South Carolina lawmakers, agencies, and health providers are working to improve behavioral health across the state. Here are some of the biggest concerns and stories from across the state.
Mental Health School Counselors Increase in South Carolina, but Other Professionals Still Needed
South Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in January reported that the number of mental health counselors in the state’s schools doubled from 600 in January 2022 to 1,200 in September 2023. Part of this is due to an increase in pay for licensed therapists working in schools, from $37 to $71 for a 30-minute session since 2022.
After a 2022 statewide survey found a shortage of mental health counselors in South Carolina schools, DHHS sought to increase that number. Now the state’s schools have one counselor for every 653 students. However, that is still below the ratio of one counselor for every 250 students recommended by the American School Counselors Association, and below the national average of 400 students per counselor.
Schools are not the only facilities seeing a shortage of mental health providers. South Carolina found that, between 2009 and 2019, the number of psychiatrists working in rural areas has fallen by one-third. Fourteen N.C. counties have no licensed psychiatrists or psychologists in private practice. The N.C. Department of Mental Health is requesting $3.6 million next year for programs to increase access to mental health care, including $1 million for home visits to individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders.
South Carolina Lawmakers Want to Merge Departments to Improve Health Services
South Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation that would restructure the state’s health agencies. The bipartisan bill, S.915, would combine six separate state agencies to create a new “Executive Office of Health and Policy.” A new Secretary of Health and Policy, appointed by the governor, would lead this combined agency.
Supporters hope this will help reduce costs and fragmentation of the state’s health and human services, which currently involve seven separate agencies. For example, substance use disorders fall under the jurisdiction of both the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. A lack of coordination between agencies may lead to more people being underserved.
Warmline Helps South Carolina Professionals Get Second Opinions for Patients With Addiction
This year, the South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction launched a “warmline” for medical providers who want a quick second opinion for their patients struggling with addiction. This is one of the ways the center is working to reduce overdose fatalities. The warmline is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Doctors, nurses, social workers, peers, paramedics, anybody who works in the substance abuse disorder space or medical space can call to do a peer-to-peer consult,” says Jodi Manz, director of the Center of Excellence in Addiction. The provider can speak with an addiction medicine provider about concerns such as toxicology screenings or connecting patients to local recovery services.
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