Live Oak Mental Health nears full capacity less than one week after opening

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) - Less than one week after opening, the over $47 million mental health hospital, Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness, is near full capacity.

Lowcountry mental health advocates said this speaks to the mental health crisis that the area is experiencing.

Live Oak Mental and Wellness is the first freestanding mental health hospital in the Lowcountry in more than 30 years.

Hospital officials said because of the growing need for mental health services in our community, it wasn’t a shock when they filled up so fast.

“I was not surprised based on the data mining that we had done in anticipation of opening this building,” Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness COO David Was said.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than 37% of adults in South Carolina reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, and 23% were unable to get counseling or therapy.

“We know that we’re servicing a large demand that’s needed that’s currently unmet in this community,” Was said.

Was said they opened on June 6 with 35 inpatient beds. All of them were filled within four days, with 13 admissions on the first night of opening.

Next week, the hospital will open another wing, adding 10 more beds. Then, in August, they will add 15 beds for children ages 12-17.

Was said they’re strategically growing at this pace to make sure every patient gets the attention and care they deserve.

“That way it’s more organized, our staff knows the routines of this building, they know what to anticipate for the next wave of patients,” Was said.

Hospital officials say the average length of stay for adults is 6 to 8 days.

Kelly Troyer with NAMI said she was not surprised to hear that the hospital filled up so quickly because the mental health crisis has only gotten worse after COVID-19.

Laura Moss specializes in Youth care at NAMI. She said the need for inpatient care is across the board, but especially for youth because of the many barriers they face in accessing help.

“The sooner you seek treatment the sooner you can feel better, and facilities like this, like Live Oak, are huge for this area,” Moss said.

Miss North Charleston and mental health advocate Catherine Smith said she got a comforting feeling while touring the facility, and the fact that it filled so fast speaks to the need in our community.

“Live Oak provides a place not only as a resource, but a second home,” Smith said.

Was said the facility will continue to grow, adding 20 more beds in the coming months by converting some private rooms to semi-private, and then even constructing a new wing.