State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, said Thursday that the proposed replacement of Austin State Hospital presents a unique opportunity to open a new psychiatric care facility at the hospital's Guadalupe Street campus. Watson called for a new focus on mental health care as part of his 10 Goals in 10 Years initiative during a speech at the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Austin in which he highlighted achievements of the plan that he first pitched in 2011. "Before we go any further, we need to understand that mental illness is common," Watson said. "It may be hidden, but it's common." A news release Thursday from Watson's office likened the proposed facility to an "MD Anderson of the Brain," referring to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Watson said that what the Houston center has done for cancer patients, an Austin-based psychiatric care facility could do for Central Texas residents with mental health or behavioral illnesses. Texas lawmakers will consider six options for relocating Austin State Hospital during the 85th legislative session that starts in January, according to a Department of State Health Services report released this month. The department noted that relocating the hospital could open an opportunity to work with The University of Texas Dell Medical School to utilize the site and improve access to mental health treatment in the Austin area. Austin State Hospital, which began operating in 1861, is located at 4110 Guadalupe St. near Hyde Park. State officials determined in January 2015 that the facility would need to be replaced due to deteriorating conditions that have affected the number of patients it can serve. Central Health President and CEO Patricia Young Brown said potential redevelopment of Austin State Hospital site could provide a significant boost to local mental health care services. "It's really a tremendous opportunity," she said. Central Health was created through a voter referendum in 2004 to provide better access to health care for low-income and uninsured residents in Travis County. The public hospital district owns and operates 21 clinics. Young Brown said mental health care service in Travis County should benefit from the extension of the 1115 Waiver in May. The program lets Central Health leverage federal funds through a system called intergovernmental transfer that involves matched dollars for every local dollar of tax revenue. Watson praised the addition of several new Austin mental health care facilities, including the Seton Psychiatric Emergency Department at Univesity Medical Center Brackenridge and the future Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care. But he said more work needs to be done to provide better long-term care for psychiatric patients and end reliance on emergency rooms to provide treatment for acute cases. "This is critical," Watson said. "This is something we must have."