The Sun /Sunday, June 8,2014feelingfit.com www.sunnewspapers.net Page 11


Court program offers jail alternative to mentally ill offenders


 By BOB MASSEY
 FEELING FIT CORRESPONDENT

 For some people with mental illness
 who commit crimes, jail may not be
 the most productive option.
 The Charlotte County Mental
 Health Court Program (MHCP)
 provides an alternative to incarcer-
 ation for criminal offenders who
 can be treated for their disorders.
 The program is designed to help the
 offender function better in society
 and at home.
 "It's really a good thing for the
 people who are successful and finish
 because they generally develop skills
 and re-establish relationships with
 family and friends where they may
 have burned some bridges," said
 Molly Grossman, director of outpa-
 tient and community-based services
 at Charlotte Behavioral Health Care.
 'And it saves the county a lot of
 money when they're not sitting in jail,
 so it's really a win-win situation."
 The MHCP is a model of coop-
 eration between the justice system
 and the mental health system. A
 collaborative effort among the state
 attorney, defense counsel, judicial
 system, criminal system and CBHC,
 the program is designed to identify
 and address the unique needs of a
 person with mental illness who has
 been arrested for a crime.
 The program may be voluntary -
 but it's no picnic.
 "Sometimes people have the
 FILE PHOTO perception that a program like this is
 going to be an easy way to get out of
 jail," Grossman said. "That is not at all
 the case."
 A "It's a pretty rigorous program,"
 added Victoria D'Agostino, CHBC's
 chief operating officer. "People hear
 about the program and some opt out.
 Recovery works, but it's a difficult
 road."
 Treatment lasts about 12-18
 months, usually four days a week -
 an ideal length of time to make sure
 the person is responding successfully
 to the program, she added. Because
 the treatment is performed on an
 outpatient basis, the participant is
 expected to have a safe place to live
 and have transportation available to
Lthe sessions.
 ~"The longer we have people in

 treatment, the more successful the
 outcomes are," D'Agostino said.
 Those in the program are moni-
 tored by the court system and the
 treatment team, as well as a probation


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officer. And there is frequent drug
testing, as many of the candidates are
substance abusers.
 Potential candidates for the pro-
gram are usually identified at the
offender's pre-trial hearing, Grossman
explained.
 Offenders may suffer from a variety
of mental illnesses, but the most
common is bipolar disorder.
 "That's because the hallmarks
of bipolar disorder are the people
with severe and persistent mental
illness that might more get involved
with the legal system because of the
impulsivity, and the manic phase that
they experience where they might be
stealing, using substances, writing
bad checks," Grossman said.
 After evaluation, all parties in-
cluding the state attorney and public
defender must agree that the per-
son would benefit from the program.
 "We're moving people out of the jail
and moving them into the commu-
nity, so it's about community safety,
too," Grossman said.
 That's why candidates are
handpicked.
 "The state attorney and the CBHC
staff are going to weed through any
charges that might put the commu-
nity at risk," D'Agostino said. "There
is definitely a rigorous process when
they're deciding who to divert it's a
careful decision that everyone takes
very seriously."
 But those who are accepted are
given the tools they need for another
chance.
 "Depending on what people's needs
are, we can help them with job skills,
with r~sums, grocery shopping,
budgeting how to not spend all
their money and blow it all the first
week they get their check," Grossman
said. "That's in addition to traditional
therapy like how to cope in situations
where neurosis might get out of
control.
 "We have community partners who
work with us. A lot of these people
are able to find employment, which
is great that there is support in the
community to employ somebody who
has had a problem but is in recovery. I
really applaud that."
 Another goal of the program is to
help program participants reconnect
friend and family relationships that
might have been damaged what
Grossman calls their "natural support
system."
 "Keep in mind is that some of these
folks are parents," D'Agostino said,
"and we want our parents who have
issues to have involvement and re-
sponsibility for their children, wheth-
er their children reside with them or
not. That's another really powerful
thing that we see when we can keep
parents involved with their children
versus having to go to prison."
 According to statistics, the program
seems to be working.
 Those offenders who become
uncooperative or who choose to quit
are withdrawn, and their original
sentence is reinstated, D'Agostino
said. But for those who complete the
program, the outlook is significantly
positive.
 According to the latest statistics,
only 7 percent of those who complete
the program are re-arrested within
the first 2 years.
 "That means 93 percent of those
who actually finish the program are
successful in the first two years,"
 COURT 119


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oThe Sun /Sunday, June 8, 2014


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