Mental Health Therapeutic Court (MHTC)
Spokane County has implemented an expanded Mental Health Court. This was made available thanks to legislation enacted in 2005, Senate Bill 5763, which allowed for a "Mental Health Sales Tax" of one tenth of one-percent to be used for the operation of new or expanded therapeutic court programs and to provide new or expanded mental health treatment or chemical dependency services.
In the regular system, defendants often interact with a number of different defenders, prosecutors and judges. Mentally ill offenders often spend unnecessary time in jail and, lacking access to mental health treatment services on release, often become repeat offenders and cycle through the justice system again and again.
The Mental Health Therapeutic Court (MHTC) represents an effort to increase effective cooperation between two systems that have traditionally not worked closely together, the mental health treatment system and the criminal justice system.
The project hopes to achieve the following outcomes for the mentally ill misdemeanant population:
- faster case processing time
- improved access to public mental health treatment services
- improved well-being
- reduced recidivism
An important outcome to be achieved from this program for the larger community is improved public safety. MHTC established criteria for the Therapeutic “Track” and completed the MHTC Manual in August 2007. An access database has been created to track outcomes and the program has been presented to several community stakeholders.
The MHTC was awarded a STOP Grant from the Washington State Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission, which commenced in April, 2007. The grant funds a .5 Domestic Violence Advocate in MH court and will also allow us to develop a state-wide legal advocacy manual outlining model guidelines and procedures for providing metal health court community-based legal advocacy for legal matters relating to domestic violence.
The Mental Health Therapeutic Court maintains the premise that crimes committed by mentally ill persons are not simply a law enforcement or criminal justice problem, but a public health problem.
Thanks to the support of the Bench, a Pre-Screening process was implemented to streamline the referral process into the Mental Health Court.
The process is as follows:
1. Complete the
Pre-Screening Form. Only this form is to be used for referrals, and it is important that all information requested on the form be completed.
2. Fax the form to Probation: County Cases: 477-2650 Municipal Cases: 622-5830
3. Probation will fax the form to the MHTC Team.
4. Probation will research files, NCIC, etc. for information on the defendant.
5. The MHTC Team will research files and databases for mental health information on the defendant.
6. If possible, obtain a release of information and fax to the MHTC Team at 477-2231.
7. The referrals will be discussed at Tuesday morning staffing with the rest of the Team and the Judge.
8. At this staffing, the Team will determine whether to accept or reject the defendant requested to be transferred into MH Court based on the information assembled by Probation and the MHTC Team.
9. The determination is recorded on a spreadsheet and then distributed to the Team.
10. If a defendant is accepted into the MH Court, the Judicial and Clerk will schedule the defendant onto our docket. An Order stating the acceptance will be filed with the court and notification is sent to the referring parties.
11. If a defendant is not accepted into the MH Court, an Order stating the reasons for rejection is filed with the court and notification is sent to the current Judge and referring parties.
Directions and Contact Information
District/Municipal Mental Health Therapeutic Court
Broadway Center Building
Post Office Box 2352
721 N Jefferson, 2nd Floor
Spokane, WA, 99210-2352
Phone: (509) 477-2230
FAX: (509) 477-2231
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