A New Jersey mental-health provider plans to open a treatment clinic March 1 in South Whitehall Township, with plans to hire 120 people.

NeurAbilities Healthcare LLC, which treats children and young adults with autism and other neurological conditions, is moving into a 3,500-square-foot suite at 1405 N. Cedar Crest Blvd. The company works with clients in both clinical settings and homes, according to spokesperson Sandra Lewis.

Lewis said several private insurance carriers, including Blue Cross and Aetna, and Medicaid, cover its therapy.

CEO Kathleen Stengel said NeurAbilities’ entry into the Lehigh Valley is based on a combination of demand for services at at time when several other providers stopped offering treatment.

“Unfortunately, there is so much that not everybody can handle the demand, and COVID made it worse,” Stengel said.

The expansion plans coincide with the growing prevalence of autism, with an increase in the number of serious mental health events among children during the coronavirus pandemic, apparently backed up by recent data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding mental health emergency room visits.

NeurAbilities Lehigh Valley’s location is one of 13 properties that investor groups affiliated with Coordinated Health founder and former CEO Dr. Emil DiIorio sold last year to health care real estate giant Hammes Partners. Coordinated Health, now owned by Lehigh Valley Health Network, is a tenant in those buildings.

The South Whitehall NeurAbilities will include individual- and group-treatment room and a specialized amusement park designed to accommodate children with autism and developmental delays, according to a news release. Telehealth services will also be available.

Stengel said its hires will include 60 full-time equivalent positions. The job offerings can be found online. She said the company also offers paid training.

Based in Voorhees, New Jersey, NeurAbilities has medical diagnostic facilities in the Garden State and southeastern Pennsylvania. Started in 2005, it previously operated as CNNH NeuroHealth. The company rebranded Jan. 1, 2020, with a new name, new logo and revamped website.

The name NeurAbilities is derived from from the connection between the brain and behavior, with the company’s goal to help clients improve behaviors to maximize their abilities, Stengel said.

For more information, go to neurabilities.com or call 856-346-0005.

Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at 610-820-6694 or asalamone@mcall.com.