”
Part of a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Continuum
The PEC is a vital access point within JPS’ robust behavioral health continuum, which includes eight outpatient clinics across Tarrant County, 4 partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP), a 100-bed inpatient behavioral health hospital - Trinity Springs Pavilion and many partnerships and programs with local organizations and schools. The new PEC ensures seamless connections from crisis intervention to ongoing care and community resources.
“This center was designed with the needs of our patients in mind, so that it is easier than ever to seek help,” said Zelia Baugh, Executive Vice President, Behavioral Health. “Anyone in Tarrant County can walk through our doors, day or night, and know they’ll be seen quickly and connected to the right level of care. Importantly, you don’t have to wait for a crisis to come here. This facility removes barriers, normalizes behavioral health as part of overall health, and stands as one of the most advanced psychiatric emergency centers in the country.”
Investing in the future of Tarrant County
The PEC represents a transformative step forward in ensuring mental health is treated with the same urgency, resources, and respect as physical health. It is one of several key projects included in the JPS Master Facility Plan, a long-term investment to expand and modernize care across the health network to meet the community’s growing and changing needs. To learn more about JPS’ master facility plan, visit YestoJPS.org.
Click here for digital assets learn more about the JPS Psychiatric Emergency Center.
About JPS Health Network
The Tarrant County Hospital District, known as JPS Health Network, is a trusted healthcare leader in Tarrant County, delivering compassionate, high-quality care to all who need it, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. With a 582-bed hospital, more than 25 community-based clinics, and a team of over 7,200 professionals, JPS provides comprehensive services that include trauma care, behavioral health, maternal and neonatal care, primary and specialty medicine, and more. As the region’s largest teaching institution and the most comprehensive provider of behavioral health services in the county, JPS stands at the intersection of access, innovation, and community trust. JPS is a two-time recipient of the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award, a global recognition for organizations that foster extraordinary workplace engagement, innovation, and performance. Governed by an 11-member Board of Managers, JPS is committed to high-quality care, community well-being, and medical innovation.