MONTPELIER — The centerpiece of Vermont’s newly designed mental health system is up for a public hearing this coming week.

Closure of the old Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene forced the state to come with a new plan to care for the mentally ill.

It’s been developing a system that would include small psychiatric units in several different parts of the state, plus a 25-bed facility in Berlin.

The Berlin facility now is working on getting a permit called a certificate of need from the state Department of Financial Regulation.

DFR will conduct a hearing on the application Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the third floor conference room of 89 Main Street in Montpelier.