File photo Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra is building a mental health court similar to the county’s drug court, for offenders with mental health issues that contribute to their substance abuse and other crimes.

By ROBERT A. DEFRANK

Times Leader Staff Writer

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County’s new mental health court is active and providing a chance at rehabilitation for offenders suffering from mental health issues who have contributed to their crimes.

Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra presides over the court. He said there are five participants so far, and he expects the number to increase.

Vavra will hold court sessions every other Monday, with the next court this week.

“We have several people in there,” he said. “They’re doing fine.”

Vavra added that he is continuing to finalize details with the Mental Health Recovery Board and representatives of Southeast Inc.

“We’ve been doing this now for approximately a month. We’re calling it the Mental Health and Recovery Program,” he said.

Vavra said mental health problems often contribute to other factors in a criminal case.

“The reason why I think it’s useful is we’re seeing so much now of what the psychologists or mental health professionals call co-occurring conditions. You have both a substance abuse issue and a mental health issue and the two issues combine to worsen both,” he said.

The court has partnered with Southeast Inc., which offers substance abuse counseling.

“They have all of the current and updated methods to deal with the problem,” he said.

Vavra said the court is working with the prosecutor’s office and probation department, and that the criteria is similar to the county’s drug court.

“This is only for fourth- and fifth-degree people, non-violent and non-sex offenders, so it’s mainly for people who are using substances including alcohol,” he said.

It must also be shown that the mental health or substance abuse problem contributed to the criminal activity.

“When somebody comes in and we suspect that they have a co-occurring problem … we send them to Southeast and they do an evaluation. When the evaluation comes back that yes, they have both problems, that’s the resource I want to use to address those problems. We refer them there.”

The first step in the process is for the defendant to plead guilty.

“We accept the plea, that much is done. If they don’t complete the program successfully, then they come back in to be sentenced and convicted. If they do complete the program, the case is resolved as if it never happened,” he said.

“It’s a one-time opportunity. Counseling is at least one year, because it takes that long to detox effectively from substance abuse,” he said.

Introducing the participant into a law abiding life is another goal, Vavra said.

“We’re helping them with employment issues. When applicable we try to use community service as well. Employment is important because it contributes to their feeling of self-worth,” he said.

Vavra added the violations mean jail or penitentiary time. He pointed out the lack of counseling available in jail or prison.

“You can throw people in there a year, a year and a half, and when they get out they’ve had no help whatsoever dealing with their problem. They simply go right back into it,” he said.

“They can’t stay there forever. You’ve got to deal with the problem,” he said. “This program will not cost the citizens of Belmont County anything.”

Vavra added that funding has been secured through the Mental Health and Recovery Board.

“This is not going to be a financial burden to the citizens. Hopefully it will be a financial benefit,” Vavra said. “It costs about $100 a day to have somebody in our overcrowded jail.”

Vavra said the mental health court will be for co-occurring mental health and drug use issues, while drug court is primarily substance abuse.

Vavra expects the numbers to increase, and said he has observed some common factors in the cases before him.

“So far, what I’ve observed is the breakdown of the family phenomenon. These people, some of them are second generation and the family unit is broken down. They have not been effectively raised and/or nurtured and they get out there and fall into the same pattern,” he said, pointing out related problems such as lack of employment and education. “So many of them don’t finish school, don’t have employable skills. It’s a cycle.”