The Juvenile Court of Floyd County has applied for a grant to establish a Mental Health Treatment Court. The funds, worth more than $230,000, would help pay for mental health assessments to all children entering the juvenile court system.
“This will be used for early identification of children with mental illness and reduce their likelihood of penetrating the justice system,” Administrator Catherine Fricks told the Rome News-Tribune.
Eligibility for the mental health court is based on the results of the assessment. Children entering the mental health court would receive regular therapy and meet with professionals to establish a treatment plan.
Funds from the grant would also go toward educating the families of the children who often do not understand the diagnosis.
Programs could begin as early as Oct. 1, 2011 if Floyd County wins the grant.