Whatcom’s drug, mental health court participants struggle due to coronavirus pandemic
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Whatcom County’s mental health court program has temporarily stopped holding hearings while the county’s drug court program has moved mainly online.
In addition to the program changes, many of the resources used to help motivate and hold participants in the programs accountable are temporarily unavailable due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to program officials.
Whatcom County mental health court, which started in January 2015 as a jail alternative for those with serious mental health issues, stopped holding court hearings in late March, according to Linda Grant, mental health court program manager. Grant said the hearings stopped due to the Washington State Supreme Court and Whatcom County courts orders that temporarily suspended jury trials and other hearings.
While the court orders shifted to allow telephonic or electronic hearings, Grant said the mental health court program has been unable to hold any virtual hearings. There have been at least two people who have appeared at a few emergency in-person hearings to prevent them from going into crisis, she said.
“It’s that theme that keeps coming back — how do we help our most vulnerable population continue to do well and thrive and be healthy, when some traditional options are not available in a traditional way?” Grant said.
Grant said case managers and treatment providers are still in close contact with the 25 participants going through the program. Over the next several weeks they will determine what capabilities participants have to attend court hearings virtually, and who may be more high-risk and require an in-person hearing, Grant said.
Several participants limited financial resources, transportation, abilities to join virtually, or have medical risks, Grant said, but she’s hoping the program will start to have hearings in June.
A program upended
Whatcom County’s drug court program, which has been operating since 1999, has made multiple changes in an attempt to adapt since the coronavirus outbreak began.
In mid-March, the program moved to virtual hearings for its 45 participants. The program stopped doing urine drug tests, except in emergency situations. It stopped admitting people to the program because the level of care required during the first stages of the program can’t be provided as normal. And the pandemic has also made certain sanctions the program uses to hold members accountable, such as work release crews or community service, unavailable, according to program officials.
“We’ve seen a lot more relapses than we normally do,” said David Graham, the senior deputy prosecutor who handles drug court cases. “We’re dealing with individuals who need this structured treatment program and it’s sort of been upended.”
Recognizing some members were struggling, the drug court program held its first in-person court hearing Thursday, May 14. Twelve people were asked to come in person, 10 of whom showed up, said Christine Furman, therapeutic courts coordinator. Those 12 were identified as most at-risk in the program and are actively having difficulties, Furman said.
Social distancing guidelines were followed and everyone wore masks. The in-person hearings are allowed if they’re essential, said Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Lee Grochmal, who oversees drug court.
Struggling to connect
Graham, the prosecutor, said many of the participants talked Thursday about how stressed and hard the isolation of staying home and staying connected to services and sponsors has been for them. In addition to losing the critically important face-to-face contact with the judge and other members, some participants are no longer working or able to as successfully participate in virtual meetings, said Shoshana Paige, the senior deputy public defender who handles drug court cases.
“Some of the things most important for people in this program … has made them especially vulnerable during this time,” Paige said. “A lot of things all at once are conspiring against our clients.”
Grochmal said it’s become obvious to her how crucial the in-person community support provided to those in recovery is for their success.
“The program was working. Right now it’s a little bit broken, but we’re trying to get it back,” Grochmal said.
In addition to starting in-person hearings for the most high-risk in the program, drug court will also begin safely doing random urine drug tests again, Furman, the program administrator, said. The program will likely continue with the hybrid of in-person and virtual court hearings until things become safer, she said.
“We don’t have the array of incentives and sanctions that we normally have and so we’re getting more creative and … using every way we can to communicate with clients … and we’re hoping to get them through this difficult period alive and healthy,” Furman said. “It’s difficult for them and it’s difficult for us.”
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
