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County’s Disabilities and Special Needs department outlines services, long Medicaid waiver waits
Summary
Beaufort County’s Disabilities and Special Needs department presented program overviews, staffing and funding sources and warned of long Medicaid waiver waiting lists affecting hundreds locally.
Beth Cody, representing Beaufort County Disability and Special Needs (DSN), told the committee April 7 that the county department serves children and adults with intellectual and related disabilities and operates as a county department since 1986.
Cody said the department’s mission is to provide services and supports that let people “live productively and inclusively in the community,” and she described programs including early intervention (birth to 5), case management (about 600 individuals countywide), residential services (51 individuals) and an adult day program (93 individuals).
Why it matters: Cody said DSN’s work depends heavily on Medicaid waiver funding and that South Carolina has extensive waiting lists — “more than 20,000 people are on waiting lists in South Carolina,” she said — which delays services for eligible residents. Cody told the committee her staff estimate about 543 county residents are on the state waiting list based on rough local math.
Funding and operations: Cody said most funding comes from Medicaid waiver billing, with some state‑only programs such as family support; staff receive annual required training and the department partners with multiple local agencies, including Beaufort Memorial Hospital and local behavioral health providers. She said DSN also works with the Abel Foundation and a local advisory board and human rights committee.
Requests and next steps: Cody encouraged officials to raise the waiver waiting‑list problem with state delegates — “If you meet with your state delegates, let them know of the problem,” she said — and described workforce and training needs as ongoing challenges. Committee members suggested coordination with local grant writers and other regional partners to seek additional funding and supports.
Ending: Committee members praised DSN’s residential and day‑program operations and invited council members to tour DSN facilities. Cody requested public and official support in lobbying the state for additional waiver slots and federal and state matching funds.
