Mental Health Courts: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice

This guide from the Council of State Governments Justice Center, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, reviews the design and function of mental health courts, outcomes of mental health court participation, and questions and implications for policy and practice. The guide is intended to assist policymakers and practitioners in assessing the utility of mental health courts; after briefly describing who participates in the courts and how they function the guide reviews research findings that address the extent to which mental health courts have been found to achieve their stated goals. Because mental health courts were relatively new at the time of publication many unanswered questions remained as to how they worked, for whom, and under what circumstances; these outstanding research questions are highlighted in the final portion of the guide.

Lauren Alquist and Elizabeth Dodd | September 2009 | The Council of State Governments Justice Center
You might also be interested in

From Treatment Courts to the Supreme Court: Q&A with Three State Supreme Court Justices

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation have partnered to highlight…

Read More

Congress Approves the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act

With unanimous consent, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022…

Read More

President Biden Signs Spending Bill Funding Key Criminal Justice Programs

On December 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package for Fiscal Year 2023.…

Read More