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Vernon County's mental health court
For the past 2½ years, Vernon County has had a Mental Health Court whose graduates complete a rigorous program of court enforced treatment and monitoring. The goal of the program is to transition participants out of the justice system and back into society.
To date, this new program -- the only one of its kind in the four counties of the 28th Judicial Circuit -- has had five graduates with more on the way.
"People matter and so do tax dollars and that's why diversion programs such as mental health court are important," said Neil Quitno, associate circuit judge for Vernon County and overseer of this county's mental health court.
Having served as Vernon County Prosecutor for 12 years and associate circuit judge for the past decade, Quitno has been on both sides of the bench and has seen the need for such a court.
As Quitno explained, "When we can take an individual who is homeless, causing trouble and is in and out of jail, and through treatment turn that person into someone who not only stays out of jail but is stable, taking care of him or herself, while holding down a job and paying taxes, I think that is a true win-win for the individual and our community. It saves dollars and it saves lives."
Those who have committed a violent felony, who utilize a defense of mental incompetence, are unable to care for themselves or who need inpatient treatment are ineligible for this program. Mental health court is for those in the criminal justice system with certain mental health diagnoses whose conditions can be well managed through medication; talk therapy and education about self-care.
On Wednesday, Quitno was joined by Dave Heumader, administrator of all courts in the 28th circuit, for an interview in Nevada's circuit courtroom.
Modeled on similar programs in Boone, Greene and Jasper counties, Vernon County's Mental Health Court began with a request by the Healthy Nevada initiative.
"They approached the court with a proposal and offered to make an initial grant of $4,000 to help get it off the ground," said Quitno.
Heumader added, "We were awarded that grant on Jan. 31, 2014. Since then, we've run the program on a shoestring budget of $2,000 per year thanks to a generous grant by our local United Way."
"Each Friday, participants appear before me and I question them one by one," said Quitno. "Meanwhile, sitting in the jury box are the program's therapists from the Center for Mental Health Counseling, Nevada Mental Health and Pathways, a person from the community service office, juvenile, prosecutor's and public defender's offices, the tracker, along with probation and parole plus Dave Heumader."
Evaluation is performed according to a set of strict criteria. Participants must have demonstrated an ability to take their medications consistently while never abusing other drugs, must maintain their residence and themselves and enter into schooling, training or obtain and hold a job.
"They get to know us and see we are not against them," said Quitno. "Many have said, 'You're the only ones who care about me.' As we get to know the clients we hear some stories which alternately break your heart and curl your hair."
"Most of our budget goes towards what we call 'tracking,'" said Heumader. "We pay an off duty police or a sheriff's deputy to check up on participants at random times, day and night. The trackers check to see if program participants are keeping up their residence, taking their medications and of course, take multiple random samples for drug testing."
The length of the Mental Health Court Program is determined by each participant's progress, whether it takes a year or twice that.
Heumader noted, "Many participants qualify for disability and so obtain Medicaid which pays for treatment services while others have Medicare but not all of the services are fully covered by insurance."
"I should add that providers participate, not because they are soft hearted but precisely because they are realists," said Quitno. "The courts end up having to deal with the failures of not only criminals but of so many other parts of society. The providers in this program are on the front lines, seeing the problems everyday, which is why they are part of mental health court as a way to change things."
Quitno stressed not only the importance of Heumader to the program but of how it is a bit unusual for a county the size of Vernon to have a courts administrator.
"Back when I was county prosecutor, each associate judge had his or her own clerk and staff," said Quitno. "The state offered a special grant to any judicial circuit where the associate judges were willing to lose their clerk and consolidate all of their staff into one circuit office for each county."
The associate justices of the 28th circuit agreed to do just that and in 1998, Vernon County, as the largest and base of this judicial circuit was given funding for a court's administrator.
"I think the state was then hoping to merge the sheriffs and jails into a single regional justice center," said Quitno.
"The county commissioners and sheriff's vetoes that idea but at the end of the pilot program, the state allowed this judicial circuit to keep my position and so I'm still here," said Heumader.
Asked if the Mental Health Court could expand with further funding in Vernon County or into the other three counties of the 28th judicial circuit, Quitno and Heumader shook their heads.
"I am applying for a $4,000 grant from United Way next year," Heumader. "But most of that will be spent for the tracker we use. Between my work with the Adult Recovery Court for four counties, the Driving While Intoxicated Court in multiple counties and the Mental Health Court in this county, I've run out of time and out me to be at more than one place at a time."
And Quitno added, "Not to mention having a judge to oversee the court and I'm also out of days in the month. So short of significant new funding, such as from the state or a major grant, I don't see how we could expand."
"But I do see all the good we do in the lives in each of our recovery court graduates," said Heumader. "And I see all the people who are glad to have their son or daughter or their mom or dad back. Yes, the total number of graduates is not that large but the impact across the lives of so many others is huge."