Inside the 22nd Judicial District Court in Covington, 20 Behavioral Health Court clients await their turn in front of Judge Peter Garcia and his team. The one thing missing: lawyers.
Once court is in session, a young man walks through the swinging doors, approaches the team. There’s the judge, two case managers, two probation officers, a mental health clinician and a peer support specialist.
As the judge asks how he’s been, the young man yawns and stretches his arms - -he’s been having a lot of conversations, he says. Judge Garcia looks at Tom Rowan, a case manager, who mouths, "he's hearing voices."
The judge then slows and softens his speech. He says clients present differently, based on their mental health diagnosis. That has to guide how he talks to them, in order to get answers to the questions he asks.
Visibly nervous, another man admits to using meth recently, a violation of the program. But it was his admission that mattered. Instead of sending him to jail, he was told to complete a workbook.Angie Wood, Projector Director, says it’s that discretion that set this court apart. "While we have a standard in our policy and procedures, there may be reasons that we flex that," she explains.
Of the 34 active clients, 32 are dealing with both mental health and addiction disorders. Drug court only addresses the latter.
"If you treat only one part of their pathology, you might as well not be treating anything," says Rowan.
The next client approaches the team. He’s brought one of his paintings with him and walks it around the courtroom with pride. His painting seems to be helping. He’s taking his medications, making his appointments and progressing through the program.
Rowan explains the difference is that "the entire individual is being addressed, so that finally they'll stop falling through the cracks they've classically fallen through."
Judge Garcia sees the program working.
"Very many of the people that are in the treatment community have seen these people over and over again. They've seen them go in and out of treatment, they've seen them go in and out of jail. That's not happening anymore," he says.
Because while this all takes place inside the criminal justice system, the Behavioral Health Court realizes that what they’re dealing with first and foremost is healthcare.