National Alliance on Mental Illness SC (NAMI SC) Help Line

NAMI SC is committed to improving the quality of life for anyone living with mental illness by promoting services and resources through education, support, and advocacy.  

NAMI SC’s Help Line (1-800-788-5131) offers information to those who may be in crisis or want to learn more about mental illnesses, educational programs, support groups, and treatment facilities in the state. The Help Line is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Outside these hours, callers can leave a message and receive a return call. 

“Our help line counselors assist those in crisis and refer some callers who need immediate help to the South Carolina Community Crisis Response & Intervention Line at 833-DMH-CCRI or 833-364-2274, said Bill Lindsey, NAMI SC’s Executive Director. “CCRI provides services daily and around the clock within 60 minutes of contact to meet the mental health needs of our state’s residents.” 

NAMI SC’s offers a vast array of educational programs, including Ending the Silence, which includes programs for different audiences including middle/high school students, teachers, and families in teaching them how to recognize the signs of mental illness. Together, parents and teachers team up to assist families and school professionals in identifying key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and adolescents in South Carolina’s schools. 

NAMI SC also offers Crisis Intervention Training to law enforcement, other first responders, and security professionals for help in effectively interacting with those who have mental illness by learning how to recognize those in crisis, de-escalating techniques, avoiding injuries, and linking people with treatment. 

NAMI SC was created in 1986 with 11 affiliates around the state. For more information, visit the website here.