The 8th Judicial District's Wellness Court Hope for Individuals with Mental Health Issues, 0520 COBJ, Vol. 49, No. 5 Pg. 14

• Author: BY JULIE KUNCE FIELD
• Position: Vol. 49, 5 [Page 14]

49 Colo.Law. 14

The 8th Judicial District's Wellness Court Hope for Individuals with Mental Health Issues

Vol. 49, No. 5 [Page 14]

Colorado Lawyer

May, 2020

JUDGES' CORNER

BY JULIE KUNCE FIELD

The felony menacing charge was not a surprise, under the circumstances. Carl was in the convenience store insisting that he was an FBI agent and that the clerk was under orders to cooperate with him by first giving him cigarettes and then hiding him from "them." When the clerk tried to reason with him, Carl pulled a hammer out of his pants and threatened to bash the clerk's head. Carl was arrested and facing felony charges for what was clearly a mental health crisis as much as it was a crime. Carl was facing up to three years in prison. But he had another option—one that would address his mental health issues and allow him to get treatment, find a job, reunite with his family, and make amends to the clerk whom he had terrified. Carl had the chance to be supervised by Wellness Court, the 8th Judicial District's mental health problem solving court.^[1]

Carl represents just one of the 34 graduates of Wellness Court, an innovative problem-solving court that provides healing and hope for those who participate. This article discusses the work of Wellness Court.

The Need

In 2005, Alternatives to Incarceration for Individuals with Mental Illness (AIIM) started as a heightened probation program for individuals with mental health issues facing misdemeanor charges. The program was overwhelmed with participants, and though an option for low-level offenders, AIIM was asked to add and supervise more high-risk individuals. Because AIIM did not have the resources to handle more individuals, especially those with significant mental health issues and corresponding felony charges, it became clear that something more was needed for offenders with greater needs. Enter Wellness Court.

Wellness Court started in 2014 as a partnership between Larimer County and the 8th Judicial District Court to address the challenges these high-needs individuals face when they enter the criminal justice system. Focused on those individuals charged with felonies or misdemeanors that arise because of mental health issues, Wellness Court applies a proven problem-solving court model to these most challenging cases.

Often, an individual with mental illness who is facing criminal charges enters the "revolving door" of arrest, incarceration, release, probation, revocation of probation, arrest, and further incarceration.^[2] And because the defendant's underlying mental health issues have not been addressed, that revolving door continues unabated. The Wellness Court's services and resources are designed to interrupt this cycle and provide a higher level of probation supervision and oversight that includes medication, therapy, basic needs support (such as help finding housing, employment, and benefits), and a community of professionals and peers who create a supportive web of assistance and inspiration. In the five-plus years that the program has been operating, Wellness Court has reduced jail bed days for our clients by a staggering 20,690 days.^[3]

All that said, demand is not being met. Working together and sharing staff, Wellness Court and AIIM are currently at capacity with a combined 70 clients. We have more people interested in joining the program...