Quick Answer
Lighthouse behavioral health conway sc refers to Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital, a 130-bed psychiatric and substance use treatment hospital in Conway, South Carolina, a few miles north of Myrtle Beach. It treats adolescents, adults, and older adults through separate secure units, plus a relapse prevention track that includes a 28-day program and medical detox. The hospital is Joint Commission accredited, and admissions can be reached 24 hours a day for a free assessment.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Location | 152 Waccamaw Medical Park Dr, Conway, SC 29526, a few miles north of Myrtle Beach |
| Operated By | Universal Health Services |
| Bed Count | 130 |
| Accreditation | Joint Commission (JCAHO) accredited |
| Ages Served | Adolescents 12 to 17, adults, and older adults |
| Insurance Accepted | Medicare, South Carolina and North Carolina Medicaid, TRICARE, and most major commercial insurance |
If You’re Searching This, You Probably Want the Specifics
Most general overviews of behavioral health hospitals sound the same. What actually helps when you’re trying to make a decision is knowing what a day there really looks like, who’s overseeing care medically, and how the program is structured.
Here’s a closer look at Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital, built around exactly those details.
Four Distinct, Secure Units
Lighthouse organizes care into separate secure units rather than one general population, which allows each age group and treatment focus to get programming suited to its specific needs.
| Unit | Who It Serves |
| Acute Children’s and Adolescent Unit | Children and adolescents in psychiatric crisis, age 12 to 17 |
| Acute Adult Unit | Adults experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms |
| Acute Older Adult Unit | Older adults needing psychiatric treatment and medication stabilization |
| Relapse Prevention Unit | Adults seeking voluntary inpatient treatment for chemical addiction |
A Day Inside Lighthouse
Public program descriptions lay out a fairly detailed, structured daily routine, which is more specific than most hospitals publish. Here’s roughly how a typical day unfolds for an inpatient:
- A nursing assessment at admission, completed by a registered nurse
- A physical exam by an internal medicine physician
- An initial psychiatric evaluation within 24 hours of admission
- Daily one on one sessions with a psychiatrist for medication evaluation and adjustments
- Daily therapy groups led by a master’s level therapist
- Daily recreation therapy groups led by a certified recreation therapist
- Morning and evening groups focused on setting and reviewing daily goals
- Dedicated time for journaling, meditation, and reflection
Children and adolescents also have access to a renovated gymnasium and an exterior courtyard as part of their recreational therapy time.
The Medical Leadership Behind the Program
Public provider listings name Dr. Rupa Shetty as Medical Director of Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital, overseeing the clinical direction of inpatient care.
Dr. Adedapo Oduwole is listed as Medical Director of the hospital’s intensive outpatient program, which operates under its own name, The Beacon, reflecting a distinct step down level of care from inpatient treatment.
Beyond psychiatrists, the broader clinical team includes internal medicine physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who can manage common and more complex medical conditions alongside behavioral health treatment.
The Outpatient Path: The Beacon IOP
For patients who don’t need 24 hour inpatient care, or who are stepping down after an inpatient stay, Lighthouse offers an adult intensive outpatient program branded as The Beacon.
Having a separately named program with its own medical director suggests this isn’t an afterthought tacked onto inpatient services, but a distinct level of care built with its own structure and oversight.
Substance Use and Relapse Prevention Track
Lighthouse’s relapse prevention programming includes a 28 day substance abuse treatment track for adults, along with medical detoxification and dual diagnosis services for patients facing both a mental health condition and a substance use disorder.
Detox services cover several substance categories, including alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers.
Who Pays for Treatment
- Medicare and TRICARE: accepted for adult and senior acute care services.
- South Carolina and North Carolina Medicaid: accepted for both adult and adolescent services.
- Most major commercial insurance: accepted, with admissions able to verify benefits directly.
- Self pay: available for patients without applicable insurance coverage.
Why Conway, SC
Lighthouse sits just a few miles north of Myrtle Beach, which makes it a realistic option not only for Conway residents but for the broader Grand Strand region, including patients traveling in from nearby coastal communities.
The facility is also accessible via local public transportation, which matters for families who need to visit without relying on a personal vehicle.
Is Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital Accredited?
Yes. It holds Joint Commission, historically known as JCAHO, accreditation, which reflects an independent evaluation of its quality and safety standards.
Does Lighthouse Treat Older Adults Specifically?
Yes. There’s a dedicated Acute Older Adult Unit focused on psychiatric treatment and medication stabilization for this age group specifically, separate from the general adult unit.
How Long Does the Substance Abuse Program Typically Last?
The relapse prevention track for adults is structured as a 28 day program, though actual length of stay can vary based on individual clinical needs.
Does Lighthouse Accept Out of State Medicaid?
Yes, to an extent. Both South Carolina and North Carolina Medicaid are accepted for adult and adolescent services, which is notable for families near the state line.
How Do I Make a Referral as a Professional or Family Member?
Lighthouse’s admissions team is available 24 hours a day to take referrals and complete a free, confidential assessment over the phone.
What Most People Don’t Realize
Most people assume a hospital’s outpatient program is just a smaller, lighter version of its inpatient care. At Lighthouse, the intensive outpatient program operates under its own name, The Beacon, with its own medical director separate from the main hospital’s leadership.
That structure tends to matter more than it sounds. A program built with distinct leadership and identity is generally designed for genuine continuity of care, rather than treated as a checkbox add on to the main hospital.
Four Units, One Mission
It helps to think of Lighthouse as four parallel tracks under one roof, each built for a different population:
- For children and teens: the Acute Children’s and Adolescent Unit, with its own gymnasium and courtyard space.
- For adults: the Acute Adult Unit, alongside the Relapse Prevention Unit for chemical addiction treatment.
- For older adults: a dedicated unit focused on medication stabilization and psychiatric care suited to this age group.
- For step down care: The Beacon, the hospital’s named intensive outpatient program.
What Should You Do Next?
If you’re considering care for yourself or a loved one, start with a call to admissions, available 24 hours a day, to complete a free assessment and confirm which unit or program actually fits.
If insurance is a concern, ask directly about your specific plan during that same call, since admissions can verify benefits before you commit to anything.
Avoid assuming inpatient is the only option before that conversation happens. The Beacon and the relapse prevention track exist specifically for patients who don’t need full inpatient care.
Suggested Internal Links
Add these once matching pages exist on your site, using descriptive anchor text:
- Link to an intensive outpatient program guide using anchor text like “how IOP programs like The Beacon work”
- Link to a medical detox overview using anchor text like “what to expect during medical detox”
- Link to an insurance verification guide using anchor text like “verifying behavioral health insurance benefits before admission”