Mental Health Court gains traction

HAYS COUNTY — Self-sufficiency, accountability, holistic wellness, empowerment and successful recovery — these are the goals of Hays County’s new Mental Health Court (MHC) to address a growing need.

According to the Hays County-Vera Justice Institute Jail Dashboard, there were 595 inmates in the Hays County Jail as of March 21. Of those, 72.6% were pretrial detainees, or those awaiting trial, and are legally innocent. On average, these inmates could sit in the jail for upwards of three months — even if some have mental health or substance use challenges.

After several years of work with county commissioners, filling positions and getting state approval, the MHC officially started in summer 2022 when court administrator Kaimi Mattila was hired. It’s a 12-month, three-phased rehabilitative treatment and specialty court focused on serving individuals with mental health, substance use or intellectual disabilities who are facing pending misdemeanor charges, and its gaining traction.

According to Mattila, the MHC currently has just under 10 participants (who are doing “fantastically well”), but is on track to have a caseload of 30-35 by the end of the year. The team consists of Mattila, caseworker Lisa Welch, Judge for County Court-at-Law 3 Elaine Brown and a small network of other locals including a chief misdemeanor prosecutor, community supervision officer, assistant district attorney and two members of Hill Country MHDD, a mental health service provider.

“Last fall was dedicated to creating a handbook and tools for the Mental Health Court and really creating a base of the program to grow it from the ground up,” Mattila explained.

The MHC first receives a client referral from a family member, court official or attorney. The court will then go through the process of determining if the potential client is a good fit for the program and later, work as a team to begin screenings and develop a treatment plan.

The court’s eligibility criteria for clients includes that they:

• Are a Hays County resident (out of county clients are on a case-by-case basis)

• Are 17 years or older

• Have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder; substance use disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities are also considered

• Have a misdemeanor offense(s); assaultive offenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis and cannot have a past or current charge of a sex offense or substantial history of violent offenses

• Have a link between the mental health/substance use/IDD disorder and their current offense

• Are determined to be legally competent

• Are pre- or post-adjudicated

The program’s three stages include clinical stabilization, pro-social habilitation and rehabilitation and adaptive habilitation and continuum of care. In the first stage, clients begin taking the proper medication if prescribed, attending counseling and receiving case management. In the second stage, clients continue stabilization with additional goals like sobriety support, employment, education and social activities or volunteering. The final stage is where clients maintain their progress and continue using positive habits learned in the program.

“There’s quite a few different community organizations that we are already connected with that we can make referrals to for employment support, help applying for benefits or getting benefits turned back on, transportation,” Mattila added. “It’s really trying to look at what the court participant’s individual needs are and help them solve it around those needs to ensure that they have the resources.”

Mattila said that the court takes a very “low barrier” approach to its clients, striving to meet them where they are at — whether that means they need more stabilization or less stabilization, depending on their situation and charge — and working to ensure that money is not an object.

“As far as the fees to get into the court [go], that’s something that we have been discussing to make it as barrier-free as possible,” Mattila said. “[The court] is primarily focused on getting people the help that they deserve and need. That’s the goal of it. We want to make sure that the people are getting those services [and] if there are financial constraints, that we’re being mindful of that … We never want money to be the reason that someone doesn’t get help.”

While other surrounding counties such as Travis, Comal and Bexar have all implemented specialty courts like the MHC, this one being the first for Hays County is a major stepping stone in addressing how mental health and the legal system interact and finding healthier alternatives to incarceration when possible.

Mattila said she also hopes it will help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and wellness, noting that it takes “all hands on deck” in every city, county and community to address these needs holistically and collaboratively.

“That in itself is a challenge to help educate the community, the legal community, the family members of the court participants — to help people understand that physical and mental wellness are interrelated. You can’t have one without the other,” Mattila said. “All of us know someone who has mental health issues or substance use challenges. We all know someone. So it now is personal when you think about it that way. These are our neighbors, our community members, our family members, our friends. [When] you look at it in that sense, you’re looking at it with a lens of humanity and that’s the way that it should be looked at.”

To learn more about the specialty court or to make a client referral, visit www.hayscountytx.com/courts/hays-county-mental-health-court.