Collaborative Courts
Behavioral Health Court
The Behavioral Health Court Program (BHC) targets mentally ill adults and transitional-aged youth that have entered the justice system.
The El Dorado County Behavioral Health Court is an intensive program designed to evaluate, treat, and monitor participants while providing coordinated and comprehensive mental health treatment and ancillary services. The Behavioral Health Court program is a strong community collaboration model which provides for system integration. The judicial system, law enforcement, probation, and mental health systems form the BHC Team and a clinical mental health manager works closely with each participant to successfully implement an integrated, individualized service plan that is strengths-based and culturally competent. The BHC Team draws on the expertise and mutual commitment of its members and represents a problem-solving approach to address unmet mental health needs.
Veterans Treatment Court
Recognizing the contributions that our Veterans have made for our country and the resulting issues that that service can cause, the Legislature enacted provisions to assist and support our Veterans to return to their rightful position as vital members of our community. The Veterans Treatment Court Program (VTC) targets qualifying Veterans that have entered the justice system.
The El Dorado County VTC is an intensive one (1) year to 18-month program designed to evaluate, treat, and monitor participants while providing coordinated and comprehensive treatment and ancillary services. The Veterans Assistance Program, the judicial system, probation, District Attorney’s Office and (primarily) the Public Defender’s Office form the VTC Team. The Team works closely with each participant to successfully implement an integrated, individualized service plan.
Family Wellness Court
El Dorado Superior Court and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Joint Jurisdictional Collaborative Court
The Family Wellness Court program is intended to provide system-involved youth and their families with a court-supervised alternative that emphasizes culturally-appropriate restorative justice practices. The program’s wrap-around continuum of care consists of prevention, intervention, and post-adjudication services. Program staff uses a teamwork approach to address needs of program participants using a culture-specific, trauma-informed, strength-based, and evidence-based approach.
The goal of treatment is to break the school to prison cycle of dysfunctional behavior in order to provide parents and children with achievable goals, which will improve self-confidence, result in positive life choices and give children and their families a true connection to tribal history and culture, inspiring them to become leaders in their community.
The Family Wellness Court, hears a wide range of cases, including juvenile (law violations or status offenses), child welfare (dependency), domestic violence (as part of a dependency, child custody, protective order petition), and criminal. Typically, the state court and the tribal court would hear these cases separately from one another, often making conflicting orders, working at cross purposes or failing to address the entirety of the families’ issues in a holistic fashion. The Family Wellness Court aims to break down these impediments. As soon as a child or youth comes to the attention of tribal or county authorities, the court can wrap the child and family with a multitude of tribal and county services especially designed to meet the needs of each family member. This approach maximizes the use of resources necessary to address the cultural, historical, and intergenerational traumas.
For additional information on the Family Wellness Court links are provided below to the Family Wellness Court Manual and Family Wellness Court Participant Manual