Clarion County Launches New Behavioral Health Court

Ron Wilshire

Published May 3, 2018 12:00 pm

Clarion County Launches New Behavioral Health Court

CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – The Clarion County Court of Common Pleas hears many cases each year under the direction of Judge James G. Arner, but there are also specialty or treatment courts that put more attention on intensive treatment and supervision.

(PHOTO: Probation Director Jayne Smail and Clarion County Judge James G. Arner)

A Drug and Alcohol Court has operated successfully in Clarion County for ten years, and a new Behavioral Health Court was launched April 1.

Valerie Snyder, Senior Manager of Center for Community Resources along with Marci Hall, Mental Health Deputy Administrator proposed the idea in spring of 2017 for a behavioral health court in Clarion County. Due to funding concerns, the idea was taken off the table. In late summer of 2017, Judge Arner asked that they revisit the idea, and he held a meeting involving Center for Community Resources, The District Attorney, The County Administrator, Public Defender, and Probation.

(PHOTO — Left to Right: Mental Health Deputy Administrator Marci Hall, Behavioral Health Court Liaison Gina Mazzocchi, and Valerie Snyder)

“We reviewed their policies and procedures and settled on attending a Behavioral Health Court meeting and court in Butler to see how they run their court. After seeing Butler’s court, it was decided to move forward with the initiative,” said Snyder.

Hall pursued the funding and was responsible for updating the policies and procedures, which were adopted from the behavioral health court in Butler County, where Center for Community Resources also plays a role.

“Behavioral Health Court is part of a larger effort to divert persons with mental illnesses from the criminal justice system by improving mental health services and providing diversion at the earliest possible stage,” said Snyder.

“Research suggests that sending mentally-ill offenders to prison does not help with reducing recidivism. Behavioral Health Court will create intensive case management and surround the individuals with supports and medication management in hopes to reduce recidivism and get these individuals the care that they need.”

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the administrative office of Pennsylvania Courts recognized the usefulness of so-called specialty courts, according to Judge Arner.

“They typically deal with drug and alcohol issues,” said Judge Arner. “There are specialty courts for mental health or behavioral health and people with those kinds of problems. The other major one that I am aware of is Veterans Courts.”

Arner also cautioned that no one should think the treatment courts are an easy way out.

“The objective in all of these treatment courts is to recognize that these people need help, and it’s not just a matter of sending them to jail. I don’t want to give the impression to any of these people that they are not going to be held accountable.”

(PHOTO: The offices of Clarion County Probation and District Magistrate Duane Quinn along 6th Avenue in Clarion Borough)

Clarion County has not instituted a Veterans Court but felt a Behavioral Health Court could help some people. The two courts are voluntary and provide different options for each program. Drug and Alcohol is an intensive program to help people not use drugs and alcohol and improve their lives in the two-year program. The Behavioral Health Court is 18 months. Both are actual courts, and the individuals are sentenced to a court-designed plan.

The idea behind the Behavioral Court is that their mental health condition has entered into the commission of the offense.

“What we’re seeing is these people falling through the cracks, and there’s no place for them to go other than jail,” said Judge Arner.

“In terms of need, we’ve seen a gap where people who are in this situation aren’t getting to their appointments, aren’t taking their medication, they lack housing, they’re homeless, they might be employable, but they can’t keep a job,” said Judge Arner.

“Fortunately, the mental health system locally (Center for Community Resources) has some funding that they are providing to work with their liaison who can be involved pretty much on a day-to-day basis. Together we can make sure the people are getting to their appointments and their medication.”

Behavioral Health Court requires a court team to help in making recommendations to the judge so that they can lead a productive life.

The team makes recommendations to Judge Arner if the individual should be in the program before sentencing. An application is completed with the Behavioral Health Court Liaison and is reviewed by the entire Behavioral Health Court team to decide if the individual would be a good match for the program.

The Behavioral Health Court team includes the following members:

Hon. James G. Arner, Judge
Jayne Smail, Director Probation Services
Erin Hopkins, Probation Officer
Gina Mazzocchi, Behavioral Health Court Liaison
Erich Spessard, Public Defender
Drew Welsh, Assistant District Attorney
Marci Hall, Mental Health Deputy Administrator

Although the Behavioral Health Court is an “entirely different animal” than Drug and Alcohol, a review of some of its activity shows the intensity of the program. The Behavioral Health Court program is patterned after a long-running court in Butler County.

“It’s a gradual process and very intense in that a lot of people could be required to have inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment. It’s focused on the treatment being the priority of their life,” said Arner. “Treatment sometimes even above family or any other aspect because we’ve come to realize that if you don’t take care of your treatment, your sobriety, you aren’t going to have any of that anyway. Specialty courts are really based on an intensive treatment from the get-go.”

Arner said the Behavioral Health Court at the start might only admit five people into the program.

Qualifying factors for the program are as follows:

– Individuals must be the Clarion County resident;
– Eligible individuals will be nonviolent and will be considered on a case-by-case basis;
– Eligible individuals must have evidence of a chronic mental health issue such as major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, or post-traumatic stress disorder within the past two years;
– Appropriate individuals must have an initial mental health assessment conducted by a licensed psychiatrist/psychologist to determine the most appropriate level of care for mental health treatment; and
– Eligible individuals will enter the program at the time of court sentencing.

No court records are expunged from either of Clarion specialty treatment courts; however, successful members of the behavioral health program will be eligible for a sentence at a lower grade offense.

What does the behavioral health court liaison offer?