Characteristics of Mental Health Court Judges: Factors Facilitating Positive Change

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Despite evidence of the effectiveness of diversionary problem-solving mental health courts’ (MHC) impact on participant desistance, well-being, and perceptions of procedural justice, there remains little literature examining the mechanisms related to these identified outcomes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop an initial set of identified factors perceived by experienced MHC team members to have positive and/or negative impacts on program participant outcomes. This poster presents finding drawn from a larger study that utilized qualitative grounded theory focus-group interviews with 51 designated mental health court team members including judges, program directors, attorneys, clinicians, case managers, probation, and participant advocates drawn from 11 U.S. mental health courts (MHCs) to identify factors team members believed to be related to the impact of the court. This poster describes finding related to the perceived factors specific to the MHC judge including judges’ compassion, specialized knowledge, interpersonal skills, transparency, consistency, and commitment. Along with results, implications for MHC programs and future research will be identified.

Author

• Kathi Trawver, University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work