The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) has a Division of Inpatient Services (DIS) that oversees the state's several mental health facilities that house permanent residents. Several outpatient mental health facilities are also available in which individuals can consult psychologists, get help with behavioral disorders and find support groups for specific issues.
Psychiatric Hospitals
The G. Werber Bryan Psychiatric Hospital in Columbia was dedicated in 1978 and is licensed by the state as a specialized hospital. The 277-bed mental health facility is accredited by the Joint Commission, and its goal is to provide short-term, intensive care for patients suffering from an array of illnesses. The facility is broken into lodges that surround a commons areas, each lodge housing patients with similar needs. The hospital offers both a civil division, for involuntarily committed patients, and a forensic division, for referred patients from jails and courts.
Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric Hospital was opened in 1985 in Anderson. It is a 200-bed mental health facility that houses male patients in one lodge, females in another and intermediate co-eds in another. Patients are admitted from 13 counties, referred from other mental health facilities, and the majority are involuntarily committed.
Juvenile Centers
The William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute in Columbia is dedicated to caring for children and adolescents. It has a separately licensed residential center where 37-beds are available for patients who need long-term, inpatient care. Probate court, family court and other divisions of the Department of Juvenile Justice refer patients here. A program is also available for treating substance abuse and addiction.
Specialized Centers
The Earle E. Morris Jr. Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Center in Columbia is a specialized mental health care center dedicated to helping patients with drug addiction, substance abuse and co-morbid conditions. The facility features 120 beds, and patients are voluntarily and involuntarily admitted.
The SCDMH's DIS works with the Department of Corrections to provide a program for sexually violent predators. The mental health facility is housed within the Broad River Road Correctional Institution.
Mental Health Centers
For patients in need of mental health care, such as counseling for common conditions, several mental health centers are located throughout the state of South Carolina. South Carolina's Information Highway (SCIWAY) provides a bevy of resources for locating psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health care centers and mental health care agencies (see References).
The SCDMH also keeps a database of all operating mental care facilities and their satellite offices.
Mental Health Care Agencies
Several mental health care agencies throughout the state work alongside the facilities in providing care. They include Mental Health Care America in South Carolina, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of South Carolina and the South Carolina Psychiatric Association.
