SF Examiner: "A court for the 10th circle of hell"

San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court was featured in this San Francisco Examiner Op-Ed. Through a federal grant, BHC's Housing and Employment Outcomes (HERO) program provides housing and employment opportunities to help further strengthen client's recovery and well-being. 

“It’s not enough to just get someone out of jail,” said Lisa Lightman, director of San Francisco’s Collaborative Court Programs, which includes the Behavioral Health Court. “Mental health issues are always with someone. They need medication plus a purpose in life that includes work and home. HERO helps people in recovery choose what they want to do and be.”

Click here to read the full article. 

David Traylor (left) isn’t psychotic, in jail or dead today thanks to Judge Ronald Albers (right) of San Francisco’s Behavioral Health Court. (Joel Engardio/Special to S.F. Examiner)

 

BHC featured in Mother Jones

Mother Jones published an article and video yesterday featuring the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court. The article – "Can Mental Health Courts Fix California's Prison Overcrowding?" – discusses how California's Three Strikes Law has "inadvertently resulted in the incarceration of a lot relatively harmless people, for a long time and at great public expense."



The statistics are staggering. Mentally ill inmates make up 45% of California's prison population. Mentally ill offenders also receive longer sentences than their non-mentally ill counterparts across all felonies.

"Once in prison, [mentally ill inmates'] illnesses go untreated, and the prison conditions exacerbate their behavioral symptoms. As a result, they are at greater risk of getting in trouble for breaking prison rules and being sanctioned with severe disciplinary measures, including solitary confinement—a vicious cycle that can make their symptoms even worse, getting them in even more trouble."

Citing their effectiveness and cost-savings, State Senator Darrell Steinberg and professors from Stanford Law School's Three Strikes project are calling for more investment in mental health courts. There are currently 40 mental health courts across 27 counties in California, including the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court.

The video was directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Kattie Galloway of Loteria Films.

NBC News: BHC graduate reunited with the violin (VIDEO)

Nightly News   |  December 05, 2013

Hitting all the right notes

After hitting rock bottom, a child prodigy violinist -- now 34 years old -- is fighting her way back to a life filled with music. Here’s NBC’s Joe Fryer.

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/53746544#53824745

Nightly News   |  December 06, 2013

Playing a new tune

When her life spiraled out of control, a young violinist got desperately needed help… from an unlikely source. Here is more of Joe Fryer’s interview with Kim Knoble.

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/53746501 
 

SFGate.com: "S.F. court offers path to treatment instead of jail"

S.F. court offers path to treatment instead of jail

By Fred J. Martin Jr.

Published September 19, 2013

San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court has facilitated the recovery of hundreds of clients over the past decade and more than 300 people have graduated to resume productive and successful lives. The court's clients come into the criminal justice system with a felony arrest but if a medical diagnosis reveals a severe mental illness, they are redirected from Superior Court to the Behavioral Health Court.

Jennifer Johnson, a deputy public defender who works with the Behavioral Health Court clients, said, "Creating a collaborative mental health court was a courageous step for San Francisco, and not easy to accomplish in the adversarial climate of the criminal justice system.

"The success of the program is proof that treatment is not only the humane solution for people with mental illness, but also one that benefits public safety, saves money and helps stop the revolving door of hospitalization, incarceration and homelessness."

The court provides individualized treatment for each client who agrees to accept community-based mental health treatment, accept prescribed medical care and cooperate with the probation officer and forensic case manager. Those who complete their program are honored at a graduation ceremony conducted by the judge, who congratulates and releases them, sometimes after erasing criminal charges.

J.P., a court graduate, lived on the streets for more than two decades hearing voices, using and selling drugs, and cycling in and out of jail before landing in the Behavioral Health Court. With the help of his intensive case management team, he learned to manage his symptoms of schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. J.P. has been clean and sober for five years and only comes to the Hall of Justice to accompany other clients as a peer counselor.

Another graduate, M.A., left her native country 13 years ago because she was rejected by her family and ostracized by a community that did not understand her bipolar disorder. Without access to treatment in San Francisco, she started using drugs and working as a prostitute. She tried to commit suicide multiple times before her last attempt brought her into the criminal justice system. After three years in treatment, she has reunited with her children, is working, has not been arrested, and has not attempted suicide.

The program provides detoxification, therapy and treatment to equip clients to cope with their mental illness, a physically based illness that reduces their functionality.

Superior Court Judge Kay Tsenin created the Behavioral Health Court with the modest goal of helping 10 to 20 people incarcerated for showing signs of untreated mental illness. Ten years later, the court has 150 clients and is a fully integrated part of San Francisco's criminal justice system.

San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court - one of hundreds of such courts nationwide - has been the subject of numerous studies. Recent findings illustrate the value of the court in decriminalizing mental illness, reducing violence and prioritizing spending of precious mental health resources.

Of the four courts studied, the San Francisco court serves the highest percentage of clients with schizophrenia, who most often had committed crimes against people rather than property. San Francisco's program resulted in the largest decrease in re-arrests compared to the treatment-as-usual control groups, 39 percent compared to 7 percent.

Supporters are planning a celebration on Oct. 16 at the St. Francis Yacht Club to recognize the court's accomplishments. Event organizers hope to start a citywide initiative to guide decision-makers on developments at the intersection of mental health and law.

Fred J. Martin Jr., a retired Bank of America senior vice president, has worked on mental health issues for a decade.

Celebrating A Decade of Behavioral Health Court

Celebrating A Decade of Behavioral Health Court
Behavioral Health Court will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year. In 2003, the San Francisco Superior Court started a program to redirect clients with mental illness out of the jails and into community based mental health treatment. The Honorable Ksenina Tsenin created Behavioral Health Court with the modest goal of helping 10-20 people in the jail that were incarcerated for showing signs of untreated mental illness in public. Ten years later, the court has a capacity of 150 clients and the program is a fully integrated and necessary part of the criminal justice system in San Francisco. Behavioral Health Court has been the subject of numerous research studies and has become a leader in the movement to decriminalize mental illness, reduce violence, and spend precious mental health resources more effectively.

Join us in "Celebrating A Decade of Behavioral Health Court" with a special evening to recognize the accomplishments of the program, raise awareness about the reality of mental health issues in our community, and identify future goals for the broad based collaboration that created the program. This year's honoree is Judge Kay Tsenin.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

6:30 - 8:30 PM
99 Yacht Road 

San Francisco, CA 94123

Phone: 415-597-8077

All donations raised through this event will be used directly for BHC client services such as employment programs, grants to support daily living needs, household expenses, tuition, and dental services. Donations can be made online at the SFGH Foundation website designated for "Celebrating a Decade of Behavioral Health Court" event.

BHC celebrates 9 new graduates!

The San Francisco Behavioral Health Court celebrated 9 new graduates on May 23, 2013.

• 8 graduates entered BHC with felony cases, and 1 entered with a misdemeanor. 
• 44% of graduates obtained employment through their participation in BHC.
• 33% enrolled in school or vocational training.
• 100% graduated with a stable income source.
• 89% graduated with stable housing; 1 graduate is still participating in residential treatment.
• The median time in BHC for this group of graduates was 1.86 years.

Huffington Post features interview with Jennifer Johnson about the The Road Forward Fundraiser

San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Johnson was interviewed by the Huffington Post regarding The Road Forward fundraiser being held tomorrow October 26 (Excerpt Below). All are invited to attend this event that is in support of women working to get their lives back. For more details about the event, please see invitation.

Huffington Post
10/20/2011
Author: Arcelia Hurtado

"Jennifer Johnson has been working with San Francisco's mental health court to provide gender specific services for women since 2005. She is a founding member of San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court and one of the organizers of The Road Forward, a fundraiser to benefit women as they transition out of custody and into the community.

Arcelia Hurtado (AH): Tell us what is going on in California with incarcerated women.

Jennifer Johnson (JJ): In times of economic prosperity, women in jails and prisons are an underserved population. In times of economic despair, they are forgotten. California is currently embarking on the biggest shift in criminal justice policy in decades as it enacts AB109, known as "realignment." The stakes are high and the opportunity is unprecedented as communities craft new approaches to incarceration and rehabilitation.

AH: What is The Road Forward?

JJ: The Road Forward is raising money to renovate the San Francisco Sheriff's Department's Women's Resource Center to create an optimal environment for helping women reclaim their lives.

Two community programs, Behavioral Health Court and the Women's Resource Center, are working together to ensure that women are not lost as the realignment process unfolds. Both programs have independently provided quality gender-specific treatment for years and they are joining forces streamline and enhance those services.

The October 26th event marks the beginning of a capital fundraising campaign and we have great allies in this effort: Equal Rights Advocates, California Pacific Medical Center, and Women Defenders of California.

AH: What do you mean when you say "helping women reclaim their lives?"

JJ: The Women's Resource Center serves women who are leaving jail and prison. The Center provides access to an array of coordinated services to help women find employment, sustain recovery, improve mental health, link to quality health care, and reconnect with their families and the community.

These services are going to become increasingly important as we see dramatic changes in criminal justice policy take effect across California.

AH: What are the changes?

JJ: There are two big changes that will result in an increase in the number of women who come into the community from either jail or prison.

First, the United States Supreme Court is forcing the state to release tens of thousands of inmates because the overcrowded conditions amount to cruel and unusual punishment. One of the state's proposals to address the situation is to allow more than 4,000 mothers serving time in state prison to return to the community.

Second, a recent change in California law will increase the number of women released from jail. AB109, or "realignment," will shift the responsibility for housing and supervising low-risk, non-violent offenders from the state to individual counties. What this means is that women who would have gone to state prison will now serve local sentences and remain on county probation."

Read the entire post here.

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative court clients.

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, June 2 at 2:30 p.m.
Hall of Justice- 850 Bryant Street, Dept 15

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

Monday, June 27 at 2:00 p.m.

Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

Prop 36/OTP Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, June 30 at 10:00 a.m.

Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

Judge Mary C. Morgan is a Hero

Today at the 6th annual Heroes & Hearts fundraiser luncheon for San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, Judge Morgan was one of four recipients of the Heroes Award for her exceptional service in Behavioral Health Court and mental health policy in San Francisco and statewide.

We are so proud of you Judge Morgan!

Outcome Study of SF Behavioral Health Court

The following study completed by University of California, San Francisco further reiterates that the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court is achieving its mission of decreasing the involvement of mentally ill offenders in the criminal justice system and is also increasing participation in community treatment.

Prospective Study of the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court
Criminal Justice and Clinical Outcomes at One Year Follow Up

Authored by Dale E. McNiel, Kevin L. Delucchi, and Renee L. Binder

January 2011

Associate Press features San Francisco Collaborative Courts

San Francisco’s Behavioral Health Court, Community Justice Center and Drug Court were featured in The Associated Press December 26, 2010. It was part of a series by AP examining the U.S. struggles in its “war on drugs.” The article’s focus was on Portugal’s drug policy and how they changed the law so that users are sent to counseling and treatment instead of criminal courts and prison. It’s important to note that drugs are still illegal in Portugal. The switch from seeing drugs as a criminal issue and instead viewing it as both a public health and a public safety concern is what is proving their policies to be successful. As the article continues, it references San Francisco’s Collaborative Courts as an approach similar to Portugal’s that is working to achieve the same goals in the U.S. – to increase public safety and place addicts in treatment instead of behind bars. We encourage you to read the full article.

Portugal's drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons
By Barry Hatton and Martha Mendoza, Associated Press
December 26, 2010

AP also ran a video story that highlights our programs – Check it out!

Judge Mary C. Morgan recieves Heros & Hearts Award

We are please to announce that San Francisco Superior Court Judge Mary C. Morgan is one of four recipients of the 2011 Heroes & Hearts Awards, a program of San Francisco's General Hospital Foundation. The award recognizes individuals who inspire others through exceptional community service.

Judge Morgan is being recognized for her contributions to Behavioral Health Court (BHC). She spearheaded several initiatives that dramatically changed the public dialogue about people with mental illness. She guided the BHC team to embrace evidence based practices; inspired San Francisco community leaders to change policy issues related to the treatment of people with mental illness; and influenced statewide practices to improve California’s mental health system. Most of all, she changed the lives of so many.

SF Collaborative Courts written up in American Prospect magazine

On December 6th, American Prospect magazine included a great article about San Francisco's Community Justice Center and Behavioral Health Court called: May It Please the Court: Problem-solving courts have a track record of lowering recidivism and incarceration costs, but they still don't reach enough offenders. Sasha Abramsky was the author of the article.

SF Behavioral Health Court in LA Times

This past Monday, SF Behavioral Health Court was the focus of an article written by Lee Romney of the Los Angeles Times, titled "Mentally Ill Prisoners Get a Second Chance." The article shares the story of BHC participant Milton Conley who talks about his experience with mental illness, "It's been a terrible life, but it's getting better, as long as I stay off drugs and alcohol and take my medication." He is one of 125 current participants who are taking advantage of this court program and are working hard to get their lives back. San Francisco is one of 29 counties in California who have embraced the mental health court movement.

Evaluation on Mental Health Courts in Texas shows promising results

Representing the Mentally Ill Offender
An evaluation of Advocacy Alternatives
By the Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense, Office of Court Administration

In the study researchers hypothesized that mental health courts provide positive outcomes on the following:
Pre‐disposition jail days
Mental health treatment engagement
Case disposition
Recidivism rates

What they found for those participating in mental health courts in Texas was that there were significant increases in long-term treatment engagement for all diagnoses, large statistically significant reductions in the chance of a guilty verdict, and they achieved statistically significant reductions in recidivism up to 18 months after case disposition. There were no statistically significant differences in pre-trial jail days.

**Results are based on all individuals who enrolled in the program including both successful and unsuccessful terminations. This is the most objective measurement approach as it reflects outcomes for everyone intended to benefit from the program – not just those who actually achieved positive results.

If you would like to read the entire report, please see PDF.

Study shows that more mentally ill persons are in jails and prisions

Treatment Advocacy Center* Study reveals that
“More Mentally Ill Persons Are in Jails and Prisons Than Hospitals: A Survey of the States”

Here are a few interesting findings from the report:
-3 times more seriously mentally ill persons are in jails and prisons than in hospitals.
-16% of inmates have a serious mental illness.
-40% of individuals with a mental illness have been in jail or prison at some point in their lives.
-It is becoming even more difficult to find a bed for a seriously mentally ill person who needs to be hospitalized. In 2005 there was one psychiatric bed for every 3,000 Americans.

The study concludes that this problem can be solved with the use of assisted outpatient treatment and mental health courts. San Francisco Collaborative Courts are very proud of our efforts in this area with the application of our awarding winning Behavioral Health Court back in 2002.

*The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses. The Treatment Advocacy Center promotes laws, policies, and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. For more information visit their website at http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/

Congratulations to Jo Robinson!

Jo Robinson, MFT, Director of Jail Psychiatric Services and the Assistant Director of Jail Health Services in San Francisco, was awarded the Christine M. West Award for 2010 by the Forensic Mental Health Association of California (FMHAC) at this year’s annual conference. The West Award recognized Jo for her valuable contributions and dedication in the field of Forensic Mental Health.

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative courts' clients.

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

Monday, April 12

2 p.m.
SF Health Commission @ 101 Grove Street

Offender Treatment Program Graduation Ceremony (Prop 36)

Thursday, April 22
10 a.m.

Department 18, Hall of Justice

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, May 13
2 p.m.
Department 15, Hall of Justice

SF Collaborative Courts Volunteer Day Was A Success!

A large group of Drug Court and Behavioral Health Court clients attended a volunteer day put on by the Court and the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy. Our group help to plant over 250 plants and helped pull out 10 large bags full of weeds. Everyone who participated worked so hard and were extremely excited about their accomplishments.

Here are a few photos from our day...

A BIG Thank you to all the Volunteers!

Behavioral Health Court helps the mentally ill jail population

It is clear that Behavioral Health Court is a crucial component to changing the lives of those living with mental illness in San Francisco who have become involved in the criminal justice system.

Check out this article [excerpt below] in the San Francisco Chronicle today.
Full article

San Francisco chooses jail over treatment
By Fred J. Martin Jr.

An explosion of research shows mentally ill persons treated early often go on to full recovery, gain employment, respond to treatment and live productively. Yet in San Francisco, more mentally ill are in jail than in hospitals, despite a blunt conclusion by Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Johnson: "Treatment is more efficient and cheaper than incarceration."

Johnson represents some 100 to 120 clients before the Behavioral Health Court. Due to a severe reduction in beds, both public and private, for acute treatment, San Francisco is paying a huge price. Those not given treatment and care are spun out to the streets, often ending up in the criminal justice system. Many ultimately go to state prisons. They are the homeless who live and beg on our streets, consumers of street drugs and both victims and perpetrators of street crime. Thomas Jefferson, a client in a mental health program run by a partnership of San Francisco General Hospital and UC San Francisco, stabilized with medication. He told a Mental Health Board hearing last month that earlier treatment would have allowed him to function now at a higher level. He considered himself fortunate to have appeared before the Behavioral Health Court, as his schizophrenia and drug addiction were treated. Otherwise, he said, he likely would be in prison.

Annette Robinson, diagnosed as bipolar, praised Behavioral Health Court staff and caseworkers, adding: "When ... arrested ... I went to jail. I don't think anybody knew how to help me. My mind was totally gone." On medication, she said, the Behavioral Health Court staff "have shown me an unconditional care about how my life turns out. I do need help still. "They have allowed me to get to a place where I can do things on my own... start to go back to work. I am going to school now."