Mental Health Court Offers Path Forward for Participants

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - For some people, entering the criminal justice system can become a cycle that is difficult to break.

Mental health court is designed to break that cycle by bringing together judges, attorneys, probation officers, mental health professionals and other service providers to work with participants.

Judge Mandi Mowery, Second Judicial Circuit Court, said the criminal justice system found there was a need for assistance for people who were impacted by the justice system and suffering from mental illness.

“The criminal justice system found there was a need for assistance for people who were impacted by the justice system and were suffering from mental illness, found there were individuals who were picking up criminal charges and some of that was fueled by their mental illness so it was a program to get involved to help them with treatment option and get them the appropriate medications, seeing appropriate professionals, not self diagnosing it,” Mowery said.

The program focuses on more than what happened in the criminal case. Participants work on their mental health, substance use and other challenges while still being held accountable.

Erik Kleinschmit, a graduate of mental health court, said the process was difficult at the start.

“At first it was very hard for me. I was using a lot of drugs at first; I didn’t want to accept the program,” Kleinschmit said.

Kleinschmit said the program became a turning point.

“I did good; I’ve been good for about a year and five months, been sober,” Kleinschmit said.

For participants, success is not just about finishing the program; it is about what happens after they leave the courtroom.

“I never thought I’d be over a year sober in my life. That’s the biggest accomplishment I did; I got over a year sober,” Kleinschmit said.

Kleinschmit said the support from the mental health court team helped provide opportunities, from counseling to employment, while also giving them the accountability to stay on track.

“They give you a chance for a job. They give you a chance to stay sober. You have counselors willing to give you any time she can,” Kleinschmit said.

“It was a big life change for me. If it wasn’t for the mental health program and the willingness for them to give me the opportunity and the chances to change my life for the better, I would not be here; I’d be in prison or dead,” Kleinschmit said.

Mowery said the goal is to give people a chance to address the underlying issues while still taking responsibility for their actions.

“I have watched people who have begun the program and what they look like at the beginning of the program to when they end the program and complete it successfully, and I believe that it changes their lives completely,” Mowery said.

The goal is not only to address what brought someone into the justice system, but to give them the tools and support they need to stay out of it.