“Highway To Hope” RVs bring mental health services closer to home

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Wednesday morning, 16 “Highway To Hope” RVs came together on Bull Street for a South Carolina Department of Mental Health community event.

The day gave everyone a chance to get an up-close look at its “Highway To Hope” mobile services.

Touray Beaton is a Highway-2-Hope Coordinator for Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center and says bringing their services closer to those who need help oftentimes prevents someone from hospitalization or going to jail.

“We provide counseling services, which can be individual therapy services, we can do crisis intervention services if there’s a need for that. We can do psychiatric medical assessments for anybody that needs to see our psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. We also can provide nursing services for any of our patients,” says Beaton.

Broderick Anderson is an Outreach Clinician for the Columbia Area Mental Health Center.

“A lot of people don’t have the financial income to buy those bus tickets or have family members to bring them to their appointments so we’re trying to reach them where they’re at and let them know we’re here to try to meet you and close that gap, and try to get everybody back on a page of recovery,” Anderson says.

The RVs not only provide a private setting for folks in need, they help break the stigma surrounding mental health issues, says Anderson, adding, “Don’t take anything for granted because any day it could be you on the other side of the bridge. So if I can see someone on the other side of the bridge on the right side of the road, that’s joy to me.”

Senator Tameika Isaac Devine says the rates of people experiencing mental health challenges are increasing, and the RVs are critical to helping lower those numbers.

“It’s important that we have an opportunity to go into the communities, so that people know what resources are available, how to get help, and most importantly what are the signs if you see someone in your family or your loved one experiencing a mental health issue that you know what those are. So education is key,” Devine says.

Helpful links and information below: 

SC Mobile Crisis information can be found here.

South Carolina Mobile Crisis can be reached by calling (833) 364-2274 or texting “HOPE” to 741741.

A directory for mental health clinics and centers can be found here.

Office of Suicide Prevention information can be found here.