Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center Partnerships

The Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center serves both urban and rural communities in Charleston and Dorchester counties. It has partnered with key community stakeholders to provide programs that allow low-income and uninsured patients to access mental health services. Programs include the Charleston Mental Health Court, the Tri-county Crisis Stabilization Center, placement of mental health professionals in schools, and the Assessment and Mobile Crisis team.

By partnering with key community stakeholders, the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center is committed to providing accessible, affordable, quality mental health services to residents of Charleston and Dorchester counties.

Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center Partnerships has resulted in increased hospital and emergency services diversion, increased children tenure in communities and schools, and provided essential mental health services to improve the overall quality of life for residents of the community.

The Charleston Mental Health Court is a jail diversion program for defendants arrested on misdemeanor and non-violent offenses and, in 2011-2012, has seen a 65% graduation rate from the program in addition to a 32% reduction in homelessness in the cohort.

The Tri-county Crisis Stabilization Center that operated from 1999-2009 and was a 10-bed unit designed to treat patients in psychiatric distress but who did not require full hospitalization. The program saw increased hospital diversion from 383 people in 2001 to 677 in 2005, which translated into cost-savings.

Placement of mental health professionals in schools and other key areas has reported increased satisfaction among school staff, decreased disciplinary action, and increased student tenure in schools. The program has also partnered with several other stakeholders, such as the Department of Juvenile Justice and child advocacy centers, to place mental professionals where most needed.

The Assessment and Mobile Crisis Team merges the crisis response and intake services teams and has streamlined the process so patients can quickly and effectively gain access to mental health treatment. In particular, the AMC team works closely with the local police departments and EMS to respond to psychiatric emergencies.

The Weekend Psychiatric Urgent Care (WPUC) is designed to help patients needing access to affordable counseling, medication, and resource navigation during the weekends. When needed, the WPUC can also arrange for hospitalizations related to behavioral health. Highway to Hope RV provides access to psychiatric care to adults and children who are living in rural areas of Charleston and Dorchester counties. As a result, the program has received 300 mobile calls and achieved 511 hospital diversions and 2080 Emergency Room diversions in the fiscal year 2013-2014.