Shaeleigh Sprigg, Leah Gregory
The Washington County Behavioral Health Board (WCBHB) passed a motion at the April 22 Board meeting to support the Marietta Municipal Court’s proposed Mental Health docket utilizing levy funds. David Browne, Executive Director of the WCBHB, states “We see the mental health court as a perfect use of levy funds entrusted to the Board.”
Mental health concerns have been on the minds of many since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Marietta Municipal Court Judge Janet Welch, it has been a concern in her court for many years. Judge Welch has had a special interest in mental health and linking mentally ill offenders to treatment since she began her career as a judge in 2006.
Beacon adds mental health specialist to police department
In January, the City of Beacon Police Department received roughly 25 calls involving a reported mental health crisis or a person known to have a form of mental illness.
In making recommendations for the department’s state-mandated modernization plan, the Beacon Police Reform Committee noted there is a dearth of mental health services and support.
Last week, the city took steps toward remedying that.
On the same night the Beacon city council adopted its police reform plan to submit to the state, the council created space in the police department’s budget to hire a mental health specialist.