Waccamaw Center for Mental Health

1981 - The Center moves the main facility from Laurel Street in Conway to a renovated building on North Main Street in the same town. Services and staff continue to increase. The Minority Outreach program receives national recognition. A satellite clinic is opened in Hemmingway in Williamsburg County.

 

1985 - The Center newspaper, "Stone Soup" is initiated. Additional office space is added to the Williamsburg facility in Kingstree.

 

1986 - Sea Haven Crisis Stabilization Program for Children is established as a non-profit with assistance from the Center. There are 40 professional staff and 20 administrative staff Center-wide.

 

1988 - Following a decade of growth, the Center has Clinics in Conway, Georgetown, Kingstree, and Myrtle Beach. Outreach services are provided in Greeleyville, Hemmingway, Loris, Canal Street Recreation Center, and Smith­Jones Community Center.

 

1989 - Administrative services moves to a new location on 17th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach, and the Conway facility is closed. A new facility is being planned for the Horry County area.

1993 - Jim Pearson, the first and only Center Director since the initiation of the Center, retires. Willie Bethune becomes the Executive Director. The total number of staff is "100 and growing". The vision of the Center is to become a "Mental Health Center Without Walls".

The Center moves into its' new 33,000 square foot facility at 164 Waccamaw Medical Park Drive, Conway, S.C. Plans are initiated to build a new facility in Georgetown County .

 

1996 - The new Georgetown facility is completed. A satellite Clinic is opened in Loris, S.C. in Horry County.

 

1997 - The Center receives its' first CARF accreditation. The School-based program has grown to about 20 in-school counselors, and forty families are participating in the Homeshare program. The Center has 190 staff members. The first Toward Local Care wave is initiated. It will be followed over the years by six other waves.