Sec. 125.001. MENTAL HEALTH COURT PROGRAM DEFINED. In this chapter, "mental health court program" means a program that has the following essential characteristics:
(1) the integration of mental illness treatment services and mental retardation services in the processing of cases in the judicial system;
(2) the use of a nonadversarial approach involving prosecutors and defense attorneys to promote public safety and to protect the due process rights of program participants;
(3) early identification and prompt placement of eligible participants in the program;
(4) access to mental illness treatment services and mental retardation services;
(5) ongoing judicial interaction with program participants;
(6) diversion of potentially mentally ill or mentally retarded defendants to needed services as an alternative to subjecting those defendants to the criminal justice system;
(7) monitoring and evaluation of program goals and effectiveness;
(8) continuing interdisciplinary education to promote effective program planning, implementation, and operations; and
(9) development of partnerships with public agencies and community organizations, including local mental retardation authorities.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1120, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Transferred, redesignated and amended from Health and Safety Code, Chapter 616 by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 747 (S.B. 462), Sec. 1.06, eff. September 1, 2013.
Section: 125.001 125.002 125.003 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016