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Mental health center urges county support to preserve mobile-crisis and school-based services
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Summary
Coastal Empire Community Mental Health said it lost a $250,000 grant and is asking Beaufort County for $112,500 to sustain its Highway to Hope mobile crisis and related services; the center also reported growing mobile crisis responses and school-clinic staffing shortages.
Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center (presented by Angie Sally, executive director) told Beaufort County Council the center serves five counties including Beaufort and is seeking $112,500 from the county to support mobile crisis and outreach programs after a $250,000 grant was not renewed.
Sally said the center’s mobile crisis team operates 24/7 and that mobile responses in Beaufort County rose from 123 in FY24 to 150 in the most recent reporting period, which the agency counts as successful diversions from emergency-department and detention outcomes. She described the "Highway to Hope" mobile unit and said the loss of the $250,000 grant imperils planned expansion, adding that the center’s FY27 ask matches last year’s county request of $112,500 to sustain staffing and mobile services.
Sally also said school-based mental-health services face staff shortages: though the program is slated for 14 schools countywide, staffing shortages currently limit on-site coverage to 5–6 schools, mostly in Bluffton-Hilton Head. She said the center is contracting to fill some roles but warned a county shortfall would delay hiring and reduce on-site availability.
Councilors asked whether municipalities contribute to the center; Sally said Beaufort City provides funding through its police department and the center would welcome municipal support from Bluffton and Hilton Head. She cautioned that ongoing state allocation uncertainty and one-time grant losses make local funding critical to maintain response times and outreach.
