Bonneville County Mental Health Court

Quick Facts:

Date accepted first participant:
08/01/02
Mental health docket frequency:
Weekly
Number of participants per year:
0-50
Clinical eligibility criteria:
  • The court accepts participants with Axis I diagnoses if the diagnoses correspond to state criteria for “serious and / or persistent mental illness”
Clinical exclusion criteria:
  • Primary substance use disorders
  • Traumatic brain injuries
    • Legal eligibility criteria:
    • Ordinance offenses / violations
    • Misdemeanors
    • Misdemeanor probation violations
    • Felonies (property)
    • Felonies (nonviolent)
    • Felonies (violent)
    • Felony probation violations
    Case disposition upon successful program completion:
  • Participants' charges may be reduced upon successful 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
  • Participants are returned to the court of original jurisdiction for sentencing
    • Court and service components funded by:
    • Federal funds
    • State funds
    • State mental health funds
    • Regional mental health funds
    • Court fees

    Bonneville County Mental Health Court

    Contact:

    Name:
    Eric Olson
    Title:
    Court Coordinator
    Organization:
    Bonneville County, Idaho
    Address:
    545 Shoup Suite 105B
    Idaho Falls, ID 83402
    Email:
    ericolson@qwestoffice.net
    Phone:
    208-360-0262

    Bonneville County Mental Health Court

    General: Jurisdiction, History, and Planning

    Grantee Year:
    Rural
    Other collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives in community:
    Working on CIT Teams
    Drug Courts
    Diversion MH court also
    Date accepted first participant:
    08/01/02
    Mental health docket frequency:
    Weekly
    Number of participants per year:
    0-50
    Planning and oversight/advisory group:
  • The court had a planning committee that has evolved into an oversight/advisory capacity
    • Oversight group members:
    • Community mental health service provider
    • State mental health agency representative
    • State mental health agency head
    • Substance abuse treatment provider
    • Housing provider
    • Consumer of mental health services
    • Consumers' advocate
    • Pretrial services staff
    • Judicial officer (e.g. a judge or magistrate)
    • Court administrator / program director
    • Prosecutor
    • Public defender
    • Corrections officer
    • Corrections department head

    Eligibility Criteria

    Clinical eligibility criteria:
    • The court accepts participants with Axis I diagnoses if the diagnoses correspond to state criteria for “serious and / or persistent mental illness”
    Clinical exclusion criteria:
  • Primary substance use disorders
  • Traumatic brain injuries
    • Establishment of clinical eligibility criteria:
  • They were established in consultation with mental health treatment providers
  • They were established with an understanding of the jurisdiction's treatment capacity
  • They were established according to the jurisdictions' needs
    • Legal eligibility criteria:
    • Ordinance offenses / violations
    • Misdemeanors
    • Misdemeanor probation violations
    • Felonies (property)
    • Felonies (nonviolent)
    • Felonies (violent)
    • Felony probation violations
    Effect of criminal history on eligibility:
      Degree to which crime victims are involved in court processes:
      Prosecuting attorney works with victims for approval of an offender into the program.
      Reasons for lack of victim involvement in court processes:

        Court Team and Training

        Personnel who participate in case staffings:
        • Judicial officer (e.g. judge or magistrate)
        • Prosecutor
        • Treatment provider or case manager employed by community mental health service provider
        • Community supervision officer (probation or parole)
        Job orientation:
        Staff are oriented on-the-job
        Ongoing training:
        • Yes, there are annual training requirements.
        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
        • Graduated sanctions and the role of coercion
        • Information sharing with community mental health service providers
        • Local mental health services and community treatment capacity
        • Treatment engagement
        • Trauma issues
        • Substance abuse treatment

        Participant Information

        Primary sources of referrals:
        • Probation officers
        • Defense attorneys
        Mental health screening conducted by:
      • Community mental health service provider
      • Court personnel with mental health background / experience
      • Court personnel with a criminal justice background / experience
      • Probation officer
        • 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:
          Case disposition upon successful program completion:
        • Participants' charges may be reduced upon successful 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
        • 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:
          Yes
          Minimum and maximum periods of participation:
          • Minimum is 14 months.
          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:
          No, the state determines legal competence before an individual is referred to the court program
          Length of time to assess participants' legal competence
          72 hours
          After assessment of legal competence, length of time before assessment of clincial competence:
          One week
          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)
          • Child care
          • Supported employment
          • Court sponsored 'alumni' groups
          • Civil (legal) services assistance
          • Inpatient mental health treatment
          • Outpatient 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:
          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
          • The court does not have a standardized list of rewards / incentives
          • 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:
          • Restriction of finances (e.g. appointment of a representative payee)
          • Fines / fees
          • 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
          • Journal assignments
          • 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)
          • Restriction of privileges (e.g. curfew, travel)
          • Community service

          Sustainability

          Court and service components funded by:
          • Federal funds
          • State funds
          • State mental health funds
          • Regional mental health funds
          • Court fees
          Has the court received media coverage?
          Yes
          Is there published research on the court program?
          Heathcote Wales from Georgetown University has a publication in process.
          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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