Mental health court jobs OK'd

Jennifer Learn-Andes

Apr. 23, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The new Luzerne County mental health court got a jumpstart Wednesday with the creation of three positions to staff it.

The county Salary Board voted to create two mental health court positions in the District Attorney's Office -- a $34,032 full-time assistant district attorney and a $21,000 trial assistant. A $45,897 probation officer position also was authorized.

County officials said all three positions will be fully funded by three-year grants. The positions will be eliminated after three years if the county does not obtain new grants or demonstrate that the court had stopped repeat offenses by offenders with mental health disorders.

The court would help people who land in jail, often repeatedly, for petty crimes because they're not receiving needed mental health treatment, according to Bill Anzalone, a county human services division employee who is overseeing the court's creation.

Rather than doing prison time at taxpayers' expense, nonviolent offenders who agree to participate would have the chance to erase the crime from their record by completing treatment and satisfying other conditions, such as obtaining a job and housing.

Participants would typically be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Offenses would have to be nonviolent misdemeanors, although felonies such as retail theft may be considered. All cases would have to be accepted by the District Attorney's Office.

The county has received $584,000 in grants to fund the mental health court.

The board also created a temporary $25,515 clerk typist position in probation services to help process juvenile files being reviewed by Senior Judge Arthur Grim, who was appointed as a master by the Supreme Court on Feb. 11 to review cases that were heard by former county judge Mark Ciavarella.

Ciavarella is awaiting sentencing on a guilty plea for accepting kickbacks in exchange for decisions and rulings that led to the use of two privately owned juvenile detention centers.

President Judge Chester Muroski told the board that the state is funding the clerk position, and the chosen worker's employment will end when Grim has completed his review.

The board also voted again to create 10 positions in the court system -- two tipstaffs at $39,664; two executive secretaries at $35,000 to $50,000; two senior law clerks at $39,455, and four law clerks at $24,872.

The positions had already been approved, but the board had to vote again because they were incorrectly lumped into the Probation Department instead of court administration.

Board members Stephen A. Urban and Greg Skrepenak voted against the 10 positions, saying they are concerned about the budget impact.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0215-34348477