The Mansfield Municipal Mental Health Court held a short ceremony and reception for its 12 graduates on Wednesday afternoon. The newest graduates join the ranks of 136 other participants who have successfully completed the program; the court has served more than 470 participants thus far.
“We do perform a worthwhile service to the community,” said Judge Frank Ardis Jr., speaking as one of three keynote speakers at Wednesday’s graduation. “We’ve saved the county and city a lot of money; hopefully we’ll continue to do so in the future. But most of all hopefully we’ve saved someone’s life, and that is the most important.”
The Mansfield Municipal Mental Health Court was developed in 2004 as a way to coordinate court supervision services with treatment providers to divert misdemeanor offenders with severe mental illness from repeated encounters with law enforcement and the jails by increasing treatment compliance and access to services. These services include medication, group and individual counseling, housing, case management, crisis intervention, education and employment.
The court was implemented without additional funding from the residents of Mansfield and Richland County. Judge Jerry Ault stated the program is a cheaper option for the state than incarceration.
“It makes people’s life better,” said Ault. “It’s not a monetary thing; it’s just the right thing to do.”
“We spend a lot of money on prisons and a lot of money on getting things in the state, but with all the shootings that have taken place in this country over the years and all the other sad situations we have faced, hopefully sooner or later our legislators will realize the mitigation of our own problems we have in this world are treated much better if we have the financial resources,” added Ardis.
Brian McLaughlin, a one-year graduate of the Mansfield Municipal Mental Health Court, agreed with the judges that the program could use more funding. McLaughlin was placed in the program for charges related to a gambling addiction, and said he has not been in a casino for two years.
“I feel the state needs to do more than just the 1-800 numbers to combat gambling addiction,” said McLaughlin.
The Mansfield Municipal Mental Health Court is a voluntary Specialty Court Docket program providing intense supervision of offenders that involves regularly scheduled review hearings with the judge, home visits, curfew checks, drug and alcohol testing and increased communication with the treatment providers. The court requires at least one year of supervision and treatment organized into four phases, corresponding to individual development. The length of a participant’s involvement in the program is determined by their individual needs and progress as well as community safety needs.
McLaughlin spoke to the graduates present at Wednesday’s ceremony, saying without the Mansfield Municipal Mental Health Court program he would no doubt be in prison on his original charges. A number of attendees spoke to him after, thanking him for his inspirational words.
“It has done for me what I couldn’t even do for myself,” said McLaughlin. “Remember the goals you set, and don’t be afraid to work hard.”
