Membership Report

The Tarrant County Mental Health Diversion Program (MHDP) received the Judge Ruben G. Reyes Outstanding Specialty Court Team Award at The Texas Association of Specialty Court Conference in Galveston, Texas on April 21st, 2021. This award was established in 2017 and presented by the Texas Association of Specialty Courts to recognize an outstanding specialty court team who epitomizes the idea that good intentions are not good enough and reflects Judge Reyes’ examples of passion and expertise.

The Tarrant County MHDP was started in 2003 and is a pre-trial, post-booking specialty court program for participants in the criminal justice system that have a previous mental health history. The mission of the program is to provide participants the resources and support they need to attain emotional well-being and a foundation for long-term success. The program has a long-term track record of success as evidenced by the 691 admissions and 574 successful graduates. The MHDP, which has both misdemeanor and felony related offenses, has a successful completion rate of 89%, a 1-year recidivism rate of (12.02%), and a 2-year recidivism rate of (15.19%). These numbers far exceed the national averages for clients with mental health disorders that are involved in the criminal justice system.

The MHDP recently had a Program Evaluation conducted by Dr. Clete Snell, University of Houston, as part of a grant awarded by the Judicial Commission on Mental Health (JCMH). Dr. Snell said it best: “The Tarrant County Mental Health Diversion Program is a pioneer in the mental health court movement. Program recidivism statistics suggest the program has been a success from the start. The Tarrant County Mental Health Diversion Program should serve as a model for other pretrial diversion programs in the state and the nation.”

Pictured from Left to Right: Assistant Criminal District Attorney Lucas Allan, MHDP Case Manager Pam Leary, TCAT Clinical Specialist Aaron Calvin, County Criminal Court No. 9 and MHDP Presiding Judge Brent A. Carr, MHDP Administrative Assistant Rachel Calderon, Defense Attorney Brad Clark, MHDP Program Manager Rane Wallace, and Judicial Staff Counsel and Mental Health Magistrate Judge Nelda Cacciotti.

Not Pictured: Assistant Criminal District Attorney Mary Butler, TCOOMMI Services TCAT Program Manager Sam Jones, TCAT Clinical Specialist Edward Kellough, and TCAT Clinical Specialist Rosalyn Mackey.

By Lauren St. Clair, Membership Director

Don't Delay, Renew Your TCBA Membership Today!

Have you renewed your 2021–2022 TCBA membership yet? The new bar year started on July 1 and we’re looking forward to a new bar year with you seeing you in-person at a future TCBA event! Renewal offers were emailed to the membership in May and late June. If you have not received your renewal offer or invoice, please reach out to laurensc@tarrantbar.org. If you’ve not previously logged into the TCBA website or if you’re interested in learning more about member-exclusive website features, visit our new Member Resource Center page containing website tutorial videos as well as step-by-step guides showing how you can register for events, create new login credentials, and access your MyTCBA portal.

Now is the perfect time to get involved with the TCBA by joining one of our substantive law sections committees as these groups are gearing up for the new TCBA bar year. As a section or committee member, you will be able to take advantage of the website’s E-Community feature which will allow you to view upcoming meetings, CLE opportunities, and group announcements. To join a section, simply login to your MyTCBA portal and update your subscription. If you are interested in joining a committee, you can fill out the committee volunteer form on our website.

If you have any questions or need further assistance regarding your TCBA membership renewal, please don’t hesitate to contact me at laurensc@tarrantbar.org, and I would be happy to help. Thank you for your continued support of the Tarrant County Bar Association! g

Member Resource Center

www.tarrantbar.org/member-resource-center

Committee Volunteer Form

www.tarrantbar.org/committee-volunteer-form

The State Bar of Texas Appellate Section and The Tarrant County Bar Appellate Section

Along with

The Justices of the Fort Worth Court of Appeals and Former Chief Justice Terrie Livingston

Cordially invite you to

Coffee with the Judges and Portrait Viewing for Former Chief Justice Terrie Livingston

Tuesday, August 24, 2021 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center 401 West Belknap, Suite 9000 The Lobby of the Second Court of Appeals

Register at www.tarrantbar.org/coffee-with-judges

If you are a TCBA member and would like to place an announcement in the Bar Bulletin, we would like to hear from you.