Mental health court for juveniles

MOBILE, Ala. - Officials say about 40 percent of children in the juvenile justice system have at least moderate to mild mental health problems. They say around a quarter of children have serious mental health problems.

Trey Stefurak, a counseling psychologist from the University of South Alabama, says nationally there is an interrelationship between mental health problems and juvenile offending.

Stefurak also says it's hard to know what each child needs in terms of medications, psychotherapy, or family therapy.

That's why the juvenile court system of Mobile is teaming up with The University of South Alabama and AltaPointe Health Systems to create a mental health court for kids who have identified mental health problems.

"We would create a separate set of hearings in the court for kids that we suspect might really have mental health problems, so they can be seen under that docket and then be referred by the judge for specific types of treatment. And then the child would follow up with the judge at some point down the road and see how they're doing," said Stefurak.

Stefurak says sometimes imprisoning a child can make them worse.
He says the mental health court will be a way to give needed support to child offenders with mental health issues and at the same time, hold them accountable for their actions.

He says hopes are that the mental court program will result in the children offending less.

The way a mental illness will be determined is through a series of standardized questionnaires that have already been studied in other places.

"The areas we're most concerned about are suicidal thoughts, depression, psychotic or thought disorders, hallucinations, the more severe mental health problems," said Stefurak.

Stefurak says they are also concerned about substance abuse, and getting young suspects the help they need to avoid a life of crime.

He says the mental health court will be in place by the end of the year.