JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Comprehensive Mental Health Court - Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County

Quick Facts:

Date accepted first participant:
06/01/03
Mental health docket frequency:
Every day
Number of participants per year:
More than 500
Clinical eligibility criteria:
  • The court accepts participants with only Axis I diagnoses
Clinical exclusion criteria:
  • Primary substance use disorders
    • Legal eligibility criteria:
  • Misdemeanors
  • Felonies (property)
  • Felonies (nonviolent)
  • Felonies (violent)
  • Felony probation violations
    • Case disposition upon successful program completion:
  • Participants' charges may be reduced upon successful completion
    • Case disposition upon unsuccessful program completion:
  • Participants must serve their deferred sentence
    • Court and service components funded by:
    • Federal funds
    • State funds
    • Court fees

    JMHCP Grantee Information

    Grant Year
    2010

    JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Comprehensive Mental Health Court - Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County

    Contact:

    Name:
    Karen O'Connor
    Title:
    Presiding Judge for Probate/Mental Health
    Organization:
    Comprehensive Mental Health Court - Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County
    Address:
    125 W Washington
    Phoenix, AZ 85003
    Email:
    kaoconno@superiorcourt.maricopa.gov
    Phone:
    602-506-0428

    JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Comprehensive Mental Health Court - Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County

    General: Jurisdiction, History, and Planning

    Grantee Year:
    Mixed
    Other collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives in community:
    Specialized Adult Probation Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) Unit and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Alpha Program
    Letter of support for Arizona Department of Corrections BJA Grant in 2006
    Date accepted first participant:
    06/01/03
    Mental health docket frequency:
    Every day
    Number of participants per year:
    More than 500
    Planning and oversight/advisory group:
  • The court currently has an oversight/advisory committee with substantially different membership than its planning committee
    • Oversight group members:
  • Community mental health service provider
  • State mental health agency representative
  • State mental health agency head
  • Substance abuse treatment 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

    • Eligibility Criteria

    Clinical eligibility criteria:
    • The court accepts participants with only Axis I diagnoses
    Clinical exclusion criteria:
  • Primary substance use disorders
    • Establishment of clinical eligibility criteria:
  • They were established in consultation with mental health treatment providers
  • They were established according to the jurisdictions' needs
  • They were established through the court's experience and expertise
    • Legal eligibility criteria:
  • Misdemeanors
  • Felonies (property)
  • Felonies (nonviolent)
  • Felonies (violent)
  • Felony probation violations
    • Effect of criminal history on eligibility:
  • No
    • Degree to which crime victims are involved in court processes:
    Victim's Bill of Rights
    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)
      • Court administrator / program director
      • Prosecutor
      • Defense attorney
      • 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:
        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
        • Diversion options
        • Treatment engagement
        • Substance abuse treatment

        Participant Information

        Primary sources of referrals:
      • Law enforcement
      • Mental health / substance abuse treatment providers
      • Family/friends of the defendant
      • Probation officers
      • Judges
        • Mental health screening conducted by:
        • Community mental health service provider
        • Court personnel with a criminal justice background / experience
        • Pretrial services staff
        • 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:
      • Participants are sentenced to participation after a finding of guilt
      • Participants are sentenced to participation after committing a probation violation
        • Case disposition upon successful program completion:
      • Participants' charges may be reduced upon successful completion
        • Case disposition upon unsuccessful program completion:
      • Participants must serve their deferred sentence
        • 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:
        • See #38
        Average length of participation:
        The court does not collect this information

        Confidentiality and Informed Choice

        The court obtains written consent to release personal information:
        No, participant consent is not needed because service providers are allowed to share information by statute
        Court-supervised treatment becomes part of the participants' criminal record:
        No
        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
        See number #38 above
        After assessment of legal competence, length of time before assessment of clincial competence:
        The court program does not assess 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:
        All of the above
        Services available to court participants:
        • Emergency psychiatric services (crisis stabilization)
        • 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
      • Early completion of participation in court program
      • Praise from the judge
      • Increased time between status hearings
        • Sanctions applied to participants who do not adhere to terms of treatment plans:
        • 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.)
        • 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)
        • Community service

        Sustainability

        Court and service components funded by:
        • Federal funds
        • State funds
        • Court fees
        Has the court received media coverage?
        Yes
        Is there published research on the court program?
        No
        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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