It is with great pleasure that we announce the 2017 Outstanding Employee of the Year Winner and the 2018 Louise R. Hassenplug Winner.
Maggie Johnson, 2017 BHDD Office of Mental Health Employee of the Year
The 2017 Outstanding Employee of the Year is Ms. Margaret Johnson with Columbia Area Mental Health Center, where she is the Nurse Practitioner (NP) at the Young Adults Program, Adult Clinic Services, Homeshare, and the Lower Richland office. Ms. Johnson is also a great team player. Whenever she meets with a client and any kind of concern comes up, she emails the case manager to make sure everyone is on the same page. She is a strong advocate of injectable medications which has proven effective in stabilizing many clients, reduced their hospitalizations, and decreased symptoms. Ms. Johnson is also the first Nurse Practitioner at the Department of Mental Health (BHDD Office of Mental Health) to utilize telepsychiatry.
Charles Crockett, 2018 Hassenplug Award winner
The 2018 Louise R. Hassenplug Winner is Mr. Charles Crockett with Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center, where he is the Lead Clinician for the Assertive Community Treatment-Like (ACT-Like) Team and has maintained a great relationship with community partners to better assist the patients they serve. Mr. Crockett took the lead on Collaborative Organization Serving Adults (COSA) to stop the cycle of a client that was circulating between the jail, Emergency Room, psychiatric hospital, and back to the jail. Mr. Crockett’s participation and leadership in the COSA meetings resulted in a successful outcome for the client, as well as cost savings for our community. Mr. Crockett is dedicated to improving the care for people with mental illness and he goes above and beyond for all individuals that are served.
The Hassenplug award recognizes annually a clinician who has made an outstanding contribution to the treatment of those with mental illness. The award was established in honor of Louise R. Hassenplug, who served on the BHDD Office of Mental Health Commission from 1987-1999.
Columbia, S.C. – On September 12, 2026, a South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) mobile crisis team responded to the home of Justine May. BHDD is cooperating with investigators and participating in reviews by the local Child Fatality Review Team and the State Child Fatality Advisory Committee, along with other agencies and community partners.
We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Emory and Harlow Deacon and all those affected by this tragedy.
Columbia, S.C. – On September 12, 2026, a South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) mobile crisis team responded to the home of Justine May. BHDD is cooperating with investigators and participating in reviews by the local Child Fatality Review Team and the State Child Fatality Advisory Committee, along with other agencies and community partners.
We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Emory and Harlow Deacon and all those affected by this tragedy.
BHDD encourages families, schools and communities to talk openly about substance use and support healthy choices
Columbia, S.C. – October 1, 2026 – The South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) recognizes Substance Use Prevention Month this October by encouraging South Carolinians to start open, honest conversations about substance use, mental health, and the challenges young people may face.
BHDD encourages South Carolinians to embrace recovery and celebrate progress
Columbia, SC – September 2, 2026 – The South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) is proud to join communities across the nation in observing National Recovery Month this September and celebrating the more than 470,000 South Carolinians living in recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD).
