Sierra Tucson, the treatment center for addictions and mental disorders, is expanding with a new 44-bed patient lodge housing physician offices and rooms devoted to group therapies.
The $8 million project broke ground Thursday at the Catalina-based facility and is expected to open next October.
"This is the jewel in the crown," said John Lacy, regional vice president of CRC Health Corp., which owns the 23-year-old Sierra Tucson.
CRC, a national chemical-dependency and behavioral-treatment network, operates 100 clinics and facilities in 22 states. After CRC bought Sierra Tucson last year, CRC was bought earlier this year for $723 million by Bain Capital Partners LLC.
"Sierra Tucson is known world-wide and is recognized as a leader in treatments. We are committed to go further with consistent, quality improvements and make its services more available to people around the world," Lacy said.
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Since acquiring Sierra Tucson for $130 million — from former owner Bill O'Donnell, founder of Miraval, Life in Balance resort, and other partners — CRC said it wants to develop the Catalina treatment center as its top facility.
"This is a business we're running. We're expanding because we're running a good business," Lacy said.
The treatment center at 39580 S. Lago Del Oro Parkway, currently has lodging for 95 patients.
With a team of doctors, nurses and wellness therapists, Sierra Tucson specializes in integrative-medicine treatments — taking a "bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to address the whole person."
The center charges $1,175 per day for addiction treatment and $1,285 per day for eating disorders.
Typical stays range from 30 to 40 days.
The psychiatric hospital's services include treatments for alcohol and chemical dependency, eating disorders, and mood, anxiety and depression problems, as well as a program for sexual and trauma recovery.
Sierra Tucson also uses acupuncture, massage, reiki, yoga and Qi Gong therapies.
"Sierra Tucson is the flagship for CRC," said Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the former drug czar under President Bill Clinton, who is a member of CRC's board and attended Thursday's groundbreaking. "They give patients the tools to get back to their families, to get back to health."
Sierra Tucson has about 280 part- and full-time staff members, and there are plans to hire more for the new lodge in the next year, said Keith Arnold, executive director.
Since its founding in 1983, Sierra Tucson's patient roster has grown from a few dozen to 20,000 people from around the world, Arnold said.
Many famous patients have sought treatment there, including former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, who resigned from Congress in September.
"Sierra Tucson has become an international mecca of recovery," Arnold said.