Mental Health Courts

During this site visit, CSG Justice Center Staff met with the Judiciary of Rhode Island mental health Court team in Warwick, RI. On the first day, CSG Justice Center staff provided an overview of the visit, conducted training on referral and enrollment best practice as well as staff roles and responsibilities, and observed the team's staffing and eligibility sessions. On the second day, staff observed the Mental health Court docket/hearings and met the team's program evaluator.

TA to SCA behavioral health coordinator re: TTA for SCIP court-related activities; Zoom call to discuss
Michael Harper

Follow up call on 5/31/24

SCIP court-related opportunities and domestic violence court and docket structures/possibilities. Zoom calls with SAA. Met with SCIP Advisory Board to describe these opportunities.

The NTCRC has been consulted by local and national press for information regarding treatment courts. During this reporting period, the NTCRC was approached by one news outlet. Business Insider ran a piece on Veterans Treatment Courts in which NTCRC Co-Director Dr. Christina Lanier was featured. Additionally, the NTCRC was interviewed for two articles during the fall 2023 reporting period that were not previously accounted for: one piece on mental health courts for NPR featuring Co-Director Dr. Kristen DeVall, and another piece on mental health courts for KFF Health News.

NTCRC co-directors Dr. Christina Lanier and Dr. Kristen DeVall, NTCRC director of psychology Dr. Sally MacKain, and social science researcher Lindsay Baker gave four scheduled presentations and filled in for one additional presentation during All Rise's RISE24 conference in May 2024. These presentations included: So, What’s New?

The NTCRC Advisory Board met once during spring 2024 on March 11.

The NTCRC has developed a relationship with the newly-formed Council of State Treatment Court Coordinators (CSTCC) in an effort to become more attuned to the needs of the treatment court field at the state and local levels. Collaboration has also included development of a webpage for this agency, hosted by the NTCRC, and progress towards a discussion platform for agency members.

In this conference presentation, an overview of the Stepping Up framework was be provided as a foundation from which communities can develop collaborative approaches to reducing the incarceration of persons with serious mental health and/or substance use needs.

Hallie Fader-Towe joined the Public Safety Partnership's Prosecutor Community of Practice to speak to attendees about behavioral health diversion and the Prosecutor Call to Action. The CSG Justice Center identified and invited 2 site examples to present during the meeting.