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Specialty Courts

Mental Health Court Overview

Court Judge

Honorable Jerome Polaha
Manager
Brooke Howard

Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Hearings
Tuesday: 2:00 p.m.

Court Description: In 2001, the Nevada Legislature created the Mental Health Court. The Mental Health Court utilizes nationally recognized model components to form the framework of a successful treatment court. This court is designed to treat those with a mental illness or intellectual disabilities. Roughly two-thirds of the Mental Health Court population also suffer from a co-occurring substance use disorder.

Unlike other Specialty Courts, the Mental Health Court is a multi-jurisdictional court, meaning it accepts misdemeanors from limited jurisdiction courts, and gross misdemeanors and felonies from district courts. With a defendant's consent and plea agreement with the prosecutor, the Court may defer judgement and place the defendant on probation on the condition they attend and successfully complete a mental health treatment program. For other defendants, the Court may enter a judgement of conviction and sentence the defendant to a mental health treatment program. If a defendant successfully completes the treatment program, the defendant is discharged and the proceedings are dismissed, or the judgement is set aside if a judgement of conviction was entered by the Court.

Accessible Services and Support: The Mental Health Court values a holistic approach to help the participants pursue and stop the cycle of untreated mental illness, substance use disorders and criminal behavior. A multidisciplinary team of a judge, defense and prosecution counsel, court officers, treatment providers, parole and probation officers, and drug testing staff work with the defendant. The Mental Health Court joins with local entities in their areas of expertise. For example, the Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services provides coordination of housing, psychiatric and medication services for the defendant. The Mental Health Court also partners with local providers specializing in mental health and substance abuse counseling, case management, drug testing, and vocational and academic programs.


Contact


The mission of the Second Judicial District Court's Specialty Courts is to improve quality of life, reduce recidivism, and increase community safety and awareness by engaging the drug and alcohol abusing defendant, or the defendant with a mental health illness, in an intensive, court supervised, treatment program. A multidisciplinary team of a judge, defense and prosecution counsel, court officers, treatment providers, parole and probation officers, and drug testing staff work with the defendant.