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JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Anchorage Coordianted Resources Project (aka mental health court)
Quick Facts:
- Date accepted first participant:
- 08/01/98
- Mental health docket frequency:
- three times per week
- Number of participants per year:
- 51-100
- Clinical eligibility criteria:
- Clinical exclusion criteria:
- Legal eligibility criteria:
-
- Misdemeanors
- Misdemeanor probation violations
- Case disposition upon successful program completion:
-
- Participants' charges may be dismissed upon successful completion
- Participants' charges may be reduced upon successful completion
- Case disposition upon unsuccessful program completion:
-
- Participants are returned to the court of original jurisdiction for case processing
- Participants are returned to the court of original jurisdiction for sentencing
- Court and service components funded by:
-
- State funds
- State mental health funds
JMHCP Grantee Information
- Grant Year
- 2010
JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Anchorage Coordianted Resources Project (aka mental health court)
Contact:
- Name:
- Kate Sumey
- Title:
- Project Manager
- Organization:
- Anchorage Coordianted Resources Project (aka mental health court)
- Address:
- 825 West Fourth Avenue Suite 226
Anchorage, AK 99501 - Email:
- ksumey@courts.state.ak.us
- Phone:
- 907-264-0886
JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Anchorage Coordianted Resources Project (aka mental health court)
General: Jurisdiction, History, and Planning
- Grantee Year:
- Urban
- Other collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives in community:
- yes, please see comments section
yes, please see comments section
yes, please see comments section - Date accepted first participant:
- 08/01/98
- Mental health docket frequency:
- three times per week
- Number of participants per year:
- 51-100
- Planning and oversight/advisory group:
- The court had a planning committee that ceased meeting after the court's creation
- Oversight group members:
-
- Judicial officer (e.g. a judge or magistrate)
- Court administrator / program director
- Prosecutor
- Public defender
- Corrections officer
Eligibility Criteria
- Clinical eligibility criteria:
- Clinical exclusion criteria:
- Establishment of clinical eligibility criteria:
- They were established in consultation with mental health treatment providers
- Legal eligibility criteria:
-
- Misdemeanors
- Misdemeanor probation violations
- Effect of criminal history on eligibility:
- No
- Degree to which crime victims are involved in court processes:
- victims rights laws are adhered to; prosecutor notifies victims; victims may participate on individualized basis
- Reasons for lack of victim involvement in court processes:
Court Team and Training
- Personnel who participate in case staffings:
- Job orientation:
- Staff are oriented on-the-job
- Ongoing training:
- Yes, there is funding support for staff to attend training sessions.
- Training topics:
-
- Overview of mental illness (e.g. recognizing symptoms or medications)
- Integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment
- The court process and legal considerations
- Local mental health services and community treatment capacity
- Gender-specific treatment and services
- Trauma issues
- Victim's issues
Participant Information
- Primary sources of referrals:
- Mental health / substance abuse treatment providers
- Family/friends of the defendant
- Jail staff
- Judges
- Magistrates
- Defense attorneys
- Mental health screening conducted by:
- Mental health assessment conducted by:
- Community mental health service provider
- Point at which full mental health assessment conducted:
- After a participant has been accepted into court
Terms and Duration of Participation
- Legal mechanism by which participants are accepted into court program:
-
- Participants' charges are held in abeyance and then dismissed upon successful program completion
- Participants are sentenced to participation after a finding of guilt
- Case disposition upon successful program completion:
-
- Participants' charges may be dismissed upon successful completion
- Participants' charges may be reduced upon successful completion
- Case disposition upon unsuccessful program completion:
-
- Participants are returned to the court of original jurisdiction for case processing
- Participants are returned to the court of original jurisdiction for sentencing
- 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:
- No
- 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:
- No
- Length of time to assess participants' legal competence
- 48 hours
- 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 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)
- Medication management
- Individual psychotherapy
- Group psychotherapy
- Court-supported services available after program completion:
- Yes
- 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
- Priority position in the order of cases called
- Praise from the judge
- Increased time between status hearings
- 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.
- Extended privileges (e.g. where people are allowed to live, whom them may visit, furloughs and leaves of absence)
- 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.)
- The court does not have a standardized list of sanctions.
- Judicial reprimands
- Increased frequency of status hearings
- 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 funds
- State mental health funds
- Has the court received media coverage?
- Yes
- Is there published research on the court program?
- please see #45 for publications and media
About this information:
A program representative provided this information details through a detailed survey.
For more information on the survey, read about our methodology or download a pdf of the full survey.
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