Theo nguồn tin trên trang mạng của thành phố Las Vegas
Media Release
Monday, August 31, 2015
For Immediate Release
Communications
Contact: Margaret Kurtz
Telephone: 702-229-6993
City Of Las Vegas Kicks Off A Mental Health Court Sept. 2
Judge Heidi Almase To Conduct New Court Wednesdays In Regional Justice Center Courtroom 5C
Judge Heidi Almase and the Las Vegas Municipal Court will debut a much-needed mental health court for the Las Vegas community Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at 8 a.m. in Dept. 3 at the Regional Justice Center. The Mental Health Court will focus on treatment and compliance for those individuals appearing before the court who are suffering from mental illness.
“For years our court has struggled with how to handle those with mental illness who find their way to the judicial system,” said Judge Almase. “Until now, the only solution has been incarceration. I am excited about alternative sentencing options and the community partnerships that have been formed to make this court succeed. However, none of this would be possible without the support of the other judges and the financial support of Mayor Goodman and the City Council.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, only 41 percent of adults in the United States with a mental-health condition received mental-health services in the past year.
“My hope is to close the gaps in existing services, build bridges to other available services and provide a safe environment with monitoring and medication stabilization for these defendants,” said Judge Almase.
The Mental Health Court will follow the National Association of Drug Court Professional Standards governing specialty court programs. Defendants will be monitored and supervised. Random and frequent drug and alcohol testing, counseling, medication compliance, and regular status checks before Judge Almase will be mandatory. Each individual will be assessed for appropriateness through professionally administered clinical evaluations and assessments. A specialty court team comprised of the judge, defense attorney, city attorney, community treatment providers and other active stakeholders will meet regularly to review the progress of each individual and make appropriate changes to his/her specific case plan. The goal of this program is to produce fewer arrests and hospitalizations for the participants.
Along with a full criminal calendar, Judge Almase also presides over the Habitual Offender Prevention and Education (H.O.P.E.) specialty court. For more information on these court programs, visit the Las Vegas Municipal Court Web page at www.lasvegasnevada.gov/municipalcourt or call Judge Almase’s office at 702-229-2407.
http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/faces/home/communications/city-of-las-vegas-kicks-off-a-mental-health-court-sept-2?_afrLoop=803408249993740&_afrWindowMode=0&_adf.ctrl-state=q463aouja_457
