COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster today was joined by members of the General Assembly, state agency leaders, and other state officials for a ceremonial bill signing of S. 2, establishing the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) and completing the most significant restructuring of South Carolina state government in more than 30 years.

“This reform represents the single most important step we’ve taken in over 30 years to bring direct accountability and leadership to the delivery of critical health and human services,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “For too long, South Carolinians struggling with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance use disorders have had to navigate through a confusing landscape of offices, agencies, and officials as they seek help for a loved one or dependent. Now with the creation of BHDD, South Carolinians will only need to go to one agency to get the help they need.”

The legislation merges the former Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN), and Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) into a single, cabinet-level agency directly accountable to the governor. Prior to this bill, DMH and DDSN were run by boards of commissioners with no direct accountability to the executive branch. 

“We started with Certificate of Need, then we addressed DHEC, and today, what we are doing by consolidating these three agencies is working to restructure our government healthcare system,” said Senator Harvey Peeler. “This is a big day for South Carolina. It is an important piece of legislation that will make our citizens happier and healthier.”  

The newly formed BHDD will be led by a director appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. It includes the following three offices, with each office led by a director who will be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the director: 

• Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• Office of Mental Health
• Office of Substance Use Services

The reform effort began in 2023 when Governor McMaster called for an independent review of the state’s behavioral health system.That review found South Carolina had the most fragmented and siloed system in the nation, creating inefficiencies and confusion for those seeking care. 

“This is Team South Carolina putting the needs of our people first. We are providing the opportunity to meet people where their needs are,” said Senator Thomas Alexander. “We’ve had a siloed system here in South Carolina. This gives us the foundation to make sure that the needs of individuals who are reaching out for help will get the help they need. Our citizens across South Carolina are the real winners today.”

The bill builds upon the governor’s 2023 signing of the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) restructuring bill, which reconstituted the agency as two cabinet agencies – the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Department of Environmental Services. Together, these reforms represent the largest overhaul of state government since Governor Carroll Campbell led a restructuring of state agencies in the early 1990s.

“In 1993, when Governor Campbell signed the first major restructuring bill, there were 77 different state agencies that provided services. This was the last piece – getting these three relatively small but very important state agencies coordinated,” said Senator Tom Davis. “Today, 32 years later, we are accomplishing what Governor Campbell tried to accomplish and could not. This is all about better services for South Carolinians at a lower cost.”

The new agency is located at the state’s health campus in Cayce, S.C., alongside DPH. Together, the two agencies employ approximately 1,300 individuals at the campus – 861 with DPH and approximately 450 with BHDD.

“This bill signing is more than just structural change. It is a promise to the people who have struggled to navigate a confusing system while in crisis, a promise to families who spent years searching for help, and a promise to help care providers who need strong, unified partners in government to serve patients with care and effectivness," said Representative Sylleste Davis. “For too long, mental health services have been spread across multiple entities, resulting in confusion, delays in care, and opportunities missed to intervene. With this bill, we are changing that.”