Incoming chief judge, community activists develop mental health court initiative
Southwest Louisiana community leaders observed mental health courts in Gainesville, Florida, last month as part of an initiative to develop a similar system in local district courts – a progressive move that could “change the way we deal with some of society’s past failures,” according to incoming Chief Judge Robert Wyatt of the 14th Judicial District Court.
Wyatt joined Richard Tanous of Resource Management Services, Susan Fry of the Office of Mental Health and Mickey Shannon, director of Samaritan Counseling Center, for the on-site visit in Gainesville, where the mental health court system is among the most stellar in the nation.
According to Shannon, mental health courts are designed to hear cases specifically linked to mental illness, which allows for appropriate judgments that could reduce recidivism and improve rehabilitation standards. If implemented locally, the mental health court would be part of a systematic change in how crimes by the mentally ill are treated.
The implementation of the Crisis Intervention Team several years ago was the first step toward systematic improvements, according to Tanous. CIT, developed by the Lake Charles Police Department, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, and McNeese State University’s Psychology Department in partnership with the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, trains law enforcement in the behaviors and actions of the mentally ill to ensure that proper enforcement decisions are made.
“Nationally, more and more individuals with mental illness are being dealt with by law enforcement. Our jails and prisons are overcrowded and often have persons with mental illness charged with lesser offenses that would be better served in some type of community treatment environment. Often these individuals are very likely to be re-arrested and re-incarcerated,” Wyatt said. “By utilizing the court’s authority, inter-organizational collaboration of services and individuals can be directed to appropriate treatment, thereby reducing and removing those with mental illnesses from re-entering the criminal justice system.”
Under the guidance of the Hon. Martha Lott of the 8th JDC felony mental health court in Gainesville, the local representative group observed the functions of both the misdemeanor mental health court and the felony mental health court. These observations are considered part of collaborative research to determine the feasibility of a similar system in Calcasieu Parish.
“We need community support to make something like this happen,” Shannon said. “If this system is implemented locally, it could make a real difference in recidivism rates in Southwest Louisiana. This area could become a model for the rest of the state, and perhaps the nation, in how it deals with the mentally ill.”
According to Fry, Judge Wyatt has taken the lead in this initiative.
“It’s the right thing to do. For too long Louisiana has been on the tail end of proactive changes in criminal justice initiatives. We have begun to take the lead in changing paradigms around the state,” Wyatt said. “There is such a changed attitude about agencies and organizations working together to bring about a sense of community and problem-solving.”
In addition to the Gainesville visit, Tanous, Shannon, and Lt. David Anders of the Lake Charles Police Department gave a presentation to the International CIT Conference in Atlanta, Ga., on November 4. The presentation discussed the development of the Southwest Louisiana CIT program and how it has grown into a collaborative effort throughout the community.
“Community support is vital,” Shannon said. “It’s important that the community understand that our goal is not to keep people out of the criminal justice system. We simply want to ensure that treatment plans and enforcement action is in the best interest of all involved, including members of the local community.”
Back To News