An Annotated Overview of Articles and Resources Related to Mental Health Court
Compiled in November, 2011
1. Mental Health Courts: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice
Cite: Almquist, Lauren; Dodd, Elizabeth. (2009) Mental Health Courts: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice. Available at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/pdf/CSG_MHC_Research.pdf (Document is also provided on the COE website)
Summary: A guide to assist policymakers and practitioners in assessing the utility of mental health courts. It discusses who participates in mental health courts and how these courts function. Additionally, this guide reviews research findings that address the extent to which mental health courts have been found effective in improving public safety by reducing recidivism.
2. Mental Health Courts: A Primer for Policymakers and Practitioners.
Cite: The Council of State Governments. (2008). Mental Health Courts- A Primer for Policymakers and Practitioners. Available at: http://consensusproject.org/mhcp/mhc-primer.pdf
Summary: This guide, published by The Council of State Government, covers a range of topics. These include everything from how mental health courts are different from drugs courts to what issues should be considered when planning or designing a mental health court. Additionally, after a study of several MHCs, this article outlines the main findings (pg 14).
3. Navigating the Mental Health Maze- A Guide for Court Practitioners
Cite: Osher, Fred; Levine, Irene. (2005). Navigating the Mental Health Maze- A Guide for Court Practitioners. Available at: http://consensusproject.org/mhcp/Navigating-MHC-Maze.pdf
Summary: A crash-course guide for anyone who may have contact with defendants having a mental illness. It aims to provide the basic information necessary to understand how mental illnesses are diagnosed, how they are treated, and how court processes and mental health services can be coordinated.
4. A Guide to Collecting Mental Health Court Outcome Data.
Cite: Steadman, Henry. (2005) A Guide to Collecting Mental Health Court Outcome Data. (2005). Available at: http://www.ojp.gov/BJA/pdf/MHC-Outcome-Data.pdf (Document is also provided on the COE website)
Summary: Describes practical strategies for collecting data and evaluating the effectiveness of mental health courts. Written for mental health court practitioners and policymakers who want to measure the impact of court-based programs.
5. A Guide to Mental Health Court Design and Implementation.
Cite: Council of State Governments. (2005). A Guide to Mental Health Court Design and Implementation. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.gov/BJA/pdf/Guide-MHC-Design.pdf (Document is also provided on the COE website)
Summary: A guide published by The Council of State Governments which describes three steps to be followed by any community considering the establishment of a mental health court. These steps are 1) understanding the mental health court concept; 2) determining whether a mental health court is appropriate; and 3) considering elements of mental health court design and implementation.
6. Mental health courts and their selection processes: Modeling variation for consistency
Cite: Wolff, Nancy; Fabrikant, Nicole; Belenko, Steven. (2011). Mental health courts and their selection processes: Modeling variation for consistency. Law and Human Behavior. 35 (5), pp. 402-412.
Summary: Eligibility for mental health courts can be complicated and vary depending on several factors. This article describes a qualitative study designed to deconstruct the selection and admission processes of mental health courts. Results show selections are shaped by formal and informal selection criteria as well as by the local treatment system.
7. Effect of mental health courts on arrests and jail days: A multisite study.
Cite: Steadman, Henry J; Redlich, Allison; Callahan, Lisa; Robbins, Pamela Clark; Vesselinov, Roumen. (2011). Effect of mental health courts on arrests and jail days: A multisite study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(2), pp. 167-172.
Summary: This study aims to determine if MHCs produce more favorable outcomes than those of the regular court process for the mentally ill. This is the first multisite study on mental health courts with treatment and control groups. Results suggest that MHCs fulfill the objective of lowering post-treatment arrest rates and days of incarceration.
8. Assessing the Effectiveness of Mental Health Courts: A meta-analysis of clinical and recidivism outcomes.
Cite: Sarteschi, Christine M. (2010). Assessing the Effectiveness of Mental Health Courts: A meta-analysis of clinical and recidivism outcomes. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 70 (12-A), pp. 4859.
Summary: This is a review of the accumulating MHC studies that have taken place, to determine if, empirically, they are an effective intervention practice. The study makes use of literature and electronic sources, as well as communication with mental health court program directors. Results suggest MHCs are effective, but methodology of some surveyed studies could be stronger.
9. Arrests two years after exiting a well-established mental health court.
Cite: Hiday, Virginia A; Ray, Bradley. (2010). Arrests two years after exiting a well-established mental health court. Psychiatric Services, 61(5), pp. 463-468.
Summary: This study looks at whether MHCs can reduce criminal recidivism. It follows defendants for two years after exiting the program of an established MHC. Results suggest that the program had a greater impact on defendants who completed it than those who did not.
10. Enrollment in mental health courts: Voluntariness, knowingness, and adjudicative competence.
Cite: Redlich, Allison D; Hoover, Steven; Summers, Alicia; Steadman, Henry J. (2010). Enrollment in mental health courts: Voluntariness, knowingness, and adjudicative competence. Law and Human Behavior, 34(2), pp. 91-104.
Summary: This is a survey of 200 newly enrolled defendants of two MHCs to understand their perceptions of voluntariness, level of knowing and legal competence. The majority was found to know the basics of court processes and a minority was found to have difficulty with legal competence. The implications of these findings are discussed.
11. Patterns of Practice in Mental Health Courts: A National Survey
Cite: Redlich, Allison D; Steadman, Henry J; Monahan, John; Robbins, Pamela Clark; Petrila, John. (2006). Patterns of Practice in Mental Health Courts: A National Survey. Law and Human Behavior, 30(3), pp. 347-362.
Summary: This involves a survey of the entire population of adult MHCs in the United States, with ninety overall. The study looks at court practices, including common sanctions as a result of non-compliance.
12. The Second Generation of Mental Health Courts.
Cite: Redlich, Allison D; Steadman, Henry J; Monahan, John; Petrila, John; Griffin, Patricia A. (2005). The Second Generation of Mental Health Courts. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 11(4), pp. 527-538.
Summary: In this article, authors say that the “second generation” of mental health courts have arrived now that such practices have been well established. These second-generation courts are distinguished by four identifying dimensions. These features are discussed along with reasons why such changes have taken place.
13. From Referral to Disposition: Case Processing in Seven Mental Health Courts.
Cite: Steadman, Henry J; Redlich, Allison D; Griffin, Patricia; Petrila, John; Monahan, John. (2005). From Referral to Disposition: Case Processing in Seven Mental Health Courts. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 23(2), pp. 215-226.
Summary: This study concentrates on the referral and disposition decision-making process of MHCs, as well as who is likely to be involved with one. These decisions are implicated in results which show mental health court clients are more likely to be older, white, and women than those individuals in the general criminal justice system.
14. An Assessment and Evaluation of Mental Health Courts in Maricopa County Arizona.
Cite: Stodola, Mark. (2004). An Assessment and Evaluation of Mental Health Courts in Maricopa County Arizona. Institute for Court Management, Court Executive Development Program, Phase III Project.
Summary: The purpose of this document is to evaluate the effectiveness of two specifics courts in Maricopa County, Arizona and how well they meet the needs of those with mental health issues in the justice system. Available at: http://www.ncsc.org/~/media/files/pdf/education%20and%20careers/cedp%20papers/2004/stodolamark.ashx.
15. Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project: Improving Responses to People with Mental Illness.
Cite: Thompson, Michael D; Reuland, Melissa; Souweine, Daniel. (2003). Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project: Improving Responses to People with Mental Illness. Crime & Delinquency, 49(1), pp. 30-51.
Summary: This article summarizes the findings of the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project. The goal of the project was to develop recommendations for improving the response to people with mental illness who are involved with, or are at risk of involvement with, the criminal justice system.