Judge says mental health court needs county backing as grant funds end

Judge Sheila Bruce Renfro said Shelby County's mental health court needs county funding to sustain services and staff. She described a program transition that moved the court under general sessions so it would comply with statute and noted a prior $2.7 million pilot grant used for services. "Currently, the county is not funding mental health court at all," Judge Renfro said, urging commissioners to consider a request for several positions, benefits, supplies and professional contracts.

Judge Renfro said the court has identified clinical and administrative staff (including a nurse practitioner and social-work-trained personnel) and emphasized the operational need: she estimated there are about 2,100 people in the jail population and that a third of them have mental-health illnesses, which increases the need for on-site screening and diversion. She asked commissioners to consider targeted county support as grant funding phases out and said she would provide exhibits with the positions and cost detail.