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Mental Health Court Program
900 Ramsey County Courthouse
15 W. Kellogg Boulevard
St. Paul, MN 55102
Ph: (651) 266-9256
Fax: (651) 767-8940
The Second Judicial District's Mental Health Court was created when it became increasingly clear that persons with mental illness and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders were in need of more specialized and individualized treatment. Mental Health Court directs eligible defendants with mental health disorders from the criminal justice system to community-based mental health, substance abuse and support services. The Mental Health Court handles the defendant's crime in a way that addresses his or her mental health and chemical health needs. Rather than the traditional pattern of focusing on the criminal activity of the defendant, the Mental Health Court focuses on treating the defendant's mental illness.
The Second Judicial District's Mental Health Court has been operational since May 2005 and developed based on the national problem-solving court model. The Mental Health Court is currently funded by the Department of Human Services, Mental Health Division through June 2009.
Goals
The goals of the Mental Health Court are to
- Reduce recidivism
- Improve public safety
- Reduce the costs of prosecution, incarceration, and hospitalization to taxpayers
- Improve defendants access to public mental health and substance abuse treatment services and other community resources
- Enhance collaboration between criminal justice agencies and the mental health system to better serve those with mental illness
- Improve the quality of life of mentally ill defendants.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Mental Health Court program an individual must be
- Adult Ramsey County resident
- Diagnosed with a serious mental illness
- Legally competent
- Charged with non-violent misdemeanor/gross misdemeanor offenses that occurred in the City of St. Paul (*suburban cases considered on case by case basis)
- No prior history of violent felony offenses
- Must be a significant relationship between the individual's mental illness and criminal behavior
- Committed to recovery
Program Requirements
Participants who agree to participate in the Mental Health Court program receive intensive case management provided by a mental health practitioner or professional, medication management, court supervision, and are expected to fully comply with mental health and chemical health treatment recommendations. Participants engage in regular judicial hearings with a Mental Health Court judge and meet frequently with the Mental Health Court case manager to develop and sustain a long-term treatment plan. The program is 12 to 24 months in length (determined by charges) and requires defendants to remain law abiding, abstain from illegal or non-prescribed drugs, submit to random urinary analyses, complete community service hours, identify and maintain appropriate housing, remain compliant with all medication and psychiatric appointments, and become involved with mental health and community support groups. A wellness plan is completed before graduation to identify triggers and prevent recidivism.
Accomplishments
Accomplishments of the Mental Health Court include
- connecting defendants to mental health services
- reducing the incidences of criminal behavior
- reducing the costs to the criminal justice system, corrections, public safety, and hospitals
- enhancing the collaboration between the courts and the mental health community
- improving the quality of life of defendants upon discharge (i.e., housing and treatment services in place)
- assisting defendants with establishing more productive lives including self-sufficiency and self-confidence
Through the coercive authority and monitoring of the Mental Health Court as well as the collaboration with the community, defendants' mental illnesses and environments drastically improve.
Additional Information
Please contact the Program Coordinator at the address above for referrals or additional information regarding the Mental Health Court.
Brandi Coady, MSW
Program Coordinator
brandi.coady@courts.state.mn.us