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Specialty Courts - Mental Health Court

Michigan Mental Health Court Programs

Mental Health Court Minimum Data Standards

Recipients of funding under the Michigan Mental Health Court Grant Program (MMHCGP), will be required to provide SCAO with the specified minimum standard of data, and participate in evaluation activities facilitated by SCAO and MDCH.

Defining Mental Health Courts

Mental health courts are a type of problem-solving court that focuses on addressing the underlying mental illnesses which often bring an offender into contact with the criminal justice system. These programs create a specialized docket for offenders in which court and community health personnel monitor the participant’s treatment and adherence to court conditions. The goal is to better serve individuals with diagnoses of mental illness, developmental disability, or serious emotional disturbance.

The concept of mental health courts is fairly new, and the programs differ widely in eligibility criteria, the way cases are processed, the way treatment is provided, and the way cases are disposed upon discharge from the program. There are numerous ways to structure a mental health court; however, a successful program requires partnership and collaboration between the local court and a community mental health service program. Furthermore, grant-funded courts in Michigan are required to target adults with mental illnesses as defined in MCL 330.1100a(2)(20). For more information, see the subsection about the Michigan Mental Health Court Grant Program.

*Mental Health Court overview adapted from the Council of State Governments publication:

The Council of State Governments. “A Guide to Mental Health Court Design and Implementation: A publication of the Council of State Governments, prepared for the Bureau of Justice Assistance.” May 2005


Funding

Although the operational costs of mental health courts are primarily the responsibility of local courts and their funding units, additional funding assistance is available from these sources:


Michigan Mental Health Court Grant Program

The State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) and the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) have established a collaborative partnership to provide funding assistance for pilot mental health courts through its Michigan Mental Health Court Grant Program (MMHCGP).


Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants include trial courts partnering with the Community Mental Health Services Program (CMHSP) through a single joint application. Applications must reflect a partnership and collaboration between the court and CMHSP. Proposed programs must target adults with an Axis 1 Thought or Mood Disorder or a Developmental Disability as defined in MCL 330.1100a(2)(20). In addition, the program must operate post-arraignment. Pre-arraignment programs are not the focus of this pilot initiative. Also, due to the short period of time in which to plan and implement a pilot program, and the complexity of funding and program issues related to operating a juvenile mental health treatment court, juveniles are not included in the FY09 pilot initiative.

For further information, contact Connie Daiss, Program Assistant - Specialty Courts, at 517-373-2219 or daissc@courts.mi.gov.


Other Resources

Additional information on mental health courts and other problem-solving courts is available at the following websites:



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