Grant Allows County to Finally Launch Mental Health Court
Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 6:50PM Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The long-awaitied Anderson County Mental Health Court has received a grant of $354,131 to establish a system to provide appropriate treatment and treatment programs to divert mentally ill offenders away from the criminal justice system
The court, in partnership with the South Carolina 10th Circuit Court through the United States Department of Justice aims to provide help to those suffering from mental illness while freeing up and reserving prison space for criminals, especially violent criminals The program will not be available to those charged with felonies and/or any criminal conduct involving minors.
“I am so excited to see this coming together”, said Anderson County Councilman Glenn Davis, who represents District 2.. “Mental health disorders can affect people from all walks of life—especially our veterans. This is a much-needed resource that will provide real help and keep those with mental illness from becoming trapped in a never-ending cycle of entanglement with the criminal justice system.”
More than 400 people with clinically diagnosable mental illnesses pass through the Anderson County Detention Center each year.
Veterans will be given priority for program participation, in recognition of that group’s higher representation in need for mental health services. According to a 2014 report prepared by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the rate of major depression is five times higher among military veterans compared to civilians. This includes intermittent explosive disorder, which results in episodes of extreme anger, which is six times as high and post-traumatic stress disorder was nearly 15 times higher than among civilians.
The project will begin with a 12-month planning period as specified in the grant program’s regulations, followed by formal program implementation. The court, led by Judge Cordell Maddox, will be based on existing operational infrastructure and supported by a Mental Health Court Program Coordinator working in tandem with a Program Clinician.