Behavioral Health Court
| Gwinnett County Juvenile Court 115 Stone Mountain St. Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046-6900 |
|
Behavioral Health Court Team
| Lakeisha Cook |
| Program Coordinator |
| Phone: (770) 619-6025 |
| Fax: (770) 619-6002 |
| Robert Waller |
| Judge |
| Phone: (770) 619-6184 |
| Fax: (770) 619-6094 |
What is Connections Behavioral Health Court?
CONNECTIONS is the Gwinnett County Juvenile Court Behavioral Health Court (also known as Mental Health Court). It is a highly structured, non-adversarial accountability and intervention court, targeting youth on probation who are diagnosed with mental health challenges or co-occurring disorders and have committed misdemeanor or felony crimes. The court is designed to serve the needs of children who are unlikely to be successful on traditional probation.
Purpose of Connections Behavioral Health Court
The purpose of CONNECTIONS is to meet the needs of youth’s who have been charged or adjudicated delinquent for a crime and whose mental health makes it unlikely that they will be successful on traditional probation
Targeted Population and Eligibility Criteria
- Youth must be screened and assessed as possessing a potentially qualifying diagnosis and/or co-occurring disorder that can be managed through a therapeutic out-patient intervention (i.e. Bi-Polar, Schizophrenia, Major Depression, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder)
- Youth must be a legal resident of Gwinnett County and age 13 to 17 years old
- Youth must be legally competent
- Youth and family must be willing to participate
- An up to date Psychological evaluation is required (1 Year)
- Assessed as moderate to high risk on the Pre-Disposition Risk Assessment (PDRA) evaluation
- Youth must be adjudicated delinquent on a misdemeanor or felony charge, or have a pending misdemeanor or felony charge with a withheld disposition