Florence, SC & the Pee Dee Region
Your Community Guide
29501 · The Community Hub
Florence has real mental health resources — local counselors, school therapists, crisis support, and free options. Everything in one place. No judgment.
Hey. If you're reading this, I want you to know something first: you're not broken.
Growing up in Florence — or anywhere, honestly — comes with its own set of stress. School pressure, family stuff, figuring out what you're going to do with your life, social media, the news, money, relationships. It's a lot. And a lot of people walk around pretending it's fine when it's not.
This page isn't a pamphlet. It's not written for your parents. It's for you. Everything here is either free or low-cost, and none of it requires insurance or a referral.
You deserve support. Let's get you to the right place.
Free. Confidential. No insurance needed.
These services are free, confidential, and available any time of day or night.
Call or text 988 from any phone. Connects you with trained counselors in minutes. Anxiety, overwhelm, and grief are enough to call.
Free · Confidential · 24/7
Text HELLO to 741741. Text-based — no phone call required. Good if you can't speak out loud.
Free · Text anytime · 24/7
1-833-364-2274 — responds within 60 minutes. Phone support or in-person response available.
1-833-364-2274Free · 24/7 · SC Residents
Not sure if it's a crisis? Call or text 988 anyway. That's what it's there for.
Florence 1 Schools employs school-based mental health therapists at every school in the district. If you're a Florence 1 student and you're struggling — with anxiety, depression, family stress, grief, or anything else — your school has a therapist on staff.
After-hours crisis contact: SC DMH Mobile Crisis Line: 1-833-364-2274
200 E. Howe Springs Road, Building 700, Florence, SC 29505
Florence 1 Schools' dedicated mental health and therapeutic education program, serving students in grades 1–12 whose mental health, behavioral, or learning needs require a more intensive setting. The program integrates individual therapy, group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, social-emotional lessons, art therapy, music therapy, and equine therapy into the academic day.
This is not a disciplinary program. It is a therapeutic and academic support designed to help students build skills and confidence.
For referrals: Contact your child's school counselor or the Florence 1 exceptional children's department.
compassacademy.f1s.orgDifferent situations need different kinds of help. Figure out which one fits where you are.
That's normal. Senior year, college applications, scholarships, figuring out what you want to do — it's a lot. You don't need therapy for this. You need someone who can help you think it through.
If you've been feeling down for more than a couple of weeks — can't get motivated, can't sleep, don't want to be around people, feeling hopeless — that's worth talking to someone about. You don't have to figure this out alone.
If you're thinking about hurting yourself, or if something bad just happened and you're not safe, go here first:
Or call/text the 988 Lifeline: 988
If you need immediate emergency help, call 911 and tell them you need a welfare check or crisis intervention.
If your friend is going through something hard, you can't fix it for them. But you can be there, and you can help them get to the right resource. The worst thing you can do is nothing.
In South Carolina, that number has climbed sharply over the last decade — the state saw a 55% increase in children reporting anxiety or depression between 2016 and 2020, one of the highest increases in the nation.
That means in any Florence County classroom, several students are carrying something heavy. Most of them never tell anyone.
This page exists because Florence has real help available — and most young people don't know it's here. The goal is simple: know your options before you need them, and know where to go when you do.
National Alliance on Mental Illness — serving Florence, Darlington, Marion, Chesterfield, Marlboro, and Dillon counties. Offers support groups, educational programs, and connection to the broader NAMI network.
Email: [email protected]
NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264
Website: namisc.org/about-nami-south-carolina/local-affiliates/nami-pee-dee
South Carolina Department of Mental Health operates a statewide mobile crisis team that responds within 60 minutes of contact, 24 hours a day. Available to any SC resident experiencing a mental health crisis.
Phone: 1-833-364-2274 (toll-free, 24/7)
Email: [email protected]
A lot of young people don't reach out because they don't know what will happen. Here's the truth.
A trained crisis counselor answers or texts back. They will ask how you're doing and listen. They will not send police to your house unless you specifically tell them you are in immediate physical danger and ask for that. The call is confidential.
You will schedule an intake appointment. At the intake, a counselor will talk with you about what you're experiencing and determine the right level of care. You will not be admitted anywhere against your will unless you are determined to be an immediate danger to yourself or others.
School staff are required by law to report specific situations — primarily if they believe a student is in imminent danger of harming themselves or others. Talking about stress, anxiety, family problems, or feeling sad is not a reportable situation. You can talk to your school counselor about those things privately.
You don't have to be in crisis to need support. Mental health support is also for:
Academic stress and pressure about grades, college, or the future
Anxiety about social situations, friendships, or fitting in
Family conflict, instability, or changes at home
Grief and loss
Loneliness — especially in a smaller city
Identity questions — including sexuality and gender identity
If any of those sound familiar, you are not broken. You are a person going through something hard. The resources on this page exist for exactly that.
NAMI has free programs for families: nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Family-Support-Group
If you want ongoing support — not just crisis help — there are options in Florence. Local counselors, sliding scale fees, and services that don't require insurance.
125 East Cheves Street, Florence, SC 29506
Phone: (843) 317-4073
Outpatient counseling, psychiatric evaluation, individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy. Serves children, adolescents, and adults. Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and SC Healthy Connections. No one denied services due to inability to pay — sliding fee scale available.
To get started: call the main number to schedule an intake appointment. You do not need a referral.
(843) 317-4073Website: scdmh.org/pdmhc
Multiple Florence locations:
• 360 North Irby St.
• 600 E. Palmetto St.
• 3380 Pine Needles Rd.
Phone: (843) 667-9414
Federally qualified community health center. Individual counseling, psychiatric care, medication management, and substance use counseling integrated with primary care. Sliding fee scale available — no one turned away.
To get started: call to schedule a primary care appointment. You'll be connected with behavioral health services from there.
(843) 667-9414Website: hope-health.org/services/behavioral-health-services
You don't need insurance. You don't need a referral. You don't need your parents to make an appointment. Crisis Text Line (741741) and the 988 Lifeline are completely free, 24/7. Pee Dee Mental Health Center offers sliding scale fees based on what you can pay. Your school counselor is free.
If cost is the only thing stopping you — it's not a barrier here.
Whether you're looking for help yourself, trying to support someone else, or just learning what's available — you're already doing the right thing.
Crisis Line: 988 (call or text) · Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741 · Pee Dee MHC: (843) 317-4073