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Mental health courts

A specialty court or court-based program provides supervision and community-based treatment and services in lieu of traditional justice system case processing for those with mental health needs.

For more information on this intervention, see these resources:
Local Examples

Bonneville County, ID Bonneville County Mental Health Court (MHC)

  • The MHC serves a rural jurisdiction.
  • Participants are typically high-risk, high-need, and have been charged with a felony or misdemeanor offense.
  • An assertive community treatment (ACT) model is used for all participants.
For more information on this example, see this resource:

Dougherty County, GA Dougherty County Mental Health Court (MHC)

  • The MHC is located in a small city and serves a large rural area.
  • Participants are referred both before and after adjudication, and typically have been charged with a nonviolent misdemeanor or felony.
  • Outcome evaluations are shared on a quarterly and annual basis with all court and community partners.
For more information on this example, see this resource:
Type

Program

Measures

2 - Reduce length of stay
3 - Increase connection to treatment

Last updated: April 21, 2019