Old name to current agency:
| Former agency | Now |
|---|---|
| DHEC (public health functions) | SC Department of Public Health (SC DPH), effective July 1, 2024; environmental regulatory functions sit under a separate agency |
| DDSN (Disabilities and Special Needs) | Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD), under SC BHDD |
| DMH (Department of Mental Health) | Office of Mental Health (OMH), under SC BHDD |
| Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services | Office of Substance Use Services, under SC BHDD |
The combined SC Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (SC BHDD) was created under legislation (S.2) signed by Governor McMaster on April 28, 2025.
DHEC split: South Carolina's former Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) was separated into distinct agencies effective July 1, 2024 — public health functions now sit under the SC Department of Public Health (SC DPH), with environmental regulatory functions under a separate agency. Licensure, inspection, and public health guidance that previously routed through DHEC now generally routes through SC DPH; licenses issued before the split remain valid.
DDSN and DMH restructuring — a more complete merger than often assumed: The former SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN) was restructured into the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD), AND the former SC Department of Mental Health (DMH) was restructured into the Office of Mental Health (OMH) — both now sit under one combined SC Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (SC BHDD), which also absorbed the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (now the Office of Substance Use Services), under legislation signed by Governor McMaster on April 28, 2025. This is easy to miss: providers sometimes assume only DDSN was folded in, but DMH's entire structure — its 16 community mental health centers, hospitals, and nursing homes — is now organizationally under BHDD's Office of Mental Health as well.
What did NOT change: Core phone numbers, the service application process, and the specific programs each office runs remain functionally the same — this was organizational/governance-level restructuring, not a change to how individuals apply for or receive services. BHDD's community mental health centers remain CARF-accredited; its two psychiatric hospitals remain Joint Commission-accredited and DPH-licensed; its nursing homes remain DPH-licensed and CMS-certified — none of that changed with the reorganization.
Action item: Any internal policy, orientation material, or provider-facing document still referencing "DHEC," "DDSN," or "DMH" by name should be updated — not because the underlying programs changed, but because outdated references confuse new staff and can misdirect inquiries to the wrong office.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm against the official source before you act, or ask us how this applies to your organization.