Treatment Courts

OCHN assists Oakland County courts in providing diversion opportunities for those with mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. The OCHN Liaisons work in tandem with the courts to provide assessment services, connect to treatment providers, community resources, and to assist individuals in improving quality of life and reducing recidivism rates. 

Current partners with embedded Liaisons include: 

• 45th District Court – Behavioral Health and Wellness Court (BHWC)
  • BHWC is a specialty mental health court that is grant funded by the State Court Administrative Office and has been in place at the 45th District Court in Oak Park since 2017. This program provides individuals an opportunity to seek treatment, utilize services and resources, and have a team of professionals working with them at all times. Residents of Oakland or Wayne County who have been charged with a non-sexual and non-violent misdemeanor crime, who also have been diagnosed with a mental illness, emotional disturbance, or developmental disability may be eligible.
• 52nd District Court – Mental Health Court 
  • The mental health court liaison provides high-level support for individuals during an extremely distressing time.    
• 6th Circuit Court – Adult Treatment Court (ATC) 
  • ATC is a Hybrid / DWI Court that applies alternative judicial proceedings to chemically abusing and dependent, non-violent, adult felony offenders that have met established eligibility criteria for admittance. The program is voluntary and intensive by design, combining the implementation of evidence-based treatment supports with court-ordered supervision and case management services. ATC aims to rehabilitate, and successfully reintegrate high-risk individuals back into the community with the goal of reducing recidivism and avoiding any unnecessary terms of jail or imprisonment.  
• 6th Circuit Court – Juvenile Mental Health Court 
  • Embedded in the 6th Circuit Court, the Youth Mental Health Coordinator works in tandem with the court to provide assessment services, connect to treatment providers, community resources, and to assist youth in improving quality of life.

Jail Based Services

OCHN and the Oakland County Jail have partnered to provide crucial mental health and substance use services for individuals who are incarcerated.  

• Mental Health Services: Early screening and identification, psychiatric services funded through OCHN, Medication, Care Coordination and Re-Entry planning are services provided by an embedded multi-disciplinary team.  
• Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT): Recognizing that medication is an adjunct to treatment to aid in a person’s recovery while incarcerated, the MAT program combines individualized treatment planning, recovery coaches, and therapeutic services to address a person’s opiate use disorder and the high rate of overdose upon release from incarceration. 
• Jail Alliance With Support (JAWS): A post-booking Jail Diversion program that encourages individuals to engage in mental health treatment and Moral Reconation Therapy groups, funded through OCHN and implemented by a contracted mental health provider.

Assisted Outpatient Treatment

Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), also known as Kevin’s Law in Michigan, is a legal mechanism for providing outpatient treatment to some individuals living with serious mental illness, whose non-engagement in treatment places them at risk for negative outcomes. OCHN offers treatment recommendations to the Oakland County Probate Court, as well as education and support to individuals, OCHN’s service providers, and community members through a contracted liaison. In addition, an OCHN Assisted Outpatient Treatment Coordinator facilitates ongoing information-sharing and collaboration with the Probate Court.

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Toolkit - Center for Behavioral Health and Justice

Kevin's Law Flyer