Mental Health Treatment Court

Mental Health Treatment Court Judge: Hon. Michael L. Jaconette
Case Manager: Kerianne Hultink (email)

Probation department telephone number: 269-969-6651

Other important telephone numbers: 
Hands on Battle Creek: 2-1-1
Sentry: 269-719-8329
Summit Pointe: 269-966-1460

Mental Health Treatment Court Review Schedule
Bi-weekly on Thursdays at 2:30 pm




MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Calhoun County Mental Health Treatment Court is to take an active role in promoting the safety and well-being of our community by improving the quality of life for individuals charged with a criminal offense who have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness, developmental disability and co-occurring substance abuse disorder.  Mental Health Treatment Court is a court-supervised treatment program that assists participants whose mental health related issues led to their criminal behavior, with engaging in appropriate mental health treatment and reducing further contacts with the criminal justice system.  Our mission is driven by our community's need for public safety, accountability, education, reduced victimization, cost effectiveness and appropriate use of limited resources.

COURSE OF ACTION
To divert individuals with severe mental illness, developmental disability and co-occurring substance abuse disorders from the traditional criminal justice system and provide them with the tools they need through treatment, rehabilitative programming, reinforcement and monitoring, in order for them to lead a healthy prodcutive lifestyle.

GOALS

Mental Health Treatment Court has four main goals:

  1. To enhance public safety by providing increased monitoring and supervision to participants;
  2. To improve the quality of life for individuals with mental health issues who have been charged with eligible criminal charges;
  3. To help individuals engage with appropriate mental health treatment in the community;
  4. To reduce the use of limited community resources like hospitals, emergency departments and jails.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Potential participants are those who are charged with specific misdemeanor and/or non-violent felony charges as follows:

  • Some misdemeanor charges are eligible (including drug possession, not-for-profit drug dealing, domestic violence and OWI;
  • Some felony charges are eligible [including those with low risk to public safety; destruction of property, drug possession, larceny, fraud, resisting and obstructing ONLY IF no injury to officer(s)];
  • According to statutory laws, the following charges are not eligible: criminal sexual conduct in any degree, violent crimes, history of violence, not presently charged with or have been convicted of an offense involving the death of, or serious bodily injury to any individual, whether or not any of these circumstances are an element of the offense;
  • Additional charges that are NOT eligible in Calhoun County MHTC: home invasion, vulnerable victim crimes (elder/child/animal abuse, stalking/harassing, drug dealing);
  • Firearms, Weapons and Arson charges will be decided on a case-by-case basis with input from the Prosecutor.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Mental Health Treatment Court is a three phase program.  Each phase has specific requirements that all participants must meet, including mental health treatment.  The length of time each participant spends in a phase is based on an individual assessment and may vary.  Advancement to the next phase is based on a participant's compliance with program requirements. 
 
Every participant must report to a probation case manager.  Each participant must appear bi-weekly before the Mental Health Treatment Court Judge.  Prior to each court review, the MHTC team meets to discuss every participant's compliance, or lack of compliance, with program requirements.  The MHTC team recommends to the Judge whether a participant will receive a positive performance review or a sanction for lack of compliance.  Everything discussed in the MHTC team meeting is confidential.  Every participant's privacy is protected.

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