Axiom Care, an Arizona-based addiction treatment and medical detox center, is expanding its Ocotillo Community Campus with the construction of an 18,000-square-foot facility at 150 N. Ocotillo Drive in Apache Junction.

At full build-out it will have 24 detox units and 36 in-recovery treatment rooms — as well as outpatient services and activities — in addition to the 24 detox recovery units and outpatient operations currently housed on the campus, according to a release.

Mayor Chip Wilson will join Christine Stevens, CEO of Axiom Care; Blythe FitzHarris, Mercy Care chief clinical officer; and other dignitaries at a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 12 at 150 N. Ocotillo Drive in Apache Junction.

The general contractor for the $5 million project is Equi-Team, with architectural design services provided by design point architects. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Construction of the larger facility means Ocotillo is a recovery campus with an emphasis on a continuum of care that has been proven to be beneficial for patients in recovery. In addition to inpatient and outpatient services, the new facility will include a gym, rec room and group therapy meeting rooms, the release states.

Along with the construction of the new building, a remodel of a third building will allow for urgent care and administrative office space. The kitchen facilities in the Phase I property will serve the entire campus, and dining rooms will accommodate each level of care.

“The Ocotillo Community Campus is predicated on the belief that effective and sustained recovery happens when supportive wrap-around services through all levels of care are delivered in a co-located site,” Stevens said in the release. “Although the first-of-its-kind in Pinal County, this campus will provide service to clients from throughout the Greater Phoenix area.”

On Oct. 1, Mercy Care expanded its services to all of Pinal County, in addition to Gila and Maricopa Counties, as part of its new AHCCCS Complete Care-Regional Behavioral Health Agreement contract.

“We have long recognized that clients needing addiction support services will see significantly better results when they can access services in one location,” FitzHarris said in the release. “The continuum of care that will be offered by Axiom at the Ocotillo campus is a welcome addition to the treatment programs that Mercy Care supports.”

Founded in 2012, Axiom Care is a locally owned substance abuse treatment and recovery housing provider with locations in Maricopa and Pinal counties. It primarily serves low-income and/or justice-involved individuals who are seeking to change their life for the better. It offers multiple levels of care along with medical services, evidence-based professional counseling, case management, housing assistance, employment assistance and more. Learn more at axiomcareofaz.com.

Mercy Care is a not-for-profit Medicaid managed-care health plan, serving AHCCCS members in Arizona since 1985. Mercy Care is a local company sponsored by Dignity Health and Ascension Health. Mercy Care provides access to physical and behavioral health care services for Medicaid-eligible families, children, seniors, and individuals with developmental/cognitive disabilities. Learn more at MercyCareAZ.org.