Thank you for reading the September edition of The ​Advocate. We’re excited to start it off with news about ​the groundbreaking of the William R. Byars, Jr. ​Treatment Center, the PRTF for justice-involved youth ​who also have serious mental health issues. I’m elated ​that this project is coming to fruition and will soon be ​able to help these youth.

We’re also excited to share some new faces on our team ​as well as some familiar faces in new positions, including ​LaDara Depugh, our Guardian ad Litem director, being ​elevated to the agency’s first chief of staff and Melissa ​Pettinato-Irby being named director of the System ​Improvement division. Additionally, Emma Cowley has ​been promoted to COC’s program director for the ​Upstate region.

Speaking of COC, they have just unveiled their new ​totally paperless application that will streamline the ​process for anyone seeking services. Removing this ​barrier will hopefully encourage more people to get the ​help they need.

Our Foster Care Review Boards continue to go above ​and beyond their advocacy roles for children in foster ​care by holding an “independent living” shower for ​several youth who are about to age out of the system.

And our agency shows its support for DMH’s Suicide ​Prevention Month campaign. Ending suicide is a ​statewide mission, and we are committed to raising ​awareness about mental health resources and ending ​the stigma about seeking help. It is just a phone call ​away by dialing 9-8-8.

We hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter, and as ​always, we invite you to share your thoughts and ​comments with us.

LaDara Depugh assumed the role of chief of staff ​for the DCA on September 17. She previously ​served as the director of the Guardian ad Litem ​Program since March 2020 and has a diverse ​background in project management, leadership, ​and child welfare services.

LaDara holds a bachelor’s degree in business ​administration from Francis Marion University and a ​dual master’s degree in leadership/management ​and human resource development from Webster ​University. She also serves on the SC Children’s ​Justice Act Task Force, Safe Babies Court ​Leadership Advisory Team, Racial Justice Action ​Team, and the SC Family Court Bench Bar ​Committee.

Her passion for the well-being of children along ​with her wealth of experience has equipped her well ​for this new role.

Melissa  Pettinato-Irby was named director of the ​System Improvement Division on September 3. She ​began with the agency in January 2023 as the lead ​child advocate.

Melissa holds a bachelor's in criminal justice from ​USC Upstate and is on track to graduate from ​Arizona State University with a 4.0 in social work in ​December. She began her career in law ​enforcement in 2004 before transitioning to DSS in ​2008. Throughout her time at DSS, Melissa held ​various positions and gained extensive training in ​interviewing, case management, investigations, ​legal matters, and training. She joined the DCA ​because of her strong belief in the agency’s ​mission and vision, as well as her passion for ​working with children.

Melissa is dedicated to upholding core values she ​deems crucial for her work: maintaining integrity by ​being honest, transparent, and accountable; ​fostering collaboration to achieve common goals; ​embracing continuous improvement through ​feedback and enhancement of practices; and ​upholding cultural competence by understanding ​and addressing the diverse needs of children. 

Jessica Lecroy began July 17. Born in Shelby, ​North Carolina, she has lived in Cherokee County ​for most of her life. Jessica has previously worked ​as a teacher's aid, early interventionist, and school ​social worker. She graduated from Limestone ​University with a bachelor's degree in social work.

Her passion for helping children led her to seek a ​position with the GAL program. Jessica is eager to ​make a lasting impact on the community and the ​lives of the children and families she serves.

Getting Help Just Got Easier

Continuum of Care has launched a new online ​application that makes it easier, faster, and safer for ​individuals and organizations to make referrals and ​submit applications for treatment of serious emotional ​or behavioral issues.

Available at coc.sc.gov/application, the paperless ​process walks users through each section, ensuring it is ​completely filled out and routed directly to the proper ​office for review, all the while encrypting the data to ​ensure user privacy.

“We’re excited to offer this streamlined process, which ​means we can get to helping children that much faster,” ​says COC Director Greg Wright. “It removes a lot of the ​hassle for parents, providers, and other caregivers, and ​hopefully that translates to an increase in the number of ​youth and families we serve.”

Breaking Ground for a Better Future

(l to r): Jeremy Barr, president of Recovery Solutions: The Honorable Katrina Shealy, SC Senate; Robert Bank, acting state director of ​the Dept. of Mental Health; L. Eden Hendrick, executive director of the Dept. of Juvenile Justice; The Honorable Henry McMaster, ​Governor; Robert M. Kerr, director of the Dept. of Health and Human Services; Amanda Whittle, state child advocate and director of the ​Dept. of Children's Advocacy.

On September 16, DCA Director Amanda Whittle joined ​Governor Henry McMaster, Senator Katrina Shealy, and ​the heads of multiple state agencies for a groundbreaking ​ceremony for the William R. Byars, Jr. Treatment Center, a ​state-operated psychiatric residential treatment facility. Four ​years in the making, the center will serve justice-involved ​youth with severe mental health issues.

The state currently relies on private providers to treat these ​youth, but there are times when these facilities cannot ​provide placement. State law also prohibits youth with ​serious mental illness from staying at a DJJ facility, leaving ​these youth few options—until now.

"I am proud of the work that the Department of Children’s ​Advocacy, Department of Health and Human Services, ​Department of Mental Health, and the Department of ​Juvenile Justice, along with the General Assembly and the ​Governor’s Office have done to co-labor, to work together, ​to create a solution to our state’s need for psychiatric ​treatment of mental health for justice-involved youth," said ​Whittle.

The facility, expected to open in late 2025, is named after the ​Honorable William Byars, who served as a family court judge ​in South Carolina for 10 years and executive director of ​SCDJJ for eight years. He was known for his commitment to ​ensuring youth received the care they deserve, and the best ​chance at a future of success. He was awarded the Order of ​the Palmetto for his work on child welfare reform.

“The Williams Byars Treatment Center is ​designed to improve outcomes for youth by ​setting them on a path to recovery that ​promotes a healthy, productive, law-abiding ​future.”

-- Amanda Whittle

September is Suicide Prevention Month

DCA employees across the state came together to “let their hope shine” in support of the Department of Mental Health’s ​Suicide Prevention Campaign. The campaign’s goal is to spread positive messages of hope, connection, and inspiration ​to those who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. Thank you to all who participated!

DCA State Office - Front Row: (l to r) Lela Barnes, Bianca Davis, Greer Hendricks, Amanda ​Whittle, Tymesha Watts | Second Row: (l to r) Greg Wright, Vivian Ward, Stephanie Spink, ​Eden Everett | Third Row: (l to r) Christina Davis, Laurie Davidson, Latika Smith, Erna ​Jacobs, Terri Thompson, Rob Schaller, LaDara Depugh, Barry Knighton

Jennifer Burch - GAL Pee Dee Regional Director

Chester GAL Office - (l to r) Laquinda Green, ​Estelle Stevenson, Faith Bias

Florence GAL Office - (l to r) Emily Cooper, Kierra Peterson, Destiny Robinson, ​Gregory Stephens, Brandi Johnson, Devin Vance, Michelle Manning-Ham

Building Hope for Children

In August, State Child Advocate and Department ​of Children’s Advocacy Director Amanda Whittle ​(right) snapped a quick picture with Dr. Tonya ​Matthews, president of the International African ​American Museum, before both took the stage at ​the Children's Trust #BuildingHopeforChildren ​conference.

Whittle spoke about the great power we all have to ​build hope for children through empathy and

urgency before introducing Matthews, whose keynote presented ​hope as the strategy for positivity, not only in our own lives but ​also in the lives of others.

Almost 600 people attended the conference, which included ​workshops and exhibits from other agencies and organizations.

Thank you to Children’s Trust SC for a great conference and ​congratulations on 40 years of advocacy!

FCRB Throws an Independent Living Shower

In July, FCRB 05E (Kershaw County) hosted a lunch ​and "independent living" shower for several youth in ​foster care who recently graduated from high school ​and are preparing for adulthood.

During the lunch, board members and DSS case ​managers celebrated their accomplishments and ​provided gift cards and other items to help them make ​the transition to living on their own.

Left to right: Nina Spinelli (FCRD staff), Regina ​Heyward (DSS Case Manager), Ms. Derek ​(Children's Attention Home), child, child, Edythe ​Keisler (DSS Case Manager), child, Mary Long ​(FCRB 05E member), Laurie Parks (FCRB 05E Chair), ​and Nichola McCray-Morris (DSS Case Manager). ​The children's faces have been obscured to protect ​their privacy.

We wish these young people the best of luck!

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

Last month, we shared the efforts of Barbara Acobe (Chair, FCRB 09D - Charleston) who helped children in foster ​care get free hair cuts and was part of the team that gathered luggage for children to use when transitioning from one ​location to the next.

Earlier this month, Barbara’s work in the community was also recognized by Count on 2 (WCBD), which profiled her ​for their “Everyday Hero” series. Congratulations, Barbara!

Watch the segment:

Meet Benjamin B.

Photo credit: Claude Cumbee, 2024

Ben (born in 2008) is an active child who loves being ​outside exploring and riding his bike. He enjoys ​baseball and says catcher is his favorite position. Ben’s ​favorite food is pizza and his favorite class is science. ​He hopes to attend Clemson University and would like ​to become a police officer when he grows up because ​he likes taking care of others. He enjoys rap music, and ​his favorite artist is Lil Baby. Ben loves the beach and ​wants to visit Hawaii someday.

He describes himself as kind, loving, and responsible. ​Ben would like a family where he is the only child in the ​household. He would also like a family that has a farm ​so he can be around animals and spend a lot of time ​together outdoors. His favorite animals are dogs, ​horses, pigs, and cows.

It is important that an adoptive family supports him in ​maintaining relationships with his siblings.

To learn more about Ben or any of the other children in ​the SC Heart Gallery, visit scheartgallery.sc.gov.

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Better Outcomes

The Committee on Children held the first ​of four public hearings on September 10, ​but there are still three more chances to ​make your voice heard on how we can ​produce better outcomes for children in ​the Palmetto State.