Northeast Arkansas Mental Health Court Enrichment Project

Abstract

Category of Funding Requested: 2-Enhancement

The NEAMHC Program is a post-adjudication Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Court.  The Craighead County Court is located at 410 W Washington Ave, Jonesboro, AR 72401; Crittenden County Court is located at100 Court St, Marion, AR 72364 and Mississippi County Court is located at 685 N Co Rd 599, Luxora, AR 72358.  The presiding Judge of Mississippi and Crittenden County courts is Judge Tonya Alexander, (870) 739-8606 Address: 110 Center Street Marion, AR 72364. Presiding over the Craighead County Court is Judge Scott Ellington, (870-937-6102) Address: P.O. Box 1736, Jonesboro AR 72403. Craighead County is requesting funding in the amount of $750,000 for the purposes of enhancing and expanding 3 Mental Health Courts in the Arkansas 2nd Judicial District.  Through this project, Craighead County (CC) hopes to increase capacity of the Courts to serve and provide treatment to at least 150 participants. The minimum length of the program is 15 months and the average length of completion is 18 months. The Project will service individuals 18 years and older who reside in and/or have charges out of Craighead, Crittenden or Mississippi County, Arkansas.  Program participants will be individuals diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and who have been determined to be high-risk high-need or low-risk high-need. Additional emphasis will be placed upon minorities and other underserved populations.

Grant funding will be used to enhance the Courts ability to provide access to critical support services; improve and enhance the operations of the court; expand court services; and improve the quality and intensity of services based on needs assessments. This will be achieved through the application of the NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards and the 10 Key Components of Mental Health Courts.  Specifically, the Project will focus on Standard 2, Standard 5, Standard 6 and Standard 8. These standards are addressed on page 2 and 3 of the proposal.

CC will enhance the operations of the Mental Health Courts, ensure equity and inclusion by improving access for minority and other underserved populations, reduce the misuse of opioids, stimulants, and other substances and work to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths through the provision of evidence-based and culturally appropriate SUD and COD treatment, and increase access to treatment and recovery support for program participants.  CC has active drug court grants they are as followed:  2019-VC-BX-0001 and 2018-DC-BX-0033.