Perceived Success of Mental Health Court Programs: Examinations of the Perceptions of Mental Health Court Administrators as Compared to Drug Court Personnel

Abstract

Mental health courts are a type of treatment court that utilizes the principles of therapeutic jurisprudence to provide a treatment-oriented approach rather than the traditional adversarial approach. This study sought to explore mental health court administration through the experiences and perceptions of the court administrators as it compares to a previous study ( N = 114) conducted about drug court administrators in 2008 (Nored & Carlan). The available literature demonstrates positive results from these programs, but many aspects of their functioning and what makes them function well remain unknown. Mental health court administrators ( N = 126) were surveyed using an electronic questionnaire. The questionnaire asked questions about administrator demographics, perception of program success, and perceived levels of support. Mental health court administrator responses were compared to the results of the drug court administrators, finding similar results in perception of success and perceived levels of support for the program. In both studies, administrators perceived their programs as successful and considered local support to be highest and of most importance. Some notable differences were found in court administrator demographics in regard to age, race, and gender. Implications for court administration, hiring, and program evaluation are discussed.