Relocated clinic, new programs to further address mental health in Beaufort, Jasper counties

As perceptions about mental illness are slowing improving, local clinics and programs are working to address a growing need for those types of services.

"With different things happening in the news, (the need) has escalated," said Stephanie Jamison, CEO of Jamison Consultants Behavioral Health Center.

The Jasper County-based company relocated its Bluffton facility to Hardeeville, at 290 New River Parkway, in October. The 16,700-square-foot clinic -- which has five locations in South Carolina, including Hilton Head Island and Beaufort -- offers services for substance abuse, mental health and behavioral problems. It accepts most types of insurance and Medicaid.

The move to Hardeeville was important, Jamison says, because the new location serves a more significant population and increases accessibility to services.

"We're accommodating families in rural areas," she said.

Jamison brought her clinic to Beaufort and Jasper counties a few years ago after attending a Myrtle Beach conference about mental health, because the area's population was largely underserved, especially Medicaid patients, for substance abuse and mental health.

The facility's programs, geared especially toward children, adolescents and families, are in a variety of formats to address patients' specific needs. Jamison Consultants also has a presence in local schools, with counselors from the clinic available to work with students one-on-one.

"(Bad) behaviors develop over time," Jamison said. "We look for the early warning signs."

If they're not addressed, she said, those behaviors will worsen.

"It could result in criminal activity," Jamison said. "Early intervention is the best service we can offer."

With mental health patients, there is frequently a stigma of shame or denial. Many people -- particularly adults -- are unwilling to talk about what they are struggling with, Jamison said.

"I think adults have more shame," she said, adding that kids and teens are often relieved to have someone to talk to.

But attitudes toward mental health are moving in a more positive direction.

"We're getting away from the stigma" of mental health being shameful, Jamison said.

PROGRAM EXPANSION

Sarah Eliasoph doesn't like to use the word "stigma" when talking about mental health.

"It's misinformation," said the National Alliance of Mental Illness Lowcountry executive director. "The word 'stigma' continues to perpetuate the stigma."

To correct misinformation about mental health, Eliasoph says more education is needed.

NAMI Lowcountry provides education and support for those in Beaufort County suffering from mental illness. Eliasoph echoed Jamison's sentiment that many with mental illness are unwilling or ashamed to talk or seek help.

And while conversations about mental health have improved in the past five years, she said there is still a long way to go.

"We should be doing more," Eliasoph said. "We need to be educating our legislators and school boards."

She said NAMI recently started a program in which volunteers visit local high school classrooms to talk about mental illness.

Teenagers and young adults are a particularly important demographic, she added.

"Mental illness seems to escalate in early college," Eliasoph said. "Kids are so aware. They know who is in trouble and they will talk about it."

She said the best advocates are those who talk about their own experiences with mental illness openly, whether it's a personal story or one about a family member who has struggled with it.

Another upcoming program by the Beaufort County Human Services Alliance aims to provide assistance to Beaufort County adults struggling with mental health issues, trauma, substance abuse or a combination of several diagnoses.

The Collaborative Organization of Services for Adults, in preliminary stages, is expected to bring together several Beaufort County agencies to create a "multidisciplinary approach" to staffing the county's most complex cases, according to Human Services Alliance administrative assistant Ben Boswell.

"We define complex as individuals struggling with dual diagnoses or other social issues," Boswell said. "Clearly, no one agency can resolve (complex issues), nor can one issue be resolved without simultaneously treating the others."

COSA is a tentative name for the program, based off the current Collaborative Organization of Services for Youth, which Boswell said is a local, coordinated approach to meet the needs of Beaufort County youth.

Follow reporter Ashley Fahey on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Ashley.

Related content:

• Behavioral health center opens in Bluffton, June 25, 2014
• School district partners with group to provide mental health services, November 9, 2013

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Relocated clinic, new programs to further address mental health in Beaufort, Jasper counties."