Lorain County considering becoming 67 county with mental health court

Ohio has a mental health court in 66 of its 88 counties. Dr. Malcolm Peel of the local National Alliance on Mental Illness affiliate is leading the call for Lorain County leaders to create Ohio's 67 mental health court (Source: "Mental health court sought," Morning Journal, May 14, 2008).

According to Captain James Drozdowski of the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, the Lorain County Jail is overloaded with people with mental health issues.  Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski estimates that at least 10 percent of the criminal defendants he sees have mental health issues.  A mental health court could offer diversion alternatives to individuals with mental health problems who are convicted of a crime.

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness cites Ohio's Mental Health Courts as the ninth of twenty replicable innovations aimed at preventing or reducing homelessness which it is featuring this May (Source: Innovation Number 9 Ohio's Special Courts: "The courts as leader and partner in preventing and ending chronic homelessness," The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness e-newsletter, May 15, 2008).  The Council commends this innovation because it "creates strategic intergovernmental partnerships with state agencies in both the executive and judicial branches and with local agencies seeking to break the costly cycle of random ricocheting for persons with behavioral health issues and histories of homelessness who are in the court system."