Eleven free and charitable clinics across the Deep South will receive renewed funding to continue mental health programs that served tens of thousands of uninsured patients last year, according to an announcement from Direct Relief, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.

Each clinic will receive $75,000 in supplemental grants, totaling $825,000 in support for behavioral health services in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. The funding represents the second year of a renewed commitment that began in 2024, when Teva pledged an additional $2 million to extend a program originally launched in 2022.

The impact of the initial funding cycle demonstrates the scale of mental health needs in underserved communities. During 2025 alone, the grantee programs reached more than 57,000 people with mental health services and conducted nearly 6,000 screenings for depression and anxiety.

Free and charitable clinics serve as critical safety nets in communities where traditional healthcare access remains limited or nonexistent. These facilities typically provide care to patients who lack insurance and fall through the gaps of other assistance programs. Mental health services, already scarce in many rural and low-income areas, are often the first to disappear when resources tighten.

The three-state focus area includes regions with some of the nation's highest rates of uninsured residents and most severe shortages of mental health providers. Rural counties in these states frequently have no psychiatrists or licensed counselors, forcing residents to travel hours for care or go without treatment entirely.

The program's structure allows clinics to tailor services to their specific community needs while maintaining consistent screening and care standards. Some facilities have used the funding to hire dedicated mental health counselors, while others have expanded hours for existing behavioral health programs or added telehealth capabilities to reach patients in remote areas.

Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization based in Santa Barbara, California, coordinates the grant distribution and provides technical support to participating clinics. The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, which represents more than 1,400 clinics nationwide, helps identify facilities with the greatest need and capacity to expand services.

The original $2 million commitment in 2022 established the foundation for what has become a sustained investment in community mental health infrastructure. By committing another $2 million in 2024 to cover 2025 and 2026, the partnership signals a recognition that building effective mental health programs requires multi-year stability rather than one-time grants.

The screening numbers reveal both progress and ongoing need. Nearly 6,000 depression and anxiety screenings in a single year represents significant outreach, but it also highlights how many people in these communities had never been formally assessed for mental health conditions. Many free clinic patients face barriers beyond insurance—transportation challenges, work schedules that conflict with traditional clinic hours, and cultural stigma around mental health treatment.

As the second round of funding rolls out, the participating clinics will continue programs that have already demonstrated measurable impact while looking for ways to reach additional patients who remain unserved. The 57,000 people who received mental health services in 2025 represent real progress, but they're still a fraction of those who need care in these three states.

For communities where a free clinic might be the only healthcare option for miles, this funding doesn't just expand services—it creates them where none existed before.