At association member JPS Health Network, psychiatric emergency center patients and providers alike were struggling with overcrowding, access challenges, and continuity of care.
Located on the 10th floor of the health system’s main hospital, the old psychiatric emergency center was hard for patients, families, and the police to access. Many patients, including those transported by first responders, went first to the medical emergency department (ED), the sixth busiest ED in the US, often prompting long waits and care in areas not built for those dealing with mental health crisis.
In response, the Fort Worth, Texas health network opened its new Psychiatric Emergency Center (PEC) in September 2025. Families and patients can now directly walk into the freestanding PEC for specialized care, 24/7, 365 days a week. With dedicated parking and a street entrance, the PEC ensures faster care during psychiatric crises.
“It’s been a huge satisfier for families and patients because it’s located right on the main campus and easily accessible,” says Zelia Baugh, LCSW, senior vice president of behavioral health at JPS.
The health system has partnered with local EMS and police departments to transport patients having psychiatric crises directly to the PEC, freeing up time and resources. First responders can access the facility through a secured separate entrance, providing a better experience for all.
While the average medical ED visit can take several hours, Baugh says voluntary PEC patients are in and out in about an hour and a half.
“We’re proud of the new facility because it has led to us being able to care for more people. Word’s gotten out in the community,” says Baugh.
Essential hospitals like JPS Health Network are leaders in providing behavioral health care. Emergency psychiatric services are available at 63% of essential hospitals, compared with about 42% of nonmembers that provide such care. The only freestanding psychiatric emergency center in North Texas, JPS’s PEC is on track to see nearly 24,000 patients in the 2026 fiscal year, a 25% increase from 2025.
Everything about the PEC’s design was intentional. The new space features expanded areas for patients, natural light, calming artwork on the walls, and calming color palettes.
“We did a lot of research into colors that are soothing and calming. When we designed our facility, we wanted it to be warm, inviting, therapeutic and safe,” says Baugh. “Our colors are earth tones and warm colors. We use welcoming, thoughtfully-selected furnishings designed to create a comfortable environment while meeting the highest standards for safety and durability.”
She added that the floors in the restraint and seclusion rooms are padded, and the walls are softer than sheetrock to protect patients from hurting themselves.
In addition to adolescent and adult patients, the PEC now has capacity to see pediatric patients aged five and older, a population whose needs for behavioral health continue to grow. Adult patients wait in a separate waiting room from the pediatric and adolescent patients.
“What we’ve been able to do here is give patients more space,” says Paul Schneider, DO, medical director of the PEC. “Sometimes our patients do need some space, whether it’s just to literally or figuratively breathe or walk around and just detach a little bit. That helps a lot with the calming aspect that a lot of our patients need.”
Care plans for each patient are personalized. Patients are screened by a board-certified psychiatrist, a nurse, and a social worker who then decide next steps depending on their individual needs. The health system also collaborates with other county and regional mental health organizations to coordinate care transitions and ensure every decision is made with patients’ history in mind.
At the heart of the PEC design process was creating a caring environment for staff.
“The other important thing when building a facility like this is thinking about how staff are treated and how the facility accommodates your staff,” says Schneider.
In the 10th floor space, staff previously had a small break room with a single bathroom. Now, the PEC offers more break rooms, including two “Zen” rooms where the roughly 130-person staff can decompress. It also includes larger clinical spaces where staff can collaborate and develop care plans for patients.
“We were all committed to building this to offer this wonderful space for the citizens of our county and beyond,” says Baugh. “We built this as a team with our providers, our staff, and our community in order to effect change that ultimately benefits the patient.”
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