Acadia Healthcare is looking to address the Valley’s shortage of beds for mental health patients with a new 100-bed inpatient treatment facility in southeast Mesa.

Mayor John Giles and Dr. Jeffrey Woods, operations group president of Acadia Healthcare, broke ground on the 72,000-square-foot Agave Ridge Behavioral Hospital along Ellsworth Road and Peterson Avenue.

Woods told The Arizona Republic that Acadia Healthcare is investing $55 million in the new facility that is set to be completed in 14 to 16 months.

The hospital will have five units that focus on giving care to patients with mental health illnesses and substance abuse struggles.  

In Arizona, it’s estimated over 1 million people deal with a mental health illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The hope is to continue reducing the stigma towards receiving mental health care, Woods said.