SCHA Behavioral Health Partners

Improving behavioral health outcomes requires a comprehensive system of care. SCHA works closely with behavioral health partners across our state including state agencies, crisis services, community providers, and advocacy organizations to expand access to behavioral health services, reduce emergency department boarding, strengthen workforce capacity, and connect patients with the right level of care at the right time. Below are some of those key partners:

• SC Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD). The BHDD is a cabinet level agency created under the Restructuring Act of 2025 that redesigned SC’s public mental health system under one cabinet level agency which is composed of three divisions: the BHDD Office of Mental Health (OMH), the BHDD Office of Substance Use Services (OSUS) and the BHDD Office of Intellectual of Developmental Disabilities (OIDD).
  • SC Office of Substance Use Services (OSUS) contracts for services from 33 local county-level authorities that contract through the to provide Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Programs to citizens in all 46 counties of the state. Programs include outpatient treatment Services, Primary Prevention Services and Offender based Intervention. Find the list of sites here (Behavioral Health Services Association of South Carolina).
  • Community Mental Health Centers (CMHs) SC Office of Mental Health operates 16 CMHs that cover the 46 counties in SC offering outpatient counseling, therapy and case management mental health services to children, adolescents, adults, and families with severe symptoms of mental illness, substance abuse (dual diagnosis) and/or emotional distress who are residents of South Carolina.
  • SC BHDD Crisis Resources & Mental Health Support Guide: This printable one-page document includes links to crisis helplines and programs offering crisis services
  • Mobile Crisis – BHDD Office of Mental Health: These clinics provide 24/7/365 community-based crisis response anywhere in SC. The goal is to provide patients throughout the state with immediate access to crisis services and the most appropriate level of care.
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are community-based centers that provide comprehensive primary care services, including behavioral health services such as therapy, psychiatric care, and substance use counseling. There are 23 FQHCs located throughout SC. They serve everyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, offering services on a sliding fee scale based on household income and are part of the vital safety net of access to behavioral health care. Use the Find a Health Center Tool and/or contact the SC Primary Health Care Association.
• Hospital-Based Treatment Programs: In addition to inpatient psychiatric facilities, several hospitals offer outpatient services that provide a planned therapeutic program for patients who do not require full-time hospitalization, but who need broader programs than are possible from outpatient visits to a hospital-based or hospital-affiliated facility. These outpatient mental health treatments programs include Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP). PHP is more intensive than IOP, with therapy and medication services tailored to the individual’s needs and the severity of their condition. For more information, contact Elizabeth Harmon.
• SC Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) administers the state’s Medicaid program. Its role in mental health is to fund, manage, and expand access to behavioral and mental health care for eligible South Carolina residents, coordinating these services directly with physical health.
• CaroNova helps bring together a spectrum of partners needed to test bold ideas, prove what works, and scale it across the Carolinas to deliver lasting change for communities across both states.
• The South Carolina chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI SC) is a member of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health non-profit. Located in Columbia, SC, the organization provides free mental health support groups, educational classes, crisis intervention training, and advocacy for individuals and their families.