A new program in Escambia County is helping criminal offenders who suffer from mental illness avoid jail while getting help with their underlying condition.

The Escambia County TEAM Court program – short for Teaching, Education, Accountability and Motivation – began operation in May. The program, also referred to as mental health court, is intended to provide treatment and supervision other than jail for defendants who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and whose condition contributed to the commission of a crime.

The court’s creation comes after a 2013 report by the U.S. Department of Justice listed woefully inadequate mental health care among a laundry list of deficiencies at the Escambia County Jail. The report directed the jail to hire more mental health professionals, to use psychotropic drugs judiciously and responsibly, and to keep better records of mental health issues, among other fixes.

TEAM Court aims to connect defendants with individualized community-based treatment programs and support services so that they may successfully manage their condition while being held accountable for their actions, said Robin Wright, Escambia County court administrator.

“Participants are monitored closely through judicial supervision and case management as they progress through … the program,” Wright said.

The program functions with the cooperation of the state attorney’s office, the public defender’s office, private defense attorneys, Regional Conflict Counsel, Community Corrections, county probation, pretrial services, the Lakeview Center and others.

Dennis Goodspeed, vice president of the Lakeview Center, said he is glad Lakeview is participating in TEAM Court. He said as many as half of people in jail or prison are thought to have a history of mental disorders, a number that increases when substance abuse issues are taken into consideration.

“Many times, individuals who have mental illness get involved in the criminal justice system due to factors related to the symptoms they may be experiencing. Incarceration is not the answer for those individuals,” Goodspeed said.

“The (TEAM) court focuses on treatment for these individuals and does it in a manner in which the court assists in providing the incentive for some individuals to participate in treatment options.”

Only those charged with second- and first-degree misdemeanors are considered for TEAM Court. So far, five offenders have entered the program.

Adrienne Emerson, the assistant state attorney who works with TEAM Court, said each case is reviewed to make sure it is appropriate to be referred to TEAM Court.

“Each defendant is evaluated and a specific treatment plan recommended for their diagnosis and situation,” Emerson said.  “Ultimately, the goal is to hold the defendant accountable for their crime or crimes while providing the necessary treatment to reduce recidivism.”

Wright said the offender must be eligible based upon the type of offense, his or her prior criminal record, victim input, and whether there is a mental illness contributing to the offense.

Charges that might lead a defendant to TEAM Court include battery, larceny/petit theft, trespassing, property damage/criminal mischief, loitering/prowling, domestic violence Injunction violation, writing a worthless check, disorderly conduct, disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence.

Wright said the program is somewhat modeled after Okaloosa County’s Mental Health Court, which began in 2003, as well as the recommendations from National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

In Okaloosa County, all referrals come from a pretrial mental health officer, paid by the Department of Children and Families.

One of the goals is when they finish with the program, they’ve made community connections with treatment and case managers, Wright said.

Eligible people face second- or first-degree misdemeanors. You come back to court for accountability, depending on the charge, in six months to a year. Wright says the Okaloosa court takes some felony offenders. The Escambia mental health court will not for now.

“As we see some success it could expand to include some felonies,” she said.

Cases that are not eligible for mental health court: active felonies, probation violations, active drunken driving, felony sex crimes and any person currently charged with or convicted of any offenses in which the person possessed a firearm or dangerous weapon or where death or serious bodily injury occurred.

The total cost of the program is not yet known. However, the Escambia County Commission approved $59,303 for a mental health court case coordinator position. That includes salary, benefits and operating supplies. Offenders will be expected to pay for probation, fines, court costs, fees associated with their treatment and any medication.

“We will be seeking other funding sources through grant proposals. Some of the larger and most successful mental health courts across the country have donations from numerous private entities, but they typically have nonprofits set up to solicit and accept the donations,” Wright said. “This program is just beginning, and we anticipate that we will learn about the true needs of this population and gain a better idea of possible funding sources as it progresses.”

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