Awful terrible place!!!!!! Don't like anyone there and very unprofessional with treatment for anyone who goes there. Anyone who goes there will find them selfs stuck and can't get out!! I refer you to get help somewhere else!!
About Waccamaw Mental Health Center
Waccamaw Mental Health Center is part of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health. They have locations throughout South Carolina, including the Waccamaw Center for Mental Health in Conway. Multiple programs serve children, adolescents, and adults, and include treatment for substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Since it’s a public health system, they accept Medicare, Medicaid, and other government funded health plans.
A Unique Approach to Mental Health Care in South Carolina
The treatment center is in Conway, a picturesque river town only 10 miles from beautiful Myrtle Beach. The center is part of such a large network, and clients can work with mental health teams across different disciplines. This improves outcomes because clients address their mental health challenges from multiple perspectives.
After a thorough assessment, treatment options are customized to your needs. Treatment includes psychotherapy and individual counseling. They offer language services for clients whose first language isn’t English.
Facilitating Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment
If you’re diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, the center will refer you to the Georgetown Clinic about an hour from the Waccamaw location. The Georgetown Clinic offers specialized group therapy for clients diagnosed with co-occurring disorders. Clients may receive further treatment and services from local community agencies and substance use commissions through a referral.
The Homeless Project for Safe & Affordable Housing
The center works to provide affordable, safe, and decent housing for clients with persistent and severe mental health disorders. Through government grants, the center conducts outreach projects to the mentally ill homeless. They offer case management services, assessments, and referrals for these clients.
In conjunction with local developers, the center has developed three projects. One project provides 14 affordable one-bedroom units. Another project provides rental assistance vouchers to homeless families and individuals; the third project is the development of 20 affordable one-bedroom apartments.
Additionally, the SCDMH has introduced Homeshare. This innovative foster care program is for adults discharged from an inpatient facility who are unable to live alone.
Latest Reviews
If you are in need of affordable help, this place is good. I work with Ms.Valerie Nash and she is extremely kind, caring, understanding, and firm with her guidance, she will get you back on your feet as long as you sincerely try. I can't sing her praises enough. Thank you Ms. Valerie.
This place has very little interest in actually helping patients. I took my dad there to get an urgent refill, and was told we could get it the next day. However, after completing the arduous intake process, they said we could get the refill in two months when the next VIRTUAL appointment was. Complete waste of time. As an added bonus, as soon as I walked in, one of the receptionists mentioned something was driving her crazy! very loudly, which I don t really think is a professional or appropriate thing to say in front of all the patients waiting. It s obvious the South Carolina government has no interest in the wellbeing of people in their state.
Update: This review is over two years old and none of this has changed. My psychiatrist has cancelled three of my last four appointments. Had to beg to see someone else so I wouldn't run out of meds. So fun!Original review is below:Been a patient here since the 90s. The therapists, psychiatrists, and other staff members have always been of a quality that's very hit or miss, but over the past few years it's been misses far more often than not.The turnover rate for staff is exceedingly high. Any time I've gotten comfortable with a therapist or psychiatrist, they've quit or retired. I often also have little to no warning, it just kind of happens. Really not a fun experience, especially when I go from having someone that worked well with me to someone I was totally incompatible with.Speaking of incompatible, let's talk about the bad staff members.1. My first psychiatrist would spend large portions of every appointment pushing stuff like flax seed and fish oil. He would also talk at length about the book he'd written. I eventually swapped to someone else.2. Second psychiatrist had some weird fixation on trying to associate many of my symptoms with sexual stuff. Very weird, very awkward, and very senseless.3. First therapist was fantastic. A real treasure, honestly. Her replacement, however, was a man that spent a solid 90% of every appointment talking about his own life. He discussed other patients, too. Not by name, but that doesn't make it any less unethical. I swapped to someone else after a year or so of his "me me me" attitude.3. Third therapist was fantastic. Worked very well with me, helped me work through a lot of personal issues, you name it. Then she quit with almost no warning and assigned me to someone else. Her replacement was a guy who was so focused on goals (massive stuff that he wanted me to do ASAP, not just taking steps with a long-term focus). I had a panic attack over it after a year or so of that and opted out of therapy altogether.5. After the above, I started to just see nurses instead of therapists. Some were decent, but my current one is very flaky. She cancels more than 50% of my appointments, often with no warning. Sometimes I don't get a call from a staff member until I'm already halfway there, other times I don't get told about the cancellation until I've been there for over an hour.6. That last sentence brings me to another problem: appointments being delayed happens far more often not and that's been the case for ages. Really frustrating to sit in the lobby for 30-60 minutes just to find out that the person I'm there to see is having an emergency with a patient and can't see me.7. Psychiatrists messing up medications happens at least once a year. Mine was supposed to call in six months worth of medication the last time I was there, but she actually only called in five and I didn't find that out until I picked them up from the pharmacy. Trying to get that sorted out now.8. Many staff members don't seem to understand how to use a computer. Like, at all. I've had several therapists, psychiatrists, and nurses spend a solid 75% of each appointment being totally silent as they very, very slowly typed things into their computer. It's 2023, there's zero excuse for that at this point.9. Waccamaw seems to be struggling financially. Heat and air conditioning are rarely on when they should be.10. If you tell me something specific (So and so will call you at 3:00pm this Friday, for example), then you should either follow through or call me to reschedule if/when you need to. Blowing me off and then randomly calling me back weeks (or even months) later is totally inexcusable, as is not leaving me a voicemail if I'm busy and unable to answer your severely late call.I could go on and on like this for ages. If there was an affordable alternative anywhere nearby, then I would happily never go to this place again. The amount incompetence at Waccamaw is honestly horrifying, as is their total inability to recognize and address it.
Rehab Score
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5.2 / 10
Gallery
Location
Accepted Insurance
Bright Health
Medica
Aexcel PPO
Optima Health
PHCS (Private Healthcare Systems)
Other Forms of Payment
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.
Treatments
Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Programs
Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Staff
Arthur Tisdale
Chairman
Leanne Dillian
Secretary-Treasurer
Deborah Heller
Vice Chairman
Joyce Phillips
BOD
Contact Information
(843) 347-4888 
164 Waccamaw Medical Park Drive
Conway, SC 29526
Get Help Now - 803-575-2354
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Fact checked and written by:
Susan Bertram, BA
Edited by:
Peter Lee, PhD
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