GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  Do you ever have a time when you feel as though life is overwhelming? That it’s too much to bear to get dressed, get in the car and go to work?

Going to the store to buy groceries is more of a hassle than you can deal with?

That getting dressed for work requires too much effort to deal with picking out the clothes for the day?

Betsy Franklin, RN, is an “Angel of Mercy” with the Waccamaw Centers for Mental Health.

Everlena Lance, chairman of Mental Health America of South Carolina for Georgetown County, applauds the work that Franklin and others are doing with people with mental illness.

Franklin, for instance, helps people carry on their day-to-day lives with the challenge of mental illness and the challenge of daily living.

She gives support and encouragement with their needs and medications. And, she helps link clients with other agencies in the area where they may need assistance.

Some of the helping agencies are Department of Social Services, Salvation Army, Smith Clinic at Pawleys Island, St. James-Santee Family Health Center and St. Cyprian’s Outreach Center.

“That all falls under truly taking care of a mentally ill person, but not everyone does that. That’s why I applaud her,” Lance said.

“If we would all take that kind of interest, mentally ill people would be much better off.”

Team effort

Franklin is grateful for the recognition, but shares credit.

“I work with a lot of special people — clients and employees. It’s a team effort. I work closely with psychiatrists and other mental health counselors,” Franklin said.

She’s been with the Waccamaw Center for Mental Health — the agency serves Georgetown, Williamsburg and Horry counties — for more than 15 years.

Many of the clients she works with today have been helped through the Waccamaw Center all that time. “We’re growing old together,” Franklin said.

She enjoys working with the families, too, because their support is so important to the well-being of the client.

The Georgetown clinic opened in its current location in 2002. Franklin said the agency did a nice job with the building.

Jannie Morant is another worker with the Waccamaw Center. She said Franklin is really deserving of the “Humanitarian Award” she received a couple of years ago. Franklin will readily step in to help if someone is out, including with difficult clients.

“She has given me a whole different view of working with mentally ill clients,” Morant said.

Remained calm

Another person who was recognized with a “Humanitarian Award” was office Jim Amundsen.

“We had a client who was in crisis,” Morant said, and “was totally out of control.”

The client “tried to get the policeman to do anything — tase the client, kill the client, anything. The client was out of control,” Morant said.

“The officer didn’t do anything” to harm the client. “He remained totally calm.”

“He’s a wonderful role model for any officer,” Lance said, “of how to deal with someone who is mentally ill.”

Additionally, Lance recognized Pepsi Cola for its support of various community efforts including walks for mental health. “I applaud them for giving to the community,” Lance said.

Looking directly at Morant, Lance said “For somebody I had to drag in, who didn’t know anything, you have learned a lot. You really help.”

She explained that working with Mental Health America is a volunteer effort.

Others in the office include Doris Prince, clinic director. She works with recovery groups, teaching them how to manage budgets, tutors those seeking a GED, college and financial aid applications and more.

Help for clients

Overall, the Waccamaw Centers for Mental Health deal with about 1,200 to 1,300 clients.

In Georgetown County, the clinic is on Lafayette Street. There’s other facilities in Kensington, at the Choppee Regional Resource Center and an office at Meadowlands in Andrews. There’s also a boarding home in Hemingway.

Other offices are in Kingstree in Williamsburg County and Conway in Horry County.

People will call or come by the clinic on their own, or physicians may refer people. “There are a lot of self-referrals,” Lance said.

The agency offers individual, group and family counseling.

Insurance often pays the cost of services. There’s also self-pay, and fees can be based on income levels.

“Service is never denied, whether you can pay or not,” Lance said.

“We are trying to bring people awareness through Mental Health America,” Lance said.

“I am a consumer myself. We are trying to erase the stigma.”

A word of caution from Lance: “Don’t ever tell a person, all you have to do is pray.

“It has nothing to do with your religion or your faith in God.”

She added that it helps people know we can talk with them, because we’ve been there ourselves, Lance said.

“The hardest one to get to come is family. There is no shame in it, realizing you need help.”

Morant added that when she meets with clients she tries to be as successful as possible with them, stressing their accomplishments.

“We have a lot of fun,” Morant said.

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The South Carolina Department of Mental Health has a lot of information on its Web site: www.state.sc.us/dmh.

Locally, the Georgetown office is just a few block away from Georgetown High School and near the  county health department.

For more information visit or call:

Waccamaw Center For Mental Health, 525 Lafayette St., Georgetown, SC 29440. Call (843) 546-6107.

You may also visit the Web site:

www.waccamawmentalhealth.org.

By Tommy Howard

thoward@gtowntimes.com