Overview
Behavioral Health Court is a voluntary, post-conviction program that seeks to enhance public safety and reduce recidivism of criminal defendants who suffer from serious mental illness. The program connects these defendants with community treatment services and finds appropriate dispositions to the criminal charges by considering the defendant’s mental illness and the seriousness of the offense. The goal is to improve defendant’s likelihood of success within their community through coordinated treatment, access to housing/shelter, education, vocational training, and other critical support services. The program promotes the increase of collaboration among the court, counsel, county agencies, community mental health treatment services, and the public.