At its September meeting, the Clarke County Republican Committee heard from Superior Court Judge David Sweat and Probate Court Judge Susan Tate concerning the local Treatment & Accountability Court.
Says the Court’s web page:
A treatment and accountability court, sometimes called a mental health court, is not a separate court. Rather, it is a specialized court docket, or calendar, in which participants seek treatment for their mental illness while being closely monitored by local mental health providers and the court.
It is a collaborative program involving representatives from the court, mental health providers, prosecutors, public defenders, and community advocates all working towards providing treatment rather than punishment.
It targets non-violent offenders whose crime would not have occurred had it not been for their mental illness.
It links participants not only to mental health services such as counseling and treatment but also link them to needed social services – social security, housing, jobs, etc.
It may accept referrals from a variety of sources including the police, jail, mental health providers, family and the individuals themselves.
Unlike traditional substance abuse treatment in drug court where a standard model is available, mental health court is not a one-size-fits-all approach but instead is tailored around the individual’s specific needs.
I give the Unified Government quite a bit of grief, and deservedly so in my opinion, but I realize that not all is doom and gloom, as evidenced by programs such as this.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Credit Where It Is Due
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4 comments:
"but I realize that not all is doom and gloom"
Did you come off the meds or is this a bit like Saul of the road to Damascus? ;-)
I tried to think of some snappy Biblical comeback . . . but none of them really worked so I will go with the meds.
James -
Judges Sweat and Tate (and other unsung heroes) have served and worked without additional compensation on this project. Although the Unified Government has come to the table, it is a small morsel compared to the funding committment necessary to make this court fully operational. State and local officials need to get behind this as a Pilot Project for our court system.
One could argue that imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, but passing off content as if it was your own is just plain wrong and it is an all too common occurrence.
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Sandy Romeo
CONSUMER GENERATED MEDIA
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