JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Tempe Mental Health Court

Quick Facts:

Date accepted first participant:
11/01/03
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:
      Legal eligibility criteria:
    • Ordinance offenses / violations
    • Misdemeanors
      • 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

      • JMHCP Grantee Information

      Grant Year
      2010

      JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Tempe Mental Health Court

      Contact:

      Name:
      Rick Rager
      Title:
      Deputy Court Manager
      Organization:
      Tempe Mental Health Court
      Address:
      150 E. Fifth Street, Suite 200
      Tempe, AZ 85281
      Email:
      rick_rager@tempe.gov
      Phone:
      (480) 350-8252

      JMHCP Grantee (2010) -- Tempe Mental Health Court

      General: Jurisdiction, History, and Planning

      Grantee Year:
      Urban
      Date accepted first participant:
      11/01/03
      Mental health docket frequency:
      Weekly
      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

      • Eligibility Criteria

      Clinical eligibility criteria:
    • The court accepts participants with any Axis I or Axis II mental health diagnoses
      • Clinical exclusion criteria:
        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
      • They were established through the court's experience and expertise
        • Legal eligibility criteria:
      • Ordinance offenses / violations
      • Misdemeanors
        • Effect of criminal history on eligibility:
          Degree to which crime victims are involved in court processes:
          Victims are notified about a range of court events (e.g. admission, court proceedings, case disposition, 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:
        • 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
          • Job orientation:
          Staff are oriented on-the-job
          Training topics:
        • Overview of mental illness (e.g. recognizing symptoms or medications)
        • Local mental health services and community treatment capacity
        • Diversion options

          • Participant Information

          Primary sources of referrals:
          • Judges
          • Prosecutors
          • Defense attorneys
          Mental health screening conducted by:
        • Community mental health service provider
          • Mental health assessment conducted by:
        • Community mental health service provider
          • Point at which full mental health assessment conducted:
          Ideally, before eligibility is determined. However, there are occasions when someone is placed in program and then determined to be ineligible (i.e. no SMI diagnosis or is not case managed).

          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 plead guilty and have their sentence deferred
        • 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
          • Terms of participation:
          They are individualized based on 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:
          0.5 years to 1 year

          Confidentiality and Informed Choice

          The court obtains written consent to release personal information:
          Yes, participants sign a single release
          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
          One month
          After assessment of legal competence, length of time before assessment of clincial competence:
          One month
          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:
          Community mental health service providers
          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
          • Civil (legal) services assistance
          • 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:
          Yes
          Rewards and incentives applied to participants who adhere to terms of treatment plans:
        • Graduation ceremonies
        • Early completion of participation in court program
        • Praise from the judge
          • Sanctions applied to participants who do not adhere to terms of treatment plans:
        • 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

          • Sustainability

          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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