DORCHESTER COUNTY PROBATE COURT
101 Ridge Street
St. George, South Carolina 29477
Phone: (843) 832-0104

Tiffany Provence, Probate Judge
Nettie B. Cusack, Associate Probate Judge

INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT PROCEDURES DURING OFFICE HOURS

In order to ensure that the Dorchester County Probate Court is fulfilling its statutory and
Constitutional role in the initial stages of the commitment process for persons alleged to be
chemically dependent or mentally ill, and with due regard for the convenience of family
members and agency personnel, the following procedures shall be effective immediately

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Emergencies:

The Dorchester County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse shall provide intake
evaluation and screening for Judicial commitment requests occurring during normal office
hours only. A Judicial Commitment is a commitment that is set into place after an application
has been filed with the Probate Court and the person has been examined by two designated
examiners who have been appointed by the Court and a hearing has been held. Family
members who are seeking help for alleged chemically dependent family members should
contact the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission to determine whether this procedure would
apply in their situation. [(843)871-4790]

Mental Illness/ Alcohol and Drug Abuse Emergencies:

(Adults 18 years old or older or a child sixteen or older): The Dorchester County Mental
Health Clinic shall provide intake evaluation and screening for all Mentally Ill Emergency
Commitment and all Emergency Chemically Dependent Commitment requests occurring during
normal business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The person seeking
the emergency commitment of another shall be directed to call the Dorchester County Mental
Health Clinic to speak directly with a counselor who will then assist the person over the
phone on what procedure to follow (Do not come to the Probate Court first, go to the
appropriate mental health center before coming to Probate Court). If there is a need for an
emergency admission, then the family member will be advised to come in and complete an
application for Emergency Admission for either Mental Illness or Chemically dependency. In
the event the person alleged to be chemically dependent or mentally ill refuses to go to the
hospital for an examination voluntarily and cannot be lawfully transported on other grounds,
then the Probate Court will be contacted by the appropriate facility for an issuance of Order
of Detention. This Order of Detention gives the Sheriff Department or Law Enforcement
offices authority to take the person into custody and transport the patient to the Dorchester
County Mental Health Clinic for an examination or to Trident Emergency Room, which ever is
convenient at the time after receiving the proper paperwork from the Petitioner or family
member. The Probate Court holds hearing once a week for emergency commitments on
Tuesday and twice a month for Judicial commitments, second and fourth Thursday of each
month.

Please take note of the telephone numbers listed below for your convenience:

DORCHESTER COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CLIINIC
873-5063
DORCHESTER COUNTY COMMISSION OF ALCOHOL & OTHER DRUG ABUSE
871-4790
AFTER HOURS: MOBILE CRISIS UNIT
414-2350

For these simplified procedures to be effective, however, Law enforcement officers must
steer family members in the right direction. Please ask family members to use the procedures
which have been implemented above.

If these instructions are unclear, we invite you to contact the Probate Court and speak either
with Nettie B. Cusack or Rebecca Marchant. (832-0104)