A Status Update on U.S. Mental Health Courts

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Mental health courts (MHCs) vary greatly by jurisdiction, and to date there have been no large scale studies that comprehensively examine their scope of practices, policies, and procedures. This descriptive research study aims to provide a current state of adult MHCs within the United States, particularly regarding program structure, participant eligibility criteria, referral, case processing, trauma-informed programming, available internal and external resources, and use of sanctions and incentives. SAMHSA’s Adult Mental Health Treatment Court Locator was used as a starting point to identify MHC contacts, followed by internet searches, phone calls, and emails to identify additional MHCs. A link for an anonymous survey was emailed to over 500 U.S. MHCs, and court personnel from over 60 courts responded. Results of this study include that over one-third of MHCs who responded have experienced funding changes in the past five years, and housing resources are the most unavailable and needed within the community. Additionally, most respondents reported a lack of questions regarding sexual orientation and gender on their intake assessment paperwork. Nearly all respondents rated their MHC as somewhat, very, or extremely trauma-informed. The most frequently used trauma-informed approaches include Seeking Safety, gender-informed trauma groups, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.

Authors

• Laura N. Honegger, University of St. Francis

• Althia Gayle, University of St. Francis