Lunch-n-Learn Webinar - This presentation will cover the creation of the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and an overview of its component offices: Office of Substance Use Services, Office of Mental Health, and Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. We will primarily focus on the services offered through the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for juveniles, including the eligibility process, service delivery system, and placements available to juveniles. We will also touch on the involuntary judicial admission process via the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and other topics related to justice involved youth, as time permits. We will wrap up the presentation with time for questions.
Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD) Services Overview
Friday, August 28, 2025
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
1.5 Hours MCLE Credit CLE Course No.: Pending
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Meeting ID: 219 162 866 099 558
Passcode: vf7wF7Gq
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CLE Attention Verification: You must pay attention to the presentation. At random points, a code word will be announced. You must write down the number and the word. At the end of the presentation, go to the link above and complete the code word test for CLE credit. We cannot provide code words after the fact, and sharing code words is not allowed.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
This presentation will cover the creation of the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and an overview of its component offices: Office of Substance Use Services, Office of Mental Health, and Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. We will primarily focus on the services offered through the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for juveniles, including the eligibility process, service delivery system, and placements available to juveniles. We will also touch on the involuntary judicial admission process via the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and other topics related to justice involved youth, as time permits. We will wrap up the presentation with time for questions.
AGENDA
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Time
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Topic/Speaker
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CLE
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11:25 - 11:30
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Welcome, CLE Instructions, & Speaker Introduction
Samantha Luck, Juvenile Defender Advocate, SCCID
W. Lawrence Brown, Training Director, SCCID
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0
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11:30 - 1:00
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Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD) Services Overview
Jessica Benson, Asst. General Counsel, SCDBHDD
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1.5
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Total MCLE
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1.5
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SPEAKER INFORMATION
Jessica L. Benson is an Assistant General Counsel for the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (“BHDD”). In this role, Jessica routinely provides legal advice and assistance to BHDD personnel on complex legal matters, and represents BHDD before State Courts and administrative bodies. Jessica also regularly presents on BHDD services and related legal topics to attorneys, Judges, Guardians ad Litem, and mental health professionals.
Before transitioning to her current position, Jessica served as an Assistant General Counsel for the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs n/k/a the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Prior to entering State employment, Jessica was a partner at Baxley, Wells & Benson, P.A. in Lugoff, South Carolina, where her practice primarily focused on estate planning, estate administration, Guardianships, Conservatorships, and real estate. She frequently served as a Guardian ad Litem in Probate Court.
Jessica currently sits on the Alzheimer’s Resource Coordination Center Advisory Council on behalf of BHDD. Jessica is a past President of the Kershaw County Bar Association, past Chair of the United Way of Kershaw County, and was previously a member of the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Jessica is a 2019 graduate of the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, and a 2016 graduate of Wofford College. She currently lives in Camden, South Carolina, with her husband, Luke E. Benson, and their daughter, Cassie.