Policy and Advocacy Team

• Identify opportunities to leverage the collective voice of the Alliance to achieve Alliance goals; inclusive of type and level of advocacy needed.
• Determine the most effective ways to reduce barriers for the achievement of Alliance goals through advocacy
• Guide collective advocacy efforts approved by the Alliance

Notes:

• The Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina Policy and Advocacy Team does not engage in legislative advocacy or lobbying.
• 2017 Meeting Times: To be announced.

Accelerating Behavioral Health Outcomes improvement in South Carolina

(Download details)

Local experts in Behavioral Health released this year two sets of recommendations to improve Behavioral Health in South Carolina and to decrease Prescription Drug Abuse in our state.

The Alliance encourages members to support all recommendations as appropriate to the individual organizations, with specific collective focus on 6 recommendations prioritized by the Policy and Advocacy Team:

Prioritized Prescription Drug Prevention Recommendations:

• Support use of SCRIPTs (South Carolina Reporting & Identification Prescription Tracking System) by providers.
• Support the use of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction, especially during pregnancy.
• Support the expansion of prescription drug take-back sites.

Prioritized Behavioral Health Recommendations:

• Create short-stay crisis stabilization facilities across the state for patients experiencing a behavioral health emergency.
• Support the expansion of access to outpatient behavioral health services around the state.
• Develop a network of Mobile Crisis Units.

A new case study about the Charleston-Dorchester Mental Health Center, explains these three components of a comprehensive behavioral health strategy.