Eden Hendrick, director of the Department of Juvenile Justice, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette)
COLUMBIA — A new psychiatric treatment center is meant to help incarcerated youth with mental health issues, officials said Monday.
The $23 million treatment center is expected to open in November 2026 for teens with mental health issues who are housed at a state detention center, officials said.
“Hard work and tenacity paid off, and soon, we’re going to have a new tool at the state’s disposal to help those children — those who need it most,” Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, said at Monday’s groundbreaking celebration.
About four years ago, advocates and agency heads told Shealy they didn’t have the resources to care for “some of our sickest children,” said Shealy, a former DJJ volunteer who’s fought for improvements. Private treatment centers took some teenagers with serious mental and behavioral health concerns, but they couldn’t take everyone, she said.