The Altshuler Center for Education and Research

Overview

The Altshuler Center for Education and Research (ACER) has a simple but challenging mission: to strengthen community mental health systems by improving access, quality, and innovation in care. This is especially important for individuals with complex psychosocial needs who are often underserved by traditional systems of care. Founded through collaboration between Metrocare and UT Southwestern Medical Center, ACER advances clinical education for staff, workforce development for future behavioral health providers, and clinical research across North Texas.

More information about ACER’s scope of work—and how to get involved with training, research, or collaboration—is provided below.

Informing and inspiring the next generation of community mental health professionals.

Nurse Photo

Training

ACER provides experiential training opportunities for:

  • Physicians
  • Psychologists
  • Advanced practice nurses
  • Social workers
  • Behavioral analysts
  • Counselors
  • Marriage and family therapists
  • Other professionals pursuing careers in public mental health

Our program supports:

  • Internships
  • Practicums
  • Medical residency programs
  • Fellowships

With 10+ training sites and numerous specialty programs, Metrocare serves children, adolescents, adults, and families across North Texas.

Texas faces the nation’s most severe mental health workforce shortage, ranking last in access to mental health providers. There is approximately one mental health professional for every 760 people, and more than 88% of Texas counties are designated shortage areas.

Over half of Texas adults with mental illness receive no treatment (Reinert, Fritze, & Nguyen, 2024).

Application Information

Applications for training programs are accepted during the periods below.

Medical Training Programs:
All Medical Training Programs (Medical School, Nursing and Allied Health)

Spring 2027                 Applications accepted     October 15- November 1
Summer 2027             Applications accepted      March 1-April 1
Fall 2027                      Applications accepted      May 1- July 1
Winter 2027                Applications accepted     September 1-October 1

Note: If your school doesn’t have an Affiliation Agreement with us, you will need extra time to meet the deadline.

Clinical Training Programs:
Spring 2027 Cohort (Employees Only): Applications Accepted October 1st – October 16th
Summer 2027 Cohort (Employees Only): Applications Accepted April 1st – April 15th
Fall 2027 Cohort: June 1st – June 15th

For any questions, please contact us at acer@metrocareservices.org

Research

ACER leads clinical research in real-world community mental health settings through:

  • Program evaluation and outcome measurement

  • Data-driven service refinement and quality improvement

  • Evaluation of new psychotherapy and treatment approaches

  • Collaborative grant writing with academic institutions to support scalable research studies.

We welcome collaboration with faculty and graduate students.

ACER connects academic investigators with frontline clinicians, diverse patient populations, and community-based implementation opportunities.

Education

ACER provides continuing education opportunities, including CE credit–eligible programming for licensed professionals. Our goal is to improve client care and reduce turnover by supporting staff’s knowledge base.

Our programs focus on diagnostic assessment, clinical skill development, trauma-informed care, and various neuroscience and medical topics.

Education Partners

We welcome external subject matter experts to deliver trainings that strengthen staff knowledge across Metrocare.

If you are interested in presenting, partnering on staff education, or inviting our team to provide an educational module for your program or university, please email us here ACER@metrocareservices.org

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