HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — A new mental health facility has opened its doors in Conway, aiming to address the pressing need for mental health resources in the county.
Ben Greenzweig of Radial Conway highlighted the challenges faced by the community.
“Mental health care is broken and we’re here to fix that,” Greenzweig said.
He noted that the rapid population growth in recent years has exacerbated the shortage of mental health resources, which were already insufficient.
Currently, South Carolina has 16 state run community-based mental health centers and inpatient psychiatric treatment in three state hospitals serving 46 counties.
The “2024 State of Mental Health in America” report ranked South Carolina 49th out of 50 states and D.C. for access to mental health care, a concerning statistic given that at least 20% of South Carolinians have faced a mental health crisis.
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Greenzweig emphasized the facility’s goal.
“Our goal is to help people before they get anywhere near that level of crisis,” Greenzweig said.
The new facility in Conway offers services targeting anxiety, PTSD, and depression, with innovative technology like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) playing a key role.
“TMS is an incredibly small helmet that targets the specific circuits in the brain where things like depression and anxiety live.”
While TMS has been available for years, expanded insurance coverage has made it more accessible.
In Horry County, the nonprofit Living Water provides resources for uninsured individuals to cover the treatment.
The new facility, located on Main Street in Conway, was welcomed by city leaders, the Conway Chamber of Commerce and the community during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Radial opened its first location in Myrtle Beach in 2024.