El Paso could be getting a new Mental Health Specialty Court
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- On Monday, El Paso County Commissioners will consider another step in supporting mental health options in the community -- this time in court.
The goal of this potential development is to provide other options inside the legal system for mental health related arrests and interactions with law enforcement.
On the agenda today is an item to authorize and create the INSPIRE Treatment Court — which stands for Independence, Namaste, Safety, Purposeful, Insightful Resilience, Empowerment Treatment Court.
The goal, according to supporters of this program, is to provide treatment services with mental health, or intellectual development, challenges that come into contact with the court.
Those individuals could come into the Justice System after being arrested or charged for felony offenses -- and could impact some who have been convicted.
The INSPIRE Court will provide treatment services via local providers in the Borderland.
As part of the 243rd Mental Health Specialty Court, this operation will meet the requirements outlined under the Texas Office of Court Administration.
Judge Selena Solis has been involved with the development of the program.
Avery Martinez covers mental health in the Borderland as part of ABC-7’s Be Mindful initiative. He is also a Report for America corps member. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms like ABC-7’s to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.
