May is Mental Health Month

May 9, 2019

Recognizing South Carolinians who are living with a mental illness, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) and Lexington County Community Mental Health Center (LCCMHC) join the nation in commemorating May as Mental Health Month.

Each year, the SCDMH, mental health advocacy groups, churches, schools and civic organizations strive to raise awareness about the importance of mental health, challenge South Carolinians to consider their views toward mental illness, respect those who live with these medical disorders, and fight the stigma that too often prevents people in need from seeking help. SC Governor Henry McMaster has issued a proclamation declaring May as Mental Health Month.

“There’s a lot of good news at the South Carolina Department of Mental Health,” said SCDMH State Director Mark W. Binkley, JD. “The Agency is on track to meet its goal of having school mental health in all South Carolina schools by 2022, Community Crisis and Response Teams are active in 29 counties and will be active throughout the state by the end of this summer, and the Suicide Prevention Coalition has released an updated Suicide Prevention Plan to address one of the most serious issues in our State and Nation. We are not only making great strides in early intervention, improved access, and ongoing support, but also working to develop new and innovative ways to help those who live with mental illness to receive help, achieve recovery, and remain healthy.”

Locally, LCCMHC, is on track to have mental health counselors in all Lexington County Schools by the start of the 2019-2020 school year, has an active Community Crisis and Response Team, has a strong community housing program for mental ill adults, and continues to provide quality services by licensed staff to any Lexington county resident needing mental health treatment at its five clinics around the county.

To help raise awareness and provide information on local services, all Lexington County Libraries are distributing LCCMHC bookmarks and children’s activity pages upon checkout during the month of May.

To discover ways you can help raise awareness during Mental Health Month, view the Agency Mental Health Month toolkit at: https://scdmh.net/public-information/pr-tools/may-is-mental-health-month/. To request a speaker on Mental Health topics, or learn more about the programs and services offered by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health call (800) 763-1024 or visit our web site at www.scdmh.org.

 

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health’s mission is to support the recovery of people with mental illnesses, giving priority to adults with serious and persistent mental illness and to children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances. The Agency serves approximately 100,000 citizens with mental illnesses, approximately 30,000 of whom are children and adolescents, and provides outpatient services through a network of seventeen community mental health centers and numerous clinics. It also operates multiple inpatient hospitals, including one for substance use treatment, one community nursing care center, and three veterans’ nursing homes.