Investing in Justice

For some people navigating the criminal justice system, the hardest part isn’t the courtroom, it’s the waiting. Before a case can move forward, a mental health evaluation may be required, and in Texas, a shortage of forensic psychiatrists has left some defendants waiting months or even years.

Thanks to state support and funding, Texas Tech Health El Paso’s new forensic psychiatry fellowship addresses delays in mental health evaluations. Forensic psychiatrists are physicians who operate at the intersection of mental health and the law. The specialty remains one of the most underserved areas of psychiatry in Texas.

Launched in Fall 2025, the fellowship welcomed its first two fellows, Lizette Lara, M.D., and Eryn Pynes, M.D., both graduates of Texas Tech Health El Paso’s psychiatry residency program. Dr. Lara and Dr. Pynes completed the fellowship and were honored during a Department of Psychiatry residency and fellowship graduation event in June. The inaugural class of two helped complete around 90 competency evaluations during the fellowship’s first year.

“We’ve evaluated people whose charges go back three years,” said Texas Tech Health El Paso Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Patricia Ortiz, M.D., who leads the fellowship program. “They haven’t been convicted yet, but the process is stalled while everyone waits for an evaluation.”

A $555,555 grant will help the fellowship expand its reach in the Borderplex. The award is part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide initiative to strengthen accredited forensic psychiatry fellowship programs.

For Dr. Ortiz, the funding represents more than financial support. It reflects growing recognition of a critical workforce shortage affecting courts, hospitals and communities.

“One or two years isn’t enough time to see the full impact we know this program can have,” she said. “But we’re already helping move cases forward, training the next generation of forensic psychiatrists and improving access to care.”

Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program Director Patricia Ortiz, M.D., (left) with graduate Lizette Lara, M.D.