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HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – The S.C. Division of Psychological Well being is pushing again towards a senate invoice that goals to separate up the division of well being and environmental management.
They are saying it can convey pointless disruptions in relation to responding to psychological well being emergencies.
The division of psychological well being has 16 community-based outpatient psychological well being facilities, with its clinics serving all 46 counties within the state.
Their providers embody 24/7 cell disaster response for households.
The division has at all times been a separate company from DHEC altogether.
However that would change if Senate Invoice 2 makes its solution to the governor’s desk.
S.2 was launched as a manner for lawmakers to alleviate a number of the calls for on the DHEC.
If S.2 passes, DHEC shall be dissolved and restructured into two businesses: The Division of Environmental Providers and the Division of Behavioral and Public Well being.
The invoice proposes the brand new behavioral and public well being company oversees three totally different divisions:
- the Division of Public Well being
- the Division of Alcohol and Different Drug Abuse Providers
- the Division of Psychological Well being
This implies the passing of S.2 will put the division of psychological well being underneath the umbrella of DHEC’s new Behavioral and Pubic Well being company.
This has some employees elevating main issues.
Deborah Heller serves because the vice-chair of the board for the Waccamaw Heart for Psychological Well being.
The director of psychological well being oversees the middle.
Heller says their group has no downside with lawmakers eager to re-organize DHEC.
However she says the division of psychological well being doesn’t must be part of it.
“By re-organizing psychological well being at the moment when the demand is nice in our complete nation and when consciousness is rising on daily basis, goes to be very disruptive to the division. It’s going to take the main target away from the employees who’ve already been underneath an amazing quantity of strain to fulfill [patients] wants.”
Heller says the psychological well being division has been servicing almost 100,000 sufferers yearly, stating it is unnecessary to disrupt a ship now that isn’t sinking.
“If it ain’t broke, why repair it,” Heller stated. “There shall be extra layers to undergo. I believe the providers shall be diluted. I believe the sources shall be diluted as a result of they’ll be unfold out extra between three divisions underneath one other separate group. The division of psychological well being is working very well, assembly the wants of their communities. To go in there and reorganize that and attempt to repair it when it’s actually not damaged, doesn’t appear to be sensible.”
Heller references the ‘SHaPE South Carolina Activity Power’ which was arrange by DHEC, stating it checked out methods to greatest ship public well being and environmental providers to South Carolinians.
“They didn’t even advocate the division of psychological well being be re-organized,” Heller stated. “The opposite factor to take a look at, there have been no fiscal and useful impression research accomplished. So we don’t even know what that is going to value.”
WMBF Information reached out to DHEC concerning the psychological well being division’s issues. DHEC’s Director, Dr. Edward Simmer, offered the next assertion to our information workforce:
“DHEC is charged with implementing the legal guidelines as they’re handed by our state legislature and as they relate to the company. We’ve a powerful administration workforce that may work collaboratively with DMH and DAODAS as acceptable and our different state businesses and personal companions to implement any modifications to the construction of well being and environmental safety in South Carolina which can be accredited by the Legislature. Working collectively, our groups will implement these modifications in a manner that enhances the providers our businesses present and in the end improves the well being of each South Carolinian in addition to the setting through which they dwell.”
S.2 has already handed within the Senate and is presently making its manner by the home.
The division of psychological well being is asking on legislators to make a suggestion that may take away their group from the invoice altogether.
WMBF Information is ready to listen to again from home lawmakers about whether or not they’re taking the division of psychological well being’s request into consideration.
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