As of January 1, 2009 the South Carolina Department of Mental Health provides services to approximately 1400 consumers living in CRCFs across the state. Overall, the Department of Mental Health’s consumers use less than 8% of the 17,165 CRCF beds licensed by DHEC.

Of the consumers served, over half (61%) are male and 39% are female. More than half (57%) of the consumers are African-American and 44% are Caucasian.  The average age of the 1,400 consumers served is 55. The majority (78%) of the 1,400 consumers served have a diagnosis of a severe mental illness.

The consumers living in CRCFs who receive services from their local mental health center  receive a variety of services including, but not limited to:

• counseling,
• case management,
• and rehabilitation programs.

Consumers who live in CRCFs may also participate in the mental health center’s clubhouses and rehabilitative psychosocial therapy programs. The Department of Mental Health’s community mental health centers may also provide training to the CRCF staff on:

• mental illnesses,
• medications and their side-effects,
• rights of residents,
• communicating effectively,
• and procedures to follow in case of a psychiatric emergency.