SAN MARCOS — County Court-at-Law #3 Judge Elaine Brown presented an update on the Mental Health Court to the Hays County Commissioners Court at its May 7 meeting. Brown’s court also serves as the Mental Health Court and she expressed wanting to display its achievements and plans for the future. According to the judge, approximately 19.86% of American adults are experiencing a mental illness, or about 50 million, 4.91% of which are experiencing a severe mental illness. She also stated that in Texas, 17.17% reported a diagnosable mental illness. “In our local jail, 64% of the people sitting in our jails report a severe mental illness. Now, compare that to the overall population and you can see that our jails are actually being used de facto as mental health providers for a majority of the people who are suffering from mental illness,” said Brown, who also revealed that this number is 55% in state prison and 45% in federal prison. The Mental Health Court is a treatment court or a “problem solving court,” explained Brown. She stated that the goal is to “link justice involved individuals to long-term community-based treatment and rehabilitation.” The court wants to improve public safety, improve the quality of life for those who participate and their families and provide an alternative to incarceration in a humane and effective way. The presentation listed nine components to a successful court: • Integration of mental illness and the processing of cases in the judicial system • The use of non-adversarial approach to promote public safety and protect due process rights • Early identification of these mental health problems • Access to evidence-based services and treatments • Ongoing judicial integration and accountability • Diversion to treatment • Monitor and evaluate the program • Continuing interdisciplinary education • Development of partnerships with agencies and community organizations The program is a minimum of 12 months, but sometimes a longer participation is recommended for those with larger needs. Often, those who are in the court have had previous suicide attempts, the judge said, and helping these individuals provides a ripple effect on the community because when those people are helped, their families and their friends heal, as well. To be a candidate, one must be at least 17 years of age, be diagnosed with a primary mental health disorder, have a pending misdemeanor, live in Hays County and there must be a nexus between the mental health disorder and the charge. Every individual is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, so some have been allowed to enter with felonies or if they live outside of the county, but the crime occurred within it. Although, those with crimes of a sexual nature or continuous violence are disqualified. Any community member can submit a referral to the court on its website, located at www.hayscountytx.com/courts/hays-county-mental-health-court. The individual is then evaluated through a mental health partner, followed by a staff meeting to determine whether the candidate is a good fit and if they believe that the individual would benefit from the program.
Achievements Currently, 0% of graduates of the program have reoffened, with five graduates and six more planned in the near future, totaling a success rate of 93%. The court currently has 20 participants enrolled in the program. There are a number of success stories that Brown shared with the court. She stated that one graduate is attending college, is on track to graduate later this year and has moved into his own home with assistance from his family. One received her CDL certificate and owns a trucking business and another has returned to running his family business full-time. All of the alumni chose to continue their psychiatrist counseling post-graduation from the program. “Resiliency scales show that court participants report higher resiliency, lower mental health symptoms and high goal achievement by graduation compared to their entrance into the program,” Brown said. Kaimi Mattila, Mental Health Court administrator, read multiple testimonies from participants. “After experiencing my two mental breakdowns in 2020 and 2021, my life is returning to normal again. I’m becoming myself again,” read one. “I have gained security and stability. I have gained a great team through the Mental Health Court program who have been there for me,” said another. She also told the story of “RC,” a 50-year-old individual who was chronically unhoused in San Marcos for 12 years, is diagnosed with schizophrenia and had a history of substance use. He recently graduated from intensive outpatient programming and moved into an apartment in Kyle through an emergency housing voucher. Mattila shared the following message that she received from him while he was moving into his new home: “I know I was resistant and did not believe that [the Mental Health Court was] really going to help [me],” said RC. “You know when we were walking into court, you told me, ‘I am not your enemy. I am here for you.’ I told you I would commit to this. I trusted you. Thanks for not hurting me.” Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra expressed his immense support for the program, but he did state that some community members are concerned that this is “jailed based competency restoration,” which is when individuals are aided until competent enough to stand trial, only to “throw them away in a state or federal prison.” In response to the concern, commissioner Walt Smith shared that the vast majority of individuals who have created and are working in this program are mental health professionals. This knowledge should help alleviate fears from community members, he said. Mattila also revealed that the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health has chosen Hays County as a pilot county and will be giving a workshop related to competency restoration on Aug. 7. Community members who are interested in attending to learn more about the topic can email kaimi.mattila@co.hays.tx.us for more information. “We can do better [for the community] and you are proving it right here and right now,” concluded Becerra. To listen to the presentation, visit
www.hayscountytx.com/commissioners-court/court-video . The commissioners will meet next on May 21.
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