Behavioral health services are among the most unmet needs in rural areas, according to data from the Bureau of Health Workforce cited in the report. The data said rural counties are more likely than urban counties to lack these services.
The Rio Grande Valley is considered one of the most impoverished and medically underserved areas in the nation. Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, DHR Behavioral and South Texas Health System Behavioral operate in the Valley. In 2024, Tropical Texas said it had increased its workforce by 650% over the years to meet growing need.
Randall Scussel, chief executive officer of Genesis Behavioral Health, said institutions face various obstacles to expanding into rural areas, and he pointed to credentialing as one of them. He said his San Antonio-based organization has been looking at expanding its services to the Valley.