XXI, Sec. 21 Mental health court team training

Before a new mental health court can start, everyone on the team has to go through formal training first. This training is run by the AOC Specialty Courts office. It covers the best practice standards for running a mental health court and explains what each team member is supposed to do in their role.

After the court is up and running, team members (including judges) are encouraged to keep learning through continuing education, ideally at least once a year. These follow-up trainings cover things like mental health treatment options, other support services, ways to help change behavior, community supervision, how the team should make decisions together, and legal issues that come up in mental health court cases.

For people involved in a mental health court case, this rule means the professionals handling your case are supposed to be properly trained and keep learning over time. The goal is to make sure the judge and team members understand mental health issues and use proven methods, rather than just handling cases the way a regular court would.