General, Articles
May 29th, 2019
Mental health courts offer alternative path to recovery
By Phyllis Hanlon
In 2007, Judge Kathleen Coffey sought a way to help those with mental health disorders who were facing imprisonment. Mental Health Court offers an alternative path to recovery while avoiding incarceration. Joan Taglieri, senior director of clinical operations for the Boston Medical Center Department of Psychiatry, explained that the Mental Health Court is a specialized diversionary court session that facilitates access to intensive social services and mental health treatment to assist participants in maintaining stability, achieving recovery, and avoiding incarceration. This special court session is a collaborative effort within the courts between the probation department, the Suffolk County district attorney’s [More]