Children and adolescents who enter foster care often have complicated and serious medical, mental health, developmental, oral health, and psychosocial problems that are rooted in their childhood history of abuse and neglect.  Ideally, health care for this population is provided in a pediatric medical home by primary care providers who are familiar with the short and long term impact of childhood trauma and adversity. As youth with special health care needs, children and adolescents in foster care require more frequent monitoring of their health status, and pediatricians have a critical role in ensuring the well-being of children in out-of-home care through the provision of high-quality pediatric health services, health care coordination, and advocacy. (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics. Health Care Issues for Children and Adolescents in Foster Care and Kinship Care. October 1, 2015.)

The information here is designed to be supportive to you and your practice as you treat children and adolescents in foster care.   If you need assistance and cannot find what you are looking for, please reach out to us at the Office of Child Health and Well Being.

DSS NURSE CONTACT INFORMATION

** Please be advised that email is the preferred method of contact for DSS Nurses
to ensure fastest response time. 

UPSTATE REGION   
NurseUpstate@dss.sc.gov  Fax: 864-282-4278
(Serving Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenwood, Greenville, Laurens, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union Counties)

Leisa Jones. RN - Upstate Regional Nurse
864-467-3369 (o); 803-908-2624(c); Leisa. Jones@dss.sc.gov 

Or, contact: 

Karen J. McDaniel, RN – Nurse Manager
864-467-4921 (o); 803-995-0751 (c); Karen.J.McDaniel@dss.sc.gov 

Virginia "Ginny" Meritt – Health Care Data Coordinator
864-467-7822 (o); 803-351-0374 (c);  Virginia.Meritt1@dss.sc.gov

MIDLANDS REGION   
NurseMidlands@dss.sc.gov   Fax: 803-734-2863
(Serving Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, McCormick, Richland, Saluda, and York Counties)

Debra ‘Debbie’ Smith, RN BSN - Midlands Regional Nurse
(803) 231-9287 (c); Debra.Smith@dss.sc.gov

(Vacant) – Health Care Data Coordinator

LOWCOUNTRY REGION     
NurseLowcountry@dss.sc.gov     Fax: 843-953-2561
(Serving Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper and Orangeburg Counties)

Gretchen Cecere, RN – Lowcountry Regional Nurse/Acting Pee Dee Regional Nurse
843-953-1379 (o); 843-754-7168 (c); Gretchen.Cecere@dss.sc.gov

 (Vacant) – Health Care Data Coordinator

PEE DEE REGION     
NursePeeDee@dss.sc.gov    Fax: 843-519-0840 
(Serving Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter and Williamsburg Counties)

Angela Bowick Russell, RN – PeeDee Regional Nurse
843-519-1054 (o); 843-610-5067 (c); Angela.Russell@dss.sc.gov

Donna Christianson– Health Care Data Coordinator
803-856-5123; Donna.Christianson@dss.sc.gov

STATEWIDE NURSE MANAGER
Karen J. McDaniel, RN – Nurse Manager
864-467-4921 (o); 803-995-0751 (c); Karen.J.McDaniel@dss.sc.gov

STATEWIDE & CONGREGATE CARE LIAISON 
NurseStateOffice@dss.sc.gov   Fax: 803-734-2837
Rita Melton, DMD, RN – Statewide Dentist & Nurse
803-898-4227 (o); 803-767-2267 (c); Rita.Melton@dss.sc.gov 

STATEWIDE FOSTER CARE HEALTH LIAISON
Blaire V. Hall, MA – Statewide Medicaid Liaison
864-359-3276 (o); 803-587-0824 (c); Blaire.V.Hall@dss.sc.gov

INFORMATIONAL FLYERS 

•  Primary Care for Children in Foster Care (with Billing Tips)
•  Health Care Consent Policies
• Medical Consent and Psychotropic Medication Consent Forms and Flyer

Medical Consent and Psychotropic Medication Consent Forms and Flyer

• Medical Consent and Psychotropic Medication Consent Forms and Flyer

• Designation of Medical Consent Form (DSS Form 2055) Beginning June 1, 2021 all licensed DSS providers including all licensed foster parents, therapeutic foster parents licensed by Child Placing Agencies (CPAs), kinship care providers, emergency shelters, and group home providers must become authorized Secondary Medical Consenters in order to be able to consent to routine medical care for children and youth in foster care. This link provides a sample of the DSS Form 2055. When working with secondary medical consenters, ask for this Form to verify that the caregiver has been designated as a Secondary Medical Consenter.
  
  
• Psychotropic Medication Informed Consent Form (DSS Form 2056) Administration of new psychotropic medications requires SCDSS consents, that can be provided either by the Primary Medical Consenter (SCDSS Case manager/Team Lead) or SCDSS Designated Secondary Medical Consenter. This Form is completed and shared with the child’s Case Manager for approval by the Regional Clinical Specialist when there are red flags listed on this Form.
  
  
  
• Informed Consent and Notification Regarding Psychotropic Medication Form (DSS Form 1214) This Form is completed by health care providers in Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities and acute psychiatric care settings for psychotropic consent. This form is completed and faxed to SCDSS at 888-816-5853 for approval by the Regional Clinical Specialist.

Project ECHO and TeleECHO Clinics 

What is Project ECHO®?

The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, or ECHO model, was developed at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and is now used nationwide in the United States and internationally. The ECHO model facilitates case-based learning for front-line practitioners via teleconferencing clinics. Similar to the virtual chart rounds, the ECHO model creates a space where practitioners can share knowledge and build support to better manage patients with complex care needs. For more information on Project ECHO, please visit https://echo.unm.edu

TeleECHO Clinics

Select Health of South Carolina, in collaboration with SCDSS and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Children’s Health Department, is excited to launch TeleECHO clinics – an emerging, case-based learning model to improve health care provider’s capacity to treat children and youth in South Carolina’s foster care system.

At TeleECHO clinics, providers from multiple locations connect via teleconferencing to present de-identified patient cases to a team of peers and experts for mentoring and shared learning. Case-based discussions will also be supplemented with short didactic presentations to improve content knowledge and share evidence-based practices.

Click here for more information and the TeleECHO series schedule. 

10/12/21 - Suicide Risk Assessment And Prevention Initiatives

9/28/21 - Trauma Informed Care Approaches to Foster Care

Explore videos from TeleECHO Clinic Series: January-June 2021