This week, the publicly-owned health system in Maricopa County gave the green light to a new medical center. The 127,000-square-foot center will be built in Peoria and will offer a range of services. Chief among them is behavioral health.

Steve Purves, President and CEO of the Maricopa Integrated Health System, said there’s a need for more mental health services in the West Valley and beyond.

“Behavioral health care has been way under-emphasized,” he said. “Not just here in Maricopa County or Arizona, but across the nation."

One of the goals of the new facility is to have mental health services integrated with a patient’s medical care. Purves said the center will put a premium on hiring social workers and similar staff, although he didn’t know the total number of new jobs the clinic will create.

The center will be funded through the sale of $70 million in bonds. It’s expected to open in 2020.