Thursday, September 09, 2004

County to pilot mental health justice program (Georgia)
Gainesville Times story - "Hall County is about a month away from piloting a statewide program that could find ways to keep people with mental health issues out of jail. 'There is something that can work,' Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin said Wednesday. She pitched the idea to about 36 people, including state officials, judges, prosecutors and police during an introductory session at the Hall County Sheriff's Office. In July, Gosselin led a Hall group to Maryland to learn about helping people with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders. The three-day effort resulted in a $283,000 grant to develop a plan for Georgia by piloting it in Hall. Gosselin said she expects the project to be operational by late October."