tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post4718811256376692586..comments2023-03-31T04:14:45.797-05:00Comments on Evaluation Research: Evaluation of a Mental Health CourtJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062270122608109713noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-85222366518267759092008-12-08T18:19:00.000-06:002008-12-08T18:19:00.000-06:00I agree with Angel we do need mental health courts...I agree with Angel we do need mental health courts in AL. UAB does sponsor a mental health court that is located in Bessemer. The team that works with this court is awesome and there have been positive outcomes for consumers because of the case management and therapy interventions upon admission to the court system.Debbie Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16654580839580499175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-82961927618795056192008-12-08T13:09:00.000-06:002008-12-08T13:09:00.000-06:00Tuscaloosa desperately needs a mental health court...Tuscaloosa desperately needs a mental health court like Norfolk has. ODU’s study of Norfolk’s mental health courts identified improved outcomes for inmates who have mental illness. It would be awesome to have a program with support interventions to link these folks up with immediately upon admission to the court system.Debbie Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16654580839580499175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-80535773353201449742008-12-03T16:06:00.000-06:002008-12-03T16:06:00.000-06:00I also agree with jefN that throwing drug-offender...I also agree with jefN that throwing drug-offenders in jail is not and has never really been helpfull. Once in jail these individuals do not receive the proper help for their drup addictions and once they get out they are usually right back at it and with better connections than before due to meeting other users in jail. It is really a vicious cycle. STACY CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-85584690993431988852008-12-03T16:04:00.000-06:002008-12-03T16:04:00.000-06:00Jails are not suited to be helpful for the mentall...Jails are not suited to be helpful for the mentally ill. Many times it only makes their problems and difficulties worse. I agree that jails are overcrowded as it is and I like the idea of intervening in the lives of those that need help instead of just encarcerating them.<BR/>STACY CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-36016276818084015012008-11-30T21:49:00.000-06:002008-11-30T21:49:00.000-06:00In response to Donna A., isn't it wonderful what c...In response to Donna A., isn't it wonderful what can happen when you're able to keep our clients out of jail, but in placements that directly address their needs? I had a client who was headed to jail, and we had to FIGHT with his PO to make him understand that in-home intervention with his entire family system was well worth giving a try. After our services, he is getting ready to graduate high school, and head to college, and his parents were able to keep their sanity.nikkighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10133917409599694263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-43277683056606253322008-11-30T21:42:00.000-06:002008-11-30T21:42:00.000-06:00In response to Donna A., isn't it wonderful what c...In response to Donna A., isn't it wonderful what can happen when you're able to keep our clients out of jail, but in placements that directly address their needs? I had a client who was headed to jail, and we had to FIGHT with his PO to make him understand that in-home intervention with his entire family system was well worth giving a try. After our services, he is getting ready to graduate high school, and head to college, and his parents were able to keep their sanity.nikkighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10133917409599694263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-23832276317085796242008-11-30T21:39:00.000-06:002008-11-30T21:39:00.000-06:00LOL, I had the exact same response as Angel P. Fin...LOL, I had the exact same response as Angel P. Finally someone has realized that jail is not the key for the mentally ill, but that case management by qualified social workers in collaboration with POs is. <BR/>Shelby County is attempting to move to a similar model, but I think they should certainly examine what Virginia has done to ensure that they are helping, not enabling the mentally ill. Excellent program!nikkighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10133917409599694263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-21203961850845753752008-09-28T19:41:00.000-05:002008-09-28T19:41:00.000-05:00In response to Kristie R's comment, I agree that C...In response to Kristie R's comment, I agree that Community Corrections is a great way to deal with mental health/drug offenders. Albertville has a Community Corrections program that allows the minor offender to work and pay off fines while being incarcerated, while also providing part of their pay to the court system. I feel that this is a good concept, to make individuals accountable, and to also give them a means of re-entering society with a balanced check-book.Linda Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16231302019236562776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-22760612325396936462008-09-17T13:17:00.000-05:002008-09-17T13:17:00.000-05:00(Response from Angel P’s post) A pilot program in ...(Response from Angel P’s post) A pilot program in Alabama is a wonderful idea. Having the ability to save money and provide assistance for the mentally ill are two great reasons to expand on the Norfolk’s ideas. joannAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-72116511385927437512008-09-17T12:59:00.000-05:002008-09-17T12:59:00.000-05:00I feel there are many different ways to reach succ...I feel there are many different ways to reach success with a mentally ill person. Finding a direction to make a positive different is defiantly a challenge. It is exciting to hear Norfolk celebrate their accomplishments. Although this technique may not be the answer for every court, it gives hope. joannAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-45766265012916667752008-09-15T22:23:00.000-05:002008-09-15T22:23:00.000-05:00In response to Matt,I also think that it is import...In response to Matt,<BR/>I also think that it is important that the severity of these clients illness be taken into account, because you cannot treat two people with the same services. I think that these types of programs are suitable for people with mild symptoms and that can function on their own.TIF.Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17269931491824597196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-32781215554470500842008-09-15T22:03:00.000-05:002008-09-15T22:03:00.000-05:00This is a great program and it is great to see the...This is a great program and it is great to see the courts taking initiative to go above and beyond. My concern with these types of programs is when the program ends what does the consumer do? I know that we hope that they take something from their trainings and change their lives; but what about those consumers who don't? These are still the same people who will be in and out of the system for the rest of their lives. Do we keep giving them the same services or do we keep coming up with new ones?TIF.Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17269931491824597196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-8006384010981353922008-09-15T12:52:00.000-05:002008-09-15T12:52:00.000-05:00I must agree with Tiffiney Brittingham because our...I must agree with Tiffiney Brittingham because our prison systems are very crowded. People are piling up on top each other, and, although crimes were committed by them, they are still human. I am very happy to have read this article and any program that can help the crowded prison system is wonderful. To my belief people who have mental disorders should not be in the prison system anyway. My question, do they really know right from wrong in the first place?Tysie Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05437879644957359791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-54112155640901361442008-09-14T17:20:00.000-05:002008-09-14T17:20:00.000-05:00In response to JEFNI have heard that there is a me...In response to JEFN<BR/>I have heard that there is a mental health court somewhere in Birmingham. I have heard that there is one in the works for Calhoun County. A mental health liaison (not the mental health officer that works for the Sheriffs Department.) was recently hired to coordinate relations between the state hospitals, jails, and local psychiatric units. This helps coordinate placement for these people in the community. The courts are starting to refer people for court-mandated treatment at local mental health clinics. So far, this seems to be working well. It is not a full blown “mental health court”, but it is probably not too far down the road. The liaison receives reports from the therapist about attendance in the program, progress, and med compliance and then takes that information and makes it available to the judge and court referral officers.<BR/>Matt g. (gadsden)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-14913917538908958482008-09-14T17:16:00.000-05:002008-09-14T17:16:00.000-05:00This is a great idea and it seems like a trend tha...This is a great idea and it seems like a trend that catching on. Hopefully the state of Alabama will be forward thinking enough to embrace this necessary intervention. I agree that jail is not the answer in treating this population. It certainly does not help the client, the jails, or the community. When a mental health client is incarcerated, it is a crapshoot at best whether or not they will receive their psych meds. Of course their symptoms will become worse. We also know that with each relapse, they never quite return to the level of functioning prior to relapse. It makes sense to place them where they can get the treatment they need and hopefully prevent relapse.<BR/>I would be interested in how severe the mental illness is of the population they are working with in their court. I believe the mental health courts will probably be most successful with bipolar, personality disorders and antisocial traits where their behaviors/acting out are getting them into trouble. Also for the person that is self-medicating to cope with symptoms, it gives them viable Tx options. It seems a person with a Schizophrenia diagnosis, drug and alcohol problems and are used to living on the “streets” is probably the greatest challenging combination. Many times they are so disorganized and paranoid even at baseline. Sometimes they don’t really stay in one place very long. This makes it very difficult to track them down for home visits and if they are not compliant, the officer must have an address before they can pick them up.<BR/>Matt G. (gadsden)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-60691574696609721052008-09-10T23:36:00.000-05:002008-09-10T23:36:00.000-05:00I am interested by Amanda H.'s comment regarding h...I am interested by Amanda H.'s comment regarding her work with juveniles. I love the collaborative method for dealing with this population. I whole heartedly subscribe to the "village" concept for raising children and adolescents. But, I don't know why we should have to end it there. People in general need each other to make it in this world. Vulnerable populations such as the mentally ill need advocates even more so. <BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, prevention is scarcely utilized. Social workers are called after the fact and sometimes have to "band aid" their way through treatment due to money, time, or other reasons. It is a breath of fresh air to know that there is prevention work being done at the juvenile level as this crucial time period is when many problems begin for our clients. <BR/><BR/>Also, I really like the variety of interventions that Amanda described used in the juvenile court system. The same thing does not work for each person. It is important for us as social workers to have our bag of tricks, plus some, ready when dealing with our unique clients.DC Bekkahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04219950058611936857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-79739359458437510212008-09-10T23:22:00.000-05:002008-09-10T23:22:00.000-05:00I am very interested in the concept of mental heal...I am very interested in the concept of mental health courts. I agree with previous comments regarding the more commonly known way of addressing this population by warehousing and increasing accountability by structured support system.<BR/><BR/>One comment made in the article pertained to the amount of money saved. From a purely financial standpoint, I am interested to know how much the program cost in relation to the savings. My experience has been that for outcomes to be the most successful, there is usually a great deal of cost involved not soley with money, but also time and resources. The manpower to administer and execute a program like this sounds like it would take massive efforts. Although I see how it could work and has been working in other states, my concern for the state of Alabama taking on an project such as this one is the money issue. A great deal of funding would have to be put forth and return may not come as soon as the state could handle. Strong advocacy work will be key to achieving a program such as this in this state.<BR/><BR/>Another factor for this program that I would have liked to know more about is the average time that it takes for one to complete the program. I read the portion of the article about the receidivism rates. However, how does one determine how long a client needs supervision? Is it based on the degree of their mental illness? <BR/><BR/>One additional thing that I would add to the program would be, that if incarceration had to be utilized, to combine their sentence with community service. Most people, in general, benefit from knowing that they are needed and have a job to do. This opportunity might open up doors for employment or continued volunteer service in their neighborhoods.<BR/><BR/>I think that this topic was very relevant to today's social challenges with the mentally ill. Thanks for posting this info!<BR/><BR/>Rebekkah Smith (Tuscaloosa)DC Bekkahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04219950058611936857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-20540664750327000342008-09-10T16:43:00.000-05:002008-09-10T16:43:00.000-05:00I agree with R.A Montgomery's comment about the re...I agree with R.A Montgomery's comment about the recidivism rate. A reduced recidivism rate is always a good indication of a program's success. It seems almost funny to me that a program, with such positive results, was not developed earlier. Nevertheless, I am glad the United States is finally taking an initiative to address the needs of the mentally ill.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01222898106328181174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-62015244959932747262008-09-10T16:32:00.000-05:002008-09-10T16:32:00.000-05:00I found this article to very interesting. Prior to...I found this article to very interesting. Prior to reading it, I honestly had never heard of a mental health court. But now I can see how one would be an effective alternative to incarcerating non-violent mentally ill criminals. Ron Honberg’s comment in the article was especially insightful on the matter, stating “A lot of the individuals served in mental health courts end up in the criminal justice system because they didn’t get the services they needed.” I think developing more programs like these across the United States would really help America’s mentally ill population stay out of jail.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01222898106328181174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-80279490652159941462008-09-10T16:26:00.000-05:002008-09-10T16:26:00.000-05:00RE: AngelAlthough it is true that mentally ill pat...RE: Angel<BR/><BR/>Although it is true that mentally ill patients need structure, understanding, and help, some refuse to continue seek and continue treatment. I believe that they are the ones who indeed should be behind bars whether they have a mental illness or not.<BR/>Ariel C.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-47819000592665660572008-09-10T16:21:00.000-05:002008-09-10T16:21:00.000-05:00I am appalled at how hard social workers must work...I am appalled at how hard social workers must work to keep their jobs within the school system. Yes it is impotant to evaluate the programs but I do not neccesarily think that it is fair that they must do this to meet all of the stakeholders needs.<BR/>Ariel CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-14535293307771644392008-09-10T14:02:00.000-05:002008-09-10T14:02:00.000-05:00RESENDING MY ORIGINAL POST:My first thought after ...RESENDING MY ORIGINAL POST:<BR/><BR/>My first thought after reading the article for "Evaluation of a Mental Health Court" was: “Why are there just 180 mental health courts in the United States?" I must be honest, I have never heard of a Mental Health Court, but I would have thought the concept would be more attractive and accepted by other cities in the United States. Nationally, with the overcrowding of our prison systems and high recidivism rates, it seems logical that more programs such as these would be in place. However, I am sure funding and resources would appear at the top of the list of contributing factors as to why such programs are not in place. <BR/><BR/>An additional thought I had while reading this article was about the undiagnosed mentally ill individuals within the criminal system that could benefit from such programs, but instead just become repeat offenders or worse, a statistic to some other tragic incident. While I understood this article to be related to more of a stabilization program for diagnosed mentally ill offenders, I wonder if there is some type of assessment component within this criminal justice system for those that our undiagnosed and could benefit from such a program. I am unfortunately reminded of several former classmates, friends, family, etc. that become part of the criminal justice system and even after release, and supposed rehabilitation, remain mentally incarcerated. I would be interested to learn more about similar programs as these in other cities and how the programs operate.<BR/><BR/>Karen P. (Gadsden)Karen Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01424294590482330114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-78073464925884435042008-09-10T13:28:00.000-05:002008-09-10T13:28:00.000-05:00In response to Karen P. I would like to say that ...In response to Karen P. I would like to say that I agree that people should be allowed to take responsibility for their life. In doing so, those are now involved with that life should offer guidance and understanding, but should also hold those individuals accountable for their decisions. No matter how old or young, or what race or gender, or whether you are rich or poor or somewhere in between, everyone needs to recognize that they are accountable for their decisions and their actions. As an employee of the State of Alabama, I am accountable for my work performance. As a wife, I am accountable to my husband and as a mother, I am accountable to my children. But, on the bigger picture, I am accountable to society to be a law abiding citizen, with compassion for my fellow man/woman, and a sense of duty to leave this world a better place for generations to come. <BR/><BR/>Gina S.Gina Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04797835971052818391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-50402747035745586952008-09-10T13:19:00.000-05:002008-09-10T13:19:00.000-05:00This was an interesting article and from the conte...This was an interesting article and from the contents it appears that this is a successful program. It would be interesting to see what benefits and results would occur if this idea was extended to the juvenile courts and reach out to children that are already showing signs of varying types of mental illness. Many of the adolescents and teenagers that I have worked with are also involved with the court system and with mental health. I have seen our local juvenile judge become frustrated because juveniles with low IQ's, bad school performance, involvment with the local mental health center, etc., come before him and do not appear to understand what they have done or what he is requiring them to do. If there were ways to reach out to these children before they reach adulthood and end up in situations that necessitate the need for prisons, the overall benefits to society could only increase.<BR/><BR/>Gina S.Gina Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04797835971052818391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219809279917829070.post-18407645609222868992008-09-10T11:49:00.000-05:002008-09-10T11:49:00.000-05:00The study on Mental Health Court conducted by Old ...The study on Mental Health Court conducted by Old Dominion University has proven very effective. Some of the major ways the program has succeeded is because the recidivism rate has decreased and people with mental illness are not being placed in jail for 6 months for trespassing. Also, this program seems to help people with mental illnesses because they are not placed in jails that end up costing the states millions of dollars. This program is a true success. <BR/><BR/>Tysie BakerTysie Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05437879644957359791noreply@blogger.com