Contractual Services for Behavioral Health Court

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice, including for any one or more of the following purpose areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment and enforcement programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

The Highlands County Board of Commissioners will use the FY 2011 JAG funding for the Contractual Services in their Behavioral Health Court. The Behavioral Health Court is a therapeutic court that is intended to enhance and enlarge the quality and quantity of services to court-involved individuals with mental illness and co-occurring disorders (MI/COD), while reducing recidivism in this population. The Behavioral Health Deferred Prosecution Program is a voluntary diversion of persons who are charged with non-violent offenses, and who suffer from a mental illness or co-occurring disorders. Participants are offered treatment-based sentencing alternatives that utilize judicial oversight and appropriate community based treatment plans instead of incarceration. The goal of the Behavioral Health Court program is to help citizens return to the community as a productive and responsible member.

NCA/NCF