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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 29, 2007
| Contact: |
Gail Gosney,
Resource Development Specialist,
Thurston
County
Prosecuting Attorney's
Office, (360) 786-5540 x6252 |
|
Jon Tunheim, Chief Deputy, Thurston
County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, (360)
786-5540 x6291 |
Thurston
County
Receives Grant for Mental
Health Court
OLYMPIA
-- The National Association of Counties (NACo) today announced the selection
of five recipients for its Mental Health Diversion Grants Program to develop
or expand local jail diversion programs. The Thurston County Prosecutor’s
Office is one of the grant recipients. The
grants will be used to help counties assist people suffering from mental
illness who commit non-violent offenses as a result of their untreated mental
illness.
Four counties and one state association of counties have
been competitively awarded a $5,000 seed grant to develop or expand a program
to divert non-violent offenders with mental health needs from jails to
treatment services. Funding for this grant program is provided by Eli Lilly
and Company.
Thurston
County
has been developing a crisis response to individuals with mental illness over
the past couple of years that has included the establishment of a
Mental Health Court
. To ensure that the
Mental Health Court
is used effectively and the maximum numbers of non-violent, mentally ill
individuals are diverted from jail,
Thurston
County
will use NACo’s funding to hold trainings for certain court personnel to
help them better understand mental illness and the opportunities provided by
the
Mental Health Court
. Chief Deputy Prosecuting
Attorney Jon Tunheim says the grant will help expand a program that has proven
its value in
Thurston
County
. “
Mental Health Court
is an excellent program that helps us find the appropriate assistance for
those who enter the criminal justice system as a result of their challenges.
This grant funding will allow us to make more Deputy Prosecuting
Attorneys, Judicial Officers and defense attorneys aware of the program and
what it has to offer.”
NACo has called on the U.S. Attorney General to
create a national commission to study and make recommendations to all levels
of government on the jailing of non-violent offenders with mental illness in
county jails.
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