Straight Road International shares resources at Bamberg County mental health event

Bamberg County residents looking for mental health help had a local point of contact when Straight Road International joined the county’s annual Mental Health Awareness Day on June 3. The nonprofit brought health and financial literacy resources to the community at a time when many families still struggle with the practical barriers that can stand between concern and care.

The Bamberg County Mental Health Clinic is part of the Orangeburg Area Mental Health Center network, which serves Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties. The clinic is listed at 5573 Carolina Highway in Denmark, and the network provides outpatient services, crisis intervention, counseling, psychiatric assessment, medication management and support services for people of all ages. Clinics are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with an on-call mental health professional available after hours for emergencies.

That local footprint matters in a county where getting help can depend on transportation, coverage and how quickly someone can be seen. By keeping services in Denmark and tying them to a regional system, the clinic gives residents a place to start before problems grow into emergencies. The setup also gives families a clear path for both routine care and urgent support, which is especially important for people trying to navigate mental illness, emotional distress or a crisis without having to travel far for help.

Straight Road International added another layer of help by meeting residents with information beyond traditional clinical care. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit focuses on health and financial literacy, with workshops covering mental health, stress management, Medicare, Medicaid, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, disease prevention, saving, investing and debt. In its 2025 year-in-review, the group reported 36 workshops, 20 cognitive screening events, 164 cognitive screenings and participation in 11 health fairs.

Mental Health Awareness Month is observed in May and was established in 1949 to raise awareness of mental health and wellness and to support recovery from mental illness. In Bamberg County, that message extended into June through direct services and community education, linking awareness with something more immediate: a clinic in Denmark, regional care for three counties and a nonprofit helping residents understand both their health needs and the financial decisions that can shape access to care.