Erie County Treatment Court
Graduation Program
The Erie County Treatment Court conducted the fourteenth graduation ceremony on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at the Erie County Court House, Erie, Pa.
The Mental Health Association of Northwestern PA congratulates all new graduates of the Erie County Treatment Court.
Best wishes on your journey.
Support Group for Graduates
A support group for the graduates meets every other Tuesday at 9:30 PM. This meeting is held at the Salvation Army Center.
Treatment Court
The Erie County Treatment Court consists of two components, a Drug/Alcohol Component commonly referred to as Drug Court (started in March 2000) and a mental illness component commonly referred to as Mental Health Court (started in March 2002).
Both components work within the framework of one combined “Treatment Court” in order to handle drug involved defendants and/or seriously mentally ill defendants. Treatment Court is in a supportive, treatment oriented setting that uses graduated sanctions along with incentives.
The Erie County Treatment Court has been developed to handle cases involving non-violent seriously mentally ill offenders and non-violent drug using offenders through intensive/comprehensive supervision, case management and treatment. The intervenors on the Treatment Court Team are the Judge, Prosecutor, Defense Counsel, Case Managers, Treatment Specialists, Probation Officers, Law Enforcement, Correctional Personnel and others. This unique partnership that has been developed in Erie County is able to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach in addressing one of the most devastating problems facing our community today, crime, drug abuse and mental illness.
The Erie County Treatment Court is a joint program involving:
- The Erie County Court of Common Pleas, Sixth Judicial District
- The Eric County Public Defender’s Office
- The Erie County District Attorney’s Office
- Erie County Office of Human Services
- Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
- Office of Mental Health/Mental Retardation
- Erie County Child Protective Services
- Case Management Support Services
- Forensic Mental Health
- Erie County Adult Probation/Parole Department
- The Erie County Prison
- Mercyhurst College Civic Institute
It is estimated that nationwide 1,200 drug courts and 100 mental health courts are in operation.
Pennsylvania has eight other functional adult treatment courts that are located in the counties of Philadelphia, Allegheny, Lycoming, Lackawana, York, Chester, Blair and Lancaster.
Erie County is an organizational member of the National and PA Association of Drug Court Professionals.