New state director of mental health outlines challenges
By JOE L. HUGHES II Ledger Staff Writer joe@gaffneyledger.com

Mental health professionals Richard Harrison, William Powell, state director of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health John Magill and John Hutto were on hand last Tuesday for the Gaffney Rotary Club's weekly meeting. Magill was the guest speaker at the event.

Aiming to inform people of the many misconceptions of mental health in South Carolina as well as nationwide, state director of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) John Magill paid a visit to Cherokee County last Tuesday as the guest speaker at the Gaffney Rotary Club.

For more than 40 years, Magill has been a force in the field of behavioral healthcare, serving as Georgia's state director of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and assistant director for the Division of Mental Health and Retardation. He was appointed director of the SCDMH last September.

Since taking the post, he has made it a priority to inform residents of the Palmetto State how his department operates and how it affects the state as whole.

"Our department is one of the largest in the state, and with that in mind we are committed to providing services delivered efficiently," Magill said. "By doing so we believe taxpayers receive a good return from their investment in the Department of Mental Health."

With a working budget of $385 million, the agency is one of the largest providers of healthcare in the state. More than 100,000 people have been treated this year at its 17 community mental health centers and 50 clinics across the state.

Cherokee County serves 557 clients, most of whom are students participating in one of the 11 SCMDH sponsored school-based programs at county schools. The program, which is designed to exercise a child's psychosocial skills, aims to keep children at home, in school and out of trouble.

"These programs help us to divert hospitalization and help keep them in a their natural environment," said Cherokee County Mental Health and Counseling Center acting director Richard Harrison.

Removing the stigma of certain mental illnesses and diseases has been a challenge during Magill's tenure as director of the SCDMH, with people refusing treatment options or not knowing what opportunities are available.

"For years, people have had questions of whether treatment works or not," Magill said. "I'm here to say that those ailments can be treated."

Recruiting professionals to work with the mentally ill has also been a challenge.

"It is definitely hard to recruit and retain staff," Magill said. "We are losing people at an alarming rate. However, I believe we are going in the right direction and want people to join the ranks of those willing to speak up and take action for the mentally ill."