Court Liaison

Each Court Liaison is expected to engage in liaison functions on a full-time basis

during regular business hours. Priority responsibilities of working with and as a part

of the local systems of care would include, but not limited to the following:

1) Establish ongoing relationships with law enforcement and court personnel

including:

a. County Sheriffs

b. Municipal Police

c. Chancery Clerks

d. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Officers

e. Judges (Probate, Circuit, Treatment, etc.)

f. Court Administrator, Treatment Court Administrator, etc.

g. Circuit Court Clerk, Probate Clerk, etc.

2) Increase law enforcement and court personnel’s knowledge about how to identify

and with persons with behavioral health issues and the available community mental

health resources to address behavioral health issues.

3) Facilitate timely access to behavioral health services for persons who have contact

with law enforcement and/or the court.

4) Work with treatment providers to reduce the frequency of high use persons’

involvement with law enforcement and the courts and increase the length of time

between contacts.

5) More efficiently and effectively provide access to behavioral health resources.

6) Increase contact and cooperation between law enforcement, courts, and

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs).

7) Reduce the involuntary inpatient psychiatric admissions in the counties with Court

Liaisons.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 2A11617A-7182-4A73-A37C-A94E71BE521D

8) Reduction in the use of high frequency Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCeRT)

contact.

9) Increase access to Intensive Community Support Specialists (ICSS).

10) Increase access to Certified Peer Support Specialists (CPSS).

11) Increase family engagement through the crisis intervention process.

12) Increase the general public’s knowledge of available mental health resources.

13) Work with local psychiatric hospitals and crisis centers to divert same level of

care individuals from state psychiatric hospitals.

14) Decrease the number of days felony offenders wait in jail for admission to the

Forensic Evaluation Unit at Mississippi State Hospital.

15) Inform statewide best practices, expand access to services, and increase

utilization of data-based metrics.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions

The responsibilities and functions of the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC)

Court Liaison include:

1) Provide consultation on behavioral health issues for law enforcement and court

personnel. Consultation includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• General questions about mental health conditions and co-occurring disorders

(including substance use, developmental disabilities, and mental health

disorders).

• Current availability of in-patient and out-patient services in local and

surrounding

communities.

• Help navigate access to behavioral health services.

• Discussion of individual cases and general follow-up questions.

• Conduct training on behavioral health topics.

• When necessary, if diversion is not appropriate, facilitate Civil commitment

procedures (72 hour holds, outpatient commitment, etc.).

2) Coordinate with the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCeRT):

• Coordinate with crisis response resources such as 988 call centers, Mobile Crisis

Response Teams, Behavioral Health Centers, Crisis Stabilization Units (CSUs),

Emergency Rooms, etc.

• Assist law enforcement by working together in assessing individuals with

behavioral health needs.

• Assist those with behavioral health needs in accessing appropriate services upon

referral by law enforcement or the courts.

• Assist law enforcement and the courts in locating inpatient psychiatric beds for

court-ordered involuntary detentions.

• Assist law enforcement, family members, and/or friends in filing petitions for

involuntary commitment for those individuals who present a likelihood of serious

harm due to severity of symptomatology associated with a mental illness or

substance use disorder.

3) Coordinate services for individuals with behavioral health needs who have come to the

attention of law enforcement officials and the court system.

• Facilitate new clients’ access to mental health services and resolve issues with

obtaining treatment [i.e., Explain paperwork, explain eligibility requirements, and

identify availability of different services e.g., referrals to PACT, ICORT, ICSS,

Supported Employment, Crisis Stabilization Units, etc.).

• Consult with case managers to improve coordination of care for existing

community mental health center clients.

• Follow-up with both new and existing CMHC individuals to monitor treatment.

• If a person is not attending treatment, the Court Liaison will continue to

encourage treatment and, where possible, resolve potential barriers.

• Work to resolve system issues, communication glitches, and develop consistent

working relationships among law enforcement, courts, and community mental

health centers.

4) For people who have repeat contact with law enforcement, courts, or frequently

referred, the Court Liaison will, explore other avenues to engage this individual with

treatment/medication adherence (e.g., participate in treatment meetings, revised treatment

plan, alternative placements, etc.).

• Make consistent and concerted efforts to engage this person and work to resolve

barriers to treatment.

• Follow up with CMHCs to ensure that person is engaged beyond the 30-day

period.

• Increase tracking and engagement with each subsequent new referral.

5) Participate in and/or consider developing with local law enforcement Crisis Intervention

Teams (CIT) or other initiatives that assist law enforcement in dealing with individuals

with behavioral health needs.

• Establish and maintain regular law enforcement contact to educate them on

community mental health resources and procedures for accessing the mental

health system.

• Distribute information about local or regional CIT training to local law

enforcement and encourage officers to become CIT certified.

• If a CIT council has not been established in your catchment area, explore the

possibility of establishing one.

• If a CIT council has been established, then the Court Liaison will work to

resolve issues raised by local CIT council in terms of access to mental health

issues.

6) Collaborate with local partners in Mental Health Courts, Treatment Courts, Veterans

Courts, and other specialty/diversion courts dealing with behavioral health issues.

• Establish and maintain regular contact with court administrators, judges,

chancery clerks, etc.

• Address any structural issues or gaps identified in the system.

7) Provide, coordinate, or announce trainings on the following topics to community members in your catchment area to increase awareness about behavioral health issues:

• Basic knowledge about mental health conditions and/or co-occurring disorders

• Civil commitment procedures

• CIT training for law enforcement

• Mental Health First Aid training

• Suicide prevention

8) Attend monthly conference calls, webinars, and face-to-face meetings/training as

requested by the Clinical Diversion Coordinator.

9) Maintain a current list of all key law enforcement and court contact information in your catchment area.

• Provide the Clinical Diversion Coordinator with a current list upon request.

Minimum Staffing Requirements

• Must have a master’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, or related behavioral health field and hold a PCMHT, CMHT, or independent license.

• Trained in assessment and crisis intervention.

• Knowledgeable about the local system of care.

• Knowledgeable about behavioral health disorders and co-occurring disorders.

• Must be Certified to conduct Pre-Evaluation Screenings.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $37,000.00 - $40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person