News Release: Tri-County Crisis Stabilization Center Opens in Charleston, SC

Charleston, SC – Monday, June 5, the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center (CDMHC), a center operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) Office of Mental Health (BHDD Office of Mental Health), reopened its 10 bed Tri-County Crisis Stabilization Center (TCSC) at 5 Charleston Center Drive.

“People in a psychiatric crisis do not always need to go to an emergency department or into a hospital bed to safely deal with the crisis,” said CDMHC Executive Director Debbie Blalock. “Often, folks may be able to have their needs met in a safe environment outside of a hospital. A crisis stabilization center can be the perfect place to meet those needs. Such a unit appropriately diverts non-violent, medically stable individuals from emergency departments, inpatient hospital beds, and detention centers.”

The Center, which will serve those 18 and older, is a collaborative effort funded by BHDD Office of Mental Health, CDMHC, MUSC, Roper Saint Francis Healthcare, the Charleston Center, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, BHDD Office of Mental Health’s Berkeley Community Mental Health Center, and the Charleston County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Referrals can be made by family, friends, co-workers, other providers, participating hospitals, law enforcement, or a person in crisis may seek admission for him or herself by calling the TCSC. As the Center cannot be locked, patients must enter voluntarily and be ready to work on the issues that caused the crisis, for example, suicidality, psychosis, depression, mania, etc.

The average length of stay is expected to be fewer than four days, although patients can stay up to two weeks. The TCSC team will connect patients with follow-up care before they are discharged. For more information or to make a referral, please call the TCSC at (843) 953-2390.

The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) Office 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 17 community mental health centers and numerous clinics. It also operates multiple hospitals, one community nursing care center, and three veterans’ nursing homes.

Contact: Deborah Blalock
Phone: 843-852-4100
E-mail: deborah.blalock@omh.bhdd.sc.gov