Position Aware Button
White Arrow Black Arrow

The Doctor Fighting Texas' Mental Health Crisis

With Dr. Dustin DeMoss

Video Player

Stories to Solutions

Interview Recorded on March 21st, 2025

Dr. Dustin DeMoss isn't your typical physician — he's a triple-threat clinician who saw gaps in healthcare and decided to fill them himself. With training in internal medicine, psychiatry, and addiction medicine, he represents a new generation of doctors who don’t work in silos.

Dr. DeMoss turned obstacles into opportunities. When he returned to Fort Worth and found his institution had "no addiction footprint at all," he didn't complain — he built an entire addiction service line from scratch.

As both a practicing physician and the Psychiatry Residency Director at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Dr. DeMoss embodies what he teaches. He's not the administrator hiding in meetings — he's the leader with "sleeves rolled up" working alongside residents in clinics, on consult services, and in inpatient settings because he wants his trainees to see that taking care of patients should be exciting, not exhausting.

The Texas Advantage: How Tragedy Sparked Innovation
Dr. DeMoss shares how Texas transformed its approach to mental health following mass shootings in the state. Rather than just offering thoughts and prayers, Texas put money behind solutions — funding residency expansions, placing mental health professionals in schools, and supporting clinician development.

The Culture Change Formula: Education + Heart
Dr. DeMoss describes confronting a colleague who called a patient "just a druggie." His approach wasn't preachy — it was personal and practical. He showed how changing one person's language and perspective creates ripple effects throughout entire healthcare teams.

The "Move the Needle" Philosophy for Overwhelmed Providers
When primary care doctors say they can't "open Pandora's box" with mental health issues, Dr. DeMoss offers a reframe: "You can open it, you don't have to address everything that comes out in that one session." His advice? Focus on what matters most to the patient, not what you think they need to work on. It's a simple shift that makes mental health care manageable for busy providers.

Dr. Dustin DeMoss isn't your typical physician - he's a triple-threat clinician who saw gaps in healthcare and decided to fill them himself. With training in internal medicine, psychiatry, and addiction medicine, he represents a new generation of doctors who don’t work in silos.
‍
Dr DeMoss turned obstacles into opportunities. When he returned to Fort Worth and found his institution had "no addiction footprint at all," he didn't complain - he built an entire addiction service line from scratch.
‍
As both a practicing physician and the Psychiatry Residency Director at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Dr. DeMoss embodies what he teaches. He's not the administrator hiding in meetings - he's the leader with "sleeves rolled up" working alongside residents in clinics, on consult services, and in inpatient settings because he wants his trainees to see that taking care of patients should be exciting, not exhausting.
‍
The Texas Advantage: How Tragedy Sparked Innovation
‍
Dr. DeMoss shares how Texas transformed its approach to mental health following mass shootings in the state. Rather than just offering thoughts and prayers, Texas put money behind solutions - funding residency expansions, placing mental health professionals in schools, and supporting clinician development.
‍
The Culture Change Formula: Education + Heart
‍
Dr. DeMoss describes confronting a colleague who called a patient "just a druggie." His approach wasn't preachy - it was personal and practical. He showed how changing one person's language and perspective creates ripple effects throughout entire healthcare teams.
‍
 The "Move the Needle" Philosophy for Overwhelmed Providers
‍
When primary care doctors say they can't "open Pandora's box" with mental health issues, Dr. DeMoss offers a reframe: "You can open it, you don't have to address everything that comes out in that one session." His advice? Focus on what matters most to the patient, not what you think they need to work on. It's a simple shift that makes mental health care manageable for busy providers.
See More
See Less
Links to Solutions
The Pandora's Box Solution
Primary care providers often avoid mental health conversations fearing they'll "open Pandora's box" without time to address everything. Dr. DeMoss offers a practical solution: acknowledge that feelings will emerge, address one issue that matters most to the patient, have them write down the rest, and use that as a roadmap for future visits. This transforms an overwhelming prospect into a manageable, patient-centered approach.
Building Addiction Services in New Territory
Texas is relatively new to substance use treatment, but Dr. DeMoss saw this as opportunity rather than limitation. Through the Be Well, Texas grant program and SHOUT (Supporting Hospital Opiate Use Treatment) initiative, he's using the ECHO format to spread addiction knowledge across institutions statewide. The annual Texas Substance Use Symposium brings together policymakers and advocacy groups to identify gaps and opportunities - demonstrating how collaborative education can shape policy.
The Power of Incremental Change
Dr. DeMoss shares a powerful quote from grand rounds: "The greatest accumulation of change doesn't happen in one failed swoop. It is the incremental accumulation over time of small intervals." This philosophy applies to both patient care and systemic change - whether it's managing a patient's diabetes or shifting an entire state's approach to harm reduction. Small, consistent improvements create the biggest long-term effects.
Meet Our Guest
Dr. Dustin DeMoss
Dustin DeMoss, DO, completed his undergraduate medical education at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009. He then attended a 5-year combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. After serving as a chief resident for four years, he graduated from his residency program and moved back to Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife and young children. Upon settling in Fort Worth, he joined the University of North Texas Health Science Center and John Peter Smith Hospital to begin work on research, education, and quality patient care obtaining his Addiction Medicine Board Certification along the way. Currently, Dr. DeMoss serves as the Psychiatry Residency Training Director and the Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Clinically, Dr. DeMoss is passionate about treating those with substance use disorders and has helped spearhead JPS’ effort to start a clinical service line dedicated to this cause.
Connect to Dr. Dustin DeMoss
Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-demoss-do-ms-fapa-faclp-13026a70/
Business Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unthsc/