Mental Health Court

Florida has begun to rely more on mental health courts to solve problems within the justice system. Mental health courts were created as a response to repeat offenders with untreated serious mental illness.

By August of 2019, Florida had at least 27 mental health courts created under the mental health court guidelines provided in s. 394.47892, F.S. Problem-solving courts include a variety of programs including:

  • pretrial intervention programs;
  • post adjudicatory mental health court programs, and
  • review of the status of compliance or non-compliance of sentenced defendants through a mental health court program.

Mental health court programs include pretrial intervention programs or post adjudicatory mental health court programs. Under Section 394.47892(2) and (3), F.S., a person’s entry into a pretrial mental health court program is voluntary.

As provided by Section 394.47892(4)(a), F.S., a person’s entry into a post adjudicatory mental health court program as a condition of probation or community control must be based on:

  • the sentencing court’s assessment of the defendant’s criminal history, mental health screening outcome, the defendant’s amenability to the services of the program, and the total sentencing points;
  • The recommendation of the state attorney and the victim, if any; and
  • The defendant’s agreement to enter the program.

In some jurisdictions, petitions for Risk Protection Orders are considered to be part of the functions performed by the mental health courts.

Attorneys for Mental Health Court in Hillsborough County, FL

Contact an attorney at Sammis Law Firm to learn more about Mental Health Court and other problem-solving courts in Tampa, FL.

Our main office is located in downtown Tampa in Hillsborough County. We have a second office located in New Port Richey in Pasco County, FL.

Our attorneys represent clients throughout the greater Tampa Bay area including Hillsborough County, Hernando County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Manatee County, and Polk County, FL.

Call 813-250-0500.


Types of Mental Health Court Proceedings in Hillsborough County, FL

In Hillsborough County, the types of mental health court proceedings include:

The Honorable Michael J. Scionti has been assigned as Hillsborough County’s judge for Veterans’ Treatment Court and Marchman Act Drug Court.


This article was last updated on Wednesday, December 22, 2021.