Reporting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disabilities Who Live in a Facility
Fact sheet
People with disabilities who cannot live in their own homes may live in a facility, such as:
- Nursing homes
- Residential facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities, including Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF/ID) and Community Training Homes II (CTH II)
- Assisted living facilities
- Community Residential Care Facilities (CRCF)
- State mental health or state substance abuse treatment hospitals
- Residential treatment facilities for children and adolescents (RTF)
Abuse, neglect, or exploitation of someone who lives in a facility is wrong and should be reported. You can learn more about what counts as abuse, neglect, and exploitation in Disability Rights South Carolina’s factsheet Abuse, Neglect, & Exploitation: Definitions & Warning Signs.
Who Can Report
- Anyone who knows or suspects abuse, neglect, or exploitation can make a report.
- Service providers are required by law to report abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
How to Report
For Adults with Disabilities Living in Facilities
Facilities operated/contracted by the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD) or the Office of Mental Health (OMH):
- Call the State Law Enforcement Division SLED Vulnerable Adult Investigation Unit at 1-866-200-6066
Other facilities:
- Call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) 1-800-868-9095 or 803-734-9900
For Children with Disabilities Living in Facilities
Call the Out of Home Abuse and Neglect (OHAN) division of the SC Department of Social Services
- 24/7 Abuse and Neglect Reporting hotline: 1-888-227-3487
- Online Reporting
In an Emergency
- Call 9-1-1
To Report Medicaid Fraud or Financial Exploitation
- Call the SC Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Unit: 1-888-662-4328
If the Person Lives at Home
Call the county Department of Social Services (DSS) office where the person lives. Telephone numbers for county DSS offices are found at https://dss.sc.gov/contact
Disability Rights South Carolina is the Protection and Advocacy System for South Carolina. This publication provides legal information but is not intended to be legal advice. As the law may change, please contact Disability Rights South Carolina for updates. Please let us know if you would like this information in an alternative format.
This publication was made possible by funding, in part, by SAMHSA. These contents are solely the responsibility of the grantee and do not necessarily represent the official views of SAMHSA.
Last updated: 2026