Mental Health Court

At last night's NAMI monthly meeting the focus was on the McHenry County Mental Health Court. Judge Charles Weech and First Assistant State's Attorney Tom Carroll explained the establishment and the purpose of the Court to the audience attending the October meeting at the Mental Health Board offices in Crystal Lake. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi and others were instrumental in forming the Court, which is designed to handle certain cases of persons with mental illness who are charged with a criminal offense. The Court was formed about 18 months ago.

Also attending last night's meeting were Ed Rickert of Family Service & Community Mental Health Center for McHenry County and the professional court staff of the Mental Health Court. I apologize, ladies, for not getting your complete names, but they were Desiree, Jennifer and Susan. Another staff member was not there.

Judge Weech is the perfect judge for the Mental Health Court. He initially worked as a probation officer in McHenry County. After working in another position, he went to law school and then worked in the State's Attorney's office. He carries a full general court load, plus the Mental Health Court, and he said his work week is usually about 60 hours.

His passion and compassion come through very clearly. The goal of the Mental Health Court is rehabilitation, rather than retribution. Defendants can be referred by police officers, hospitals, public defenders, private attorneys, Family Service and judges. There are 26 defendants currently in the program and 13 under consideration.

Not everyone who is referred makes it into the program. Some don't qualify; some don't want it. The program provides intensive monitoring and supervision and can last 18-24 months. When a defendant is referred to the program, an assessment takes place. Determination is made as to his "fit".

Participation in the Mental Health Court is voluntary, and a defendant can leave at any time; if he does, he probably returns to the regular court system. The benefits of completing the program of the Mental Health Court are that the charge is dropped and a person has probably changed his lifestyle for the better.

While there is a cost to the State and County for the program, the saving are real. Jail time is down and the cost of drugs to the County is greatly reduced. The program was described as "giving people a second chance." The cost/benefit ratio is positive, not negative.

A strong partnership between the Mental Health Court and the community is essential for its success. Recognition of a defendant's mental illness might often make the difference between his returning often to court or building the independence to stay out of trouble.

The Mental Health Court will soon offer its first "graduation" ceremony. The plan is for those completing the program to participate in the future as mentors to those entering the program. Someone who has "been there" and who knows that the program works can be a great influence on a person new to the program.

As police officers become better educated about mental illness, they may realize sooner that a person needs mental health treatment, not arrest and confinement. If appropriate, they might be able to route them into the mental healthcare system, rather than taking them to jail.

The goal is to help these special citizens to succeed and avoid unfavorable contact in the future with law enforcement agencies.

To find out more about the Mental Health Court, watch for announcements of additional public presentations by members of the Court. The Mental Health Court is open to the public, and it is in session on the first Friday of each month at 1:30PM at the McHenry County Government Center, 2200 North Seminary, Woodstock.