A residential mental health facility is planned for land next to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Butler Township.

The Butler County commissioners Wednesday authorized the start of the bidding process for construction of the 16-bed facility on 1.3 acres of the VA's 80-acre campus along New Castle Road.

The project is estimated to cost about $1.6 million, covered primarily under a $50 million bond issue the county floated last summer.

Commissioners hope to see construction begin in the spring, and work is expected to take about a year to complete.

The purpose of the interim-care facility is to give those in need of mental health care a bridge between hospitalization and community living.

The facility will be staffed around the clock, seven days a week. A psychiatrist will be available to conduct routine medical rounds, and community-based case managers will coordinate care planning and monitor residents' progress.

The county now sends those who need a secure setting for mental health treatment to Torrance State Hospital in Blairsville, Indiana County. About two dozen patients from Butler County are there.

The county and the VA have an agreement for a 50-year lease for the new building, which will contain two floors of 9,000 square feet each. The county will be responsible for all costs associated with building the facility and will pay for all utilities.

The VA will not charge anything for the use of its land and will provide ancillary services such as fire protection, security and snow removal. In exchange, two of the 16 beds will be dedicated to VA patients at no cost.

The Irene Stacy Community Mental Health Center in Butler Township will operate the facility.