About Us

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is a busy and productive academic department within the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), emphasizing excellence in teaching, research, and clinical care. Our diverse and talented faculty is committed to providing the highest quality of patient care in the treatment of mental illness and addiction. 

There are 13 divisions within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences: 

The department also hosts six specialty programs, task forces, and initiatives: 

There are 116 full-time and 42 part-time faculty members within the department, with the majority of the department’s faculty, residency training programs, research programs, and administrative offices located at 67 President Street within the Institute of Psychiatry (IOP).

Patient Care

The Institute of Psychiatry (IOP) at the Medical University of South Carolina helps people of all ages overcome the impact of various mental health problems. Caring, nationally-recognized specialists work together to help patients. Recognizing that no two people are the same, personalized treatment programs are molded to meet the needs of each individual. In complex situations, and even when past treatment programs have been unsuccessful, patients benefit from the experience, innovation, and team philosophy found here. Most of the Institute’s services are available on an outpatient, partial hospitalization, or inpatient basis.

MUSC is dedicated to the discoveries that lead to better care. Patients at the IOP have access to the most promising and cutting-edge psychiatric intervention available. The Institute has been identified as one of the nation’s top 10 psychiatric research centers in guiding the search for treatments of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, problems with drug and alcohol addiction, and many other disorders. By participating in voluntary research studies, patients find help that might not otherwise be available, and are able to successfully overcome difficult disorders or the burden of dependency.

The IOP, which opened in 1988, is licensed to house 105 beds. An average length of stay ranges from 7 to 8 days. Inpatient programs at the IOP provide short-term stabilization for individuals in crisis, with 5 inpatient units that focus on general adult, addiction, youth, acute care, intensive care, and geriatric services. Partial hospitalization programs serve patients within the IOP and off-site locations. Outpatient psychiatric care is provided within the IOP and other areas throughout the community, and includes medication management and individual, group, and family therapies.