COURT OF COMMON PLEAS EXPANDS MENTAL HEALTH COURT TO KENR AND SUSSEX COUNTIES
"One of the goals of the criminal justice
system is rehabilitation. The expansion
of the Mental Health Court program into
Kent and Sussex Counties will give the
Court of Common Pleas additional
means to encourage offenders to participate
in various counseling programs.
The ultimate goal is for people to be
well and refrain from committing new
offenses."
Court of Common Pleas Judges Anne
Hartnett Reigle and Kenneth S. Clark,
Jr. |
The Court of Common Pleas established
the first Mental Health Court
in the State of Delaware in 2003
which continues to operate successfully
today. The New Castle
County Mental Health Court follows
a diversion model, similar to the
existing drug court model. The goal
of the Mental Health Court is to reduce
recidivism rates by connecting
the individual with effective treatment
for their underlying mental
health needs through continuous
judicial oversight and intensive
case management. Approximately
250 cases have been referred to
New Castle County Mental Health
Court since its inception. Eightynine
percent of the individuals who
successfully completed the program
incurred no new convictions
within six months of graduation.
With the assistance of the Delaware
Criminal Justice Council and the
Administrative Office of the Courts,
the Court of Common Pleas
received a Byrne Justice
Assistance Grant to
expand the court to
Kent and Sussex Counties.
During the initial
planning process, Court
of Common Pleas
judges traveled to
Brooklyn, New York to
observe the Brooklyn
Mental Health Court
(which employs a traditional
diversionary
model) and ultimately
decided to apply Brooklyn’s
approach to the
new Mental Health Courts in the
lower two counties. This traditional
model provides for a Clinical
Care Manager housed within the
court to allow for fluid communication
between the various participants
and treatment providers. In
addition, the courts will also add a
post‐adjudication track for participants
who are already sentenced to
probation.
The Byrne Grant funding provided
access to contractual Clinical Care
Managers in both Kent and Sussex
Counties. The Clinical Care Manager
will be present in Mental
Health Court and available to evaluate
potential participants to ensure
appropriate enrollment in the Mental
Health Court; provide case management;
coordinate service with
local community treatment organizations;
and act as a liaison between
the participants, the Court
and other Mental Health Court team
members.
By identifying and diverting involved
individuals in the justice
system with mental health issues
away from the criminal justice system
and into proper treatment, the
goal of the Court of Common Pleas’
Mental Health Court expansion is to
improve the criminal justice systems’
response to mental illness in
the two southern counties. The intention
of this approach is to reduce
recidivism and increase public
safety.
"The Mental Health Court
Program has been positively
received by offenders,
who realize that they
have problems and genuinely
want help."
Judge Reigle
"I am pleased that the State
has dedicated resources to
divert offenders from the
criminal justice system and
help them get the mental
health counseling and
medications that they need
to be productive members
of society."
Judge Clark |
For further information contact Amy.Quinlan@state.de.us. |
