Exploring the Mission of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health

The Mission of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health

Mental health has become an increasing concern, especially after the pandemic. As observed, the pandemic has caused widespread distress and has resulted in a sharp uptick of mental health issues, highlighting the importance of mental health services and resources. One such organization handling mental health services in South Carolina is the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH).

What is the South Carolina Department of Mental Health?

The SCDMH was established with the aim of providing quality mental health services, support, and assistance to people in South Carolina. Their primary goal is to promote recovery and wellbeing for individuals with mental illnesses, intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as helping people manage their addictions.

The SCDMH is responsible for setting up contracts and providing funding to mental health service providers like the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, local hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and community mental health centers.

The SCDMH’s Mission

The SCDMH has a three-part mission: to practice recovery, preserve, and improve the quality of life of people who need their mental health services.

Practice Recovery: SCDMH’s goal is to support people living with mental illnesses, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders to live the most fulfilling lives possible. Practicing recovery is all about supporting individuals to live, work be part of their community, learn, and make their own choices about their care.

Preserve: SCDMH’s aim is to ensure that there is equitable access to services for individuals in need, as they work with their partners and stakeholders to address disparities in mental healthcare.

Improve: SCDMH wants to find better ways to support people and improve their services through research and development.

SCDMH’s Services

The SCDMH offers an array of services to the people of South Carolina, including outpatient treatment, telehealth consultations, inpatient care, mobile crisis response, and community support.

Outpatient services provide people with community-based treatment and care. It includes individual and group therapies, medication management as well as vocational skills training.

Inpatient care is provided for people who require round-the-clock care. This service is here to provide stabilization for those in acute distress and needs immediate attention.

The SCDMH also offers telehealth for mental health and substance use disorders. Telehealth consults are conducted via phone or video conferencing making it easy and accessible for those who find it hard to travel.

Community support services are designed to ensure people are connected to community resources and support which helps them to increase their personal autonomy.

Finally, the mobile crisis response team provides emergency services to those experiencing a mental health crisis.

Conclusion

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health is playing a critical role in ensuring that South Carolina’s residents have equitable access to mental health services. Through their three-part mission of practice recovery, preserve, and improve, they have dedicated themselves to the task of helping people with mental health challenges get the services they need to live, work, learn, and be active members of their communities.

By offering many services, including inpatient care, outpatient treatment, community support services, and mobile crisis response, they are making sure that people of all ages, races and backgrounds are cared for no matter their financial situation. They continue to work tirelessly, especially during the covid pandemic, to provide high quality and accessible mental health services.