Waccamaw Center for Mental Health

1961 - Passage by the South Carolina General Assembly of the Community Mental Health Service Act.

 

1967 - The Horry-Georgetown-Williamsburg Mental Health Center is established with one administrative staff member. The local Mental Health Association plays a significant role in recruitment of funding and in hiring the first staff. The Center Board is nominated.

 

1968-1969 - The first professional counselor is employed, and after-care services are initiated in a church in Georgetown County. The first Clinician and Center Director was James Pearson, who remained the Center Director until 1993, and led the Center through two and one-half decades of growth. The first Center was located in a two level house on Laurel Street in Conway, SC, and physician services were provided once a week by a single travelling M.D.

1972 - An office is opened in Williamsburg County on a part-time basis, and staff travels from Conway twice a week. The total staff now numbers fifteen. There is no full-time physician on staff.

 

1974-1975 - Staff increased to 28 including "medical consultants". Clinics are opened in Georgetown, Kingstree and Myrtle Beach.

 

1976-1977 - Programs and psychiatric programs are increased. "Sheltered living programs" are developed. The name is changed to the Waccamaw Center For Mental Health.

 

1977-1978 - Systems were developed for the protection of patients' rights, quality assurance, accessibility, problem-oriented records, and peer review. This activity was in preparation for submission of a federal grant application to become a "Comprehensive Mental Health Center".

 

1979 - Health Education and Welfare (HEW) funding is received to become a Comprehensive Community Mental Health Center.