SHSU and Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare partnering for new residency program

Sam Houston State University plans to partner with Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare and Huntsville Memorial Hospital to launch a new psychiatric residency program in 2026, according to a Dec. 15 news release.

“Texas continues to face critical shortages in behavioral health, and the need for well-trained psychiatrists is only growing,” Thomas J. Mohr, DO, dean of SHSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, said via news release. “This program represents an important step forward in improving access to care in East Texas and strengthening the behavioral health workforce across the state.”

What we know

The program plans to welcome its first four residents in July and plans to train 16 residents in total at full capacity. These residents will be given faculty training, educational oversight and academic resources, according to the news release. The residency is designed to meet the needs of East Texas.

Also of note

Tri-Country Behavioral Healthcare provides services to residents with mental illnesses and intellectual/developmental disabilities, and is sponsored by the commissioners courts of Liberty, Montgomery and Walker counties, according to its website. It is recognized as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic by the state of Texas.

In their own words

“This collaboration is a critical step in expanding mental health resources by training compassionate, competent psychiatrists who are equipped to meet the growing needs of the populations we serve,” Evan Roberson, executive director of Tri-County Behavioral Health, said via news release.