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JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Allegheny County Mental Health Court
Quick Facts:
- Date accepted first participant:
- June/2001
- Mental health docket frequency:
- Weekly
- Number of participants per year:
- 51-100
- Clinical eligibility criteria:
- The court accepts participants with any Axis I or Axis II mental health diagnoses
- Clinical exclusion criteria:
- Primary substance use disorders
- Legal eligibility criteria:
-
- Misdemeanors
- Misdemeanor probation violations
- Felonies (property)
- Felonies (nonviolent)
- Case disposition upon successful program completion:
- Participants' time under supervision may be reduced
- Case disposition upon unsuccessful program completion:
- Participants are returned to the court of original jurisdiction for case processing
- Court and service components funded by:
- State mental health funds
JMHCP Grantee Information
- Grant Year
- 2010
JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Allegheny County Mental Health Court
Contact:
- Name:
- Amy McNicholas Kroll
- Title:
- Director Forensic Services
- Organization:
- Allegheny County Mental Health Court
- Address:
- 304 Wood Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222 - Email:
- akroll@dhs.county.allegheny.pa.us
- Phone:
- 412-350-733-
JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Allegheny County Mental Health Court
General: Jurisdiction, History, and Planning
- Grantee Year:
- Urban
- Other collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives in community:
- CIT with Pgh Police
State Forensic Support Program, CROMISA, Pre and Post Booking Diversion Programs, County Forensic Support Program
Forensic Liasons at the SCU - Date accepted first participant:
- June/2001
- Mental health docket frequency:
- Weekly
- Number of participants per year:
- 51-100
- Planning and oversight/advisory group:
- Oversight group members:
- Community mental health service provider
- Victims' advocate / representative
- Supervisory-level law enforcement official
- Pretrial services staff
- Judicial officer (e.g. a judge or magistrate)
- Court administrator / program director
- Prosecutor
- Public defender
- Corrections department head
Eligibility Criteria
- Clinical eligibility criteria:
- The court accepts participants with any Axis I or Axis II mental health diagnoses
- Clinical exclusion criteria:
- Primary substance use disorders
- Establishment of clinical eligibility criteria:
- They were established in consultation with mental health treatment providers
- Legal eligibility criteria:
-
- Misdemeanors
- Misdemeanor probation violations
- Felonies (property)
- Felonies (nonviolent)
- Effect of criminal history on eligibility:
- Yes, individuals with past violent crimes are excluded from participation
- Degree to which crime victims are involved in court processes:
- Victims are notified about a range of court events and are allowed to participate in court processes (e.g. provide consent in order for individuals to enter the court program, attend or participate in court proceedings, provide input on an individual's terms of participation or sanctions, etc.)
- Reasons for lack of victim involvement in court processes:
- The court's rules regarding participant confidentiality limit victims' rights to notification and participation in the court program
Court Team and Training
- Personnel who participate in case staffings:
-
- Prosecutor
- Defense attorney
- Treatment provider or case manager employed by the court
- Treatment provider or case manager employed by community mental health service provider
- Community supervision officer (probation or parole)
- Job orientation:
- Staff receive peer-to-peer training
- Ongoing training:
- Training topics:
- Overview of mental illness (e.g. recognizing symptoms or medications)
- Integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment
- Information sharing with community mental health service providers
- Local mental health services and community treatment capacity
- Diversion options
- Substance abuse treatment
Participant Information
- Primary sources of referrals:
- Mental health / substance abuse treatment providers
- Jail staff
- Defense attorneys
- Mental health screening conducted by:
- Community mental health service provider
- Mental health assessment conducted by:
- Staff of mental health court
- Point at which full mental health assessment conducted:
- Before eligibility is determined
Terms and Duration of Participation
- Legal mechanism by which participants are accepted into court program:
- Participants are sentenced to participation after a finding of guilt
- Case disposition upon successful program completion:
- Participants' time under supervision may be reduced
- Case disposition upon unsuccessful program completion:
- Participants are returned to the court of original jurisdiction for case processing
- Terms of participation:
- They are individualized based on the offense and the clinical diagnosis
- The court uses a formal, standard written contract for all participants:
- Yes
- Minimum and maximum periods of participation:
- No, there are no minimum or maximum periods of participation
- Average length of participation:
- 1 year to 2 years
Confidentiality and Informed Choice
- The court obtains written consent to release personal information:
- Yes, participants sign an initial release upon joining the program and subsequent releases when additional information is requested or shared
- Court-supervised treatment becomes part of the participants' criminal record:
- Yes
- The court has standard protocols for establishing legal competence of potential participants:
- Yes, the court program has a system for establishing legal competence aside from the state system
- Length of time to assess participants' legal competence
- One week
- After assessment of legal competence, length of time before assessment of clincial competence:
- The court program does not make a distinction between legal and clinical competence
- Defense counsel helps potential participants decide whether to enter the court:
- Yes
Monitoring, Supervision, Treatment, and Adherence
- Monitoring and supervision of participants primarily performed by:
- Court team members mental health background
- Services available to court participants:
- Emergency psychiatric services (crisis stabilization)
- Assistance in locating housing
- Assistance in financing housing
- Assistance in accessing benefits (e.g. Medicaid, SSI, SSDI, veterans)
- Transportation (e.g. bus fare, rides to program-related appointments)
- Supported employment
- Inpatient mental health treatment
- Outpatient mental health treatment
- Substance abuse treatment (independent from mental health treatment)
- Integrated substance abuse and mental health treatment
- Medication management
- Individual psychotherapy
- Group psychotherapy
- Family therapy
- Court-supported services available after program completion:
- No
- Rewards and incentives applied to participants who adhere to terms of treatment plans:
-
- Certificates or other tokens for completing stages of treatment
- Graduation ceremonies
- Early completion of participation in court program
- Praise from the judge
- Food items or gift certificates from local businesses
- Reduced/waived fees for probation supervision or drug testing
- Wrap around services such as help with clothing, home repairs, purchasing materials for school and employment, etc.
- Sanctions applied to participants who do not adhere to terms of treatment plans:
-
- Jail
- Expulsion from the program
- Modifications in treatment plan (e.g. more frequent appointments with a case manager, adjustment to medications, increased drug screening, etc.)
- Judicial reprimands
- Increased supervision intensity (e.g. meetings with a probation officer or case manager, drug testing, visits to court on a normal docket day)
- Home visits
- Restriction of privileges (e.g. curfew, travel)
Sustainability
- Court and service components funded by:
- State mental health funds
- Has the court received media coverage?
- Yes
- Is there published research on the court program?
- Rand Corp. 3/1/07
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A program representative provided this information details through a detailed survey.
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