MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR - Criminal Courts

Tarrant County•Tarrant County, TX

10h

About The Position

This position serves as an internal coordinator for issues pertaining to mentally impaired individuals affecting the Criminal Courts. The coordinator handles mental-health court business as directed by judges or magistrates and serves as the court coordinator for mental-health proceedings. The role works on behalf of the Criminal Courts and in tandem with the Data and Jail Population Specialist to identify prisoners with severe mental-health impairments who may require immediate attention, and to coordinate appropriate court, jail, medical, and community responses. The coordinator also supports the evaluation and monitoring of defendants, coordinates appointments and reports from psychologists and psychiatrists, arranges hearings following defendants’ return from state hospitals, and monitors pretrial supervision and compliance. The position collaborates with service providers and community organizations and provides courts with information and referrals to community resources. The work involves regular sitting, standing, lifting, transporting, stooping, grasping, climbing, walking, and bending. The position may involve exposure to household-type cleaning agents, pesticides, inmate-control devices that emit pepper agents, and potentially toxic smoke.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Seven years of related experience; a related bachelor's or associate's degree may substitute for required experience on a year-for-year basis.
Working knowledge of court operations, court proceedings, docket management, and due process requirements.
Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office programs, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.
Strong communication and organizational skills.
Ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision.
Ability to handle confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s or associate’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Handle mental-health court business as directed by judges or magistrates.
Attend mental-health court proceedings and ensure proper settings in accordance with local rules and case-flow management.
Communicate with local and outside agencies and field calls related to mental-health proceedings.
Create and generate dockets for mental-health proceedings and distribute them to appropriate criminal court staff and clerks.
Provide information regarding case status and court conflicts.
Coordinate calendars of activities, meetings, and events, and maintain schedules for Mental Health Court staff.
Monitor companion cases.
Serve as court coordinator for mental-health proceedings.
Work with the Data and Jail Population Specialist to monitor incoming prisoners and identify those with severe mental-health impairments who may require immediate attention.
Coordinate, as appropriate, transfers to therapeutic residential settings for stabilization, charge dismissal and transfer for civil commitment, or commitment for competency restoration.
Work with jail staff to coordinate judicial authorization for transfer to a medical or mental-health facility when a prisoner becomes mentally unstable in jail.
Monitor assignments of psychologists and psychiatrists appointed to evaluate prisoners for mental competency.
Ensure appointment orders are signed by a judge or magistrate, the jail is notified of appointments, and doctors submit reports on time.
Coordinate defendants’ return from state hospital and ensure a hearing can be scheduled when the defendant is presumably competent.
Coordinate and monitor progress of mentally impaired defendants released on pretrial supervision to ensure medication and bond-condition compliance.
Serve as a resource to courts for referring mentally impaired defendants to community resources.
Collaborate with service providers and community organizations to resolve issues involving mentally impaired offenders with pending cases.
Perform other related duties as assigned.