Northwell Health announced Wednesday that it plans to invest $500 million in expanding pediatric mental health services and access for children and teens at the Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Pavilion will be built as an extension to Cohen Children’s and Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell’s adult mental health facility. The approximately 200,000-square-foot facility will include over 100 inpatient beds and expand behavioral health services. There is no current timeline for construction, but the new pavilion is expected to be built and opened within the next three to five years.

In the United States nearly one in five children is diagnosed with a behavioral, emotional or mental health disorder, but only 20% of those diagnosed are given specialized treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“For far too long, mental health care has been fraught with stigma and disparities in access, and we are determined to create a new model of care so that every child’s mental wellbeing receives the same care as their physical health,” said Dr. Charles Schleien, senior vice president of pediatric services at Northwell.

Over the next five years, Northwell will invest $350 million while launching a fund-raising campaign for $150 million. The announcement was made earlier this week at the Cohen Children’s birthday party held at Citi Field, where $4 million was raised toward the fund-raising goal, bringing the current total to $27 million so far.

The new expansion will combine with Northwell’s current pediatric behavioral services which include urgent care centers in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The centers, Northwell said, work directly with school districts and parents to provide both short-term treatment and long-term solutions.

“Treating mental illness early can save a child’s life,” said Dr. John Young, senior vice president of behavioral health at Northwell. “We must transform care models and fully integrate with pediatric services to care more effectively for children and adolescents facing a behavioral health crisis.”