Judge Marianne Sezon and the Ashtabula County Mental Health Court treatment team have made technological and logistical adjustments to help participants during the pandemic.

Judge Marianne Sezon and the Ashtabula County Mental Health Court treatment team have made technological and logistical adjustments to help participants during the pandemic.

Mental health matters are a major concern for people given the vast changes in everyday life due to the coronavirus. Some of those adjustments have resulted in mental health court innovations, and a greater sense of community for its participants.

In Ashtabula County, the pandemic has brought to light the limited technological resources not only at the common pleas court, but also among its residents. As Ohio’s largest county geographically, it ranks in the bottom quarter of population density. With all that land and an insufficient base for public funding, Judge Marianne Sezon and her mental health court staff faced significant obstacles in mid-March when the virus ceased in-person hearings.

"One of the biggest challenges was we had no previous experience working remotely,” said Kathy Thompson, the court’s administrator. “It was not only a process to be able to get [a videoconference service] account. We don’t have Wi-Fi in certain spots of the county.”

With assistance from the Ohio Supreme Court’s latest technology grant initiative, the common pleas court was able to get the necessary equipment and software to conduct the mental health docket’s weekly meetings virtually. The upgrades also will take some of the logistical pressure off of treatment team members in the future, since case managers bore the responsibility of personally transporting members participating in the docket to and from court.

Those weekly sessions are just a small part of the 12-to-18-month probationary program. Other commitments include regular discussions with court staff – program coordinator, probation officer, case manager, and even a military veteran to assist former service members – and sessions with licensed treatment providers, for both mental health and substance use issues.

Before the pandemic, numerous participants were reluctant to see representatives from the court or a clinician. Now, they’re welcoming of the personal contact, as is evidenced by an increase in telehealth appointments, and fewer cancellations. At-home visits, which are now conducted at a safe distance, such as from a driveway, are an even bigger source of connectivity.

“You can see some of their faces light up,” said program coordinator Zach Wentink. “They’re happy to talk to someone. It’s one of those things that we all take for granted.”

Probation officers also are utilizing the lost pastime of handwritten notes to send encouragement, which include gift cards as rewards for progress in the program, and face masks as an added assurance of public safety.

The increased communication not only keeps the treatment team informed of each person’s mental state, but also keeps tabs on participants’ everyday essentials, which for many include food insecurity and struggles for basic needs.

Even with all of the personal and societal problems resulting from COVID-19, members recognize they’re not the only ones struggling during these unusual times. For those taking part in the docket, the crisis has created a collective spirit to help others in need.

“They’ve worked hard to stay on track during this pandemic. It’s amazing to see people with that kind of compassion, who want to help others when they have their own issues,” said Judge Sezon.