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Whatcom County mental health court credited with lower recidivism, stable housing for graduates
Summary
Presenters described Whatcom County's mental health court as a voluntary, five-phase program that combines judicial oversight, behavioral-health probation, case management and community services; presenters said graduates show large reductions in legal involvement and improved housing and employment outcomes.
Speakers in a Whatcom County presentation described the county's mental health court as a voluntary program that routes people with criminal charges tied to untreated mental illness into coordinated treatment and supervision rather than the standard criminal docket.
Program staff said the court uses a five-phase model that connects participants to treatment, case management, probation support and services such as housing assistance and vocational help, and that most participants are supervised for about two years while they complete the phases.
The program's goal, presenters said, is to address the underlying behavioral health challenges that led to criminal charges so participants do not return to the legal system. "Mental health court reduces recidivism and increases community safety by addressing the untreated mental and behavioral health challenges that led to problematic and illegal…
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