Bridging Gaps: A Partnership Model for Criminal Courts and Mental Health Systems

Strong partnerships between criminal courts and mental health providers are imperative to ensure justice for individuals involved in the forensic system. Yet these entities approach issues with different priorities, unique perspectives, and competing resource demands. The authors present a university's effort to facilitate communication among Alabama criminal courts, community providers, and the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH). The authors identify specific obstacles ADMH faced while attempting to resolve the "competence crisis," that is, the long list of individuals mandated to restoration of competence to stand trial. Finally, the authors offer points of consideration for universities and mental health providers working in tandem with criminal courts.