On a recent Tuesday, the courtroom was packed and dozens of people lined the aisle as Amber Black graduated from mental health court and received her diploma amid cheers, music and applause.
In addition to friends and family supporting Black, smiling members of the Bellingham City Council, members of the Opportunity Council's Homeless Outreach Team and police officers also looked on.
Commissioner Nicholas Henry then delivered remarks that had taken him about two years to prepare. “The charges are dismissed.”
Black, 38, entered Whatcom County's mental health court program in 2022 and faced nine felonies in Bellingham Municipal Court and one count of felonious assault in Whatcom County Superior Court. She graduated last month and said in an interview that she left with a new outlook on life and new confidence.
Mental Health Court is one of several diversion programs run by the Whatcom County Health Department and is an 18- to 24-month “therapeutic court.” Launched in 2015, the scheme provides an alternative to prison and comprehensive support for people who enter the justice system due to mental health issues.
“When you’re not yet pure and sober and you want to be and you want to be successful at something, it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, like you don’t have a cause and you can’t achieve it. “It may seem like a bummer, but once you start treatment, you can be cured quickly,” Black said. She thought she wouldn't be able to have a conversation like the one she had with the Cascadia Daily News, but she “now has the ability to do so much more,” she said.
people confronting criminals The program, which currently has a capacity of 50 people, refers people who are innocent, have severe mental illness or meet other criteria. To date, 60 people have successfully completed the program.
From “high risk” to “great success”
Black, who shares a home in Linden with friends, admitted she agreed to the interview because it pushed her outside her comfort zone and said she was encouraged to do so by her sponsors.
She speaks with confidence about the program that has turned her life around.
Mr. Black was in prison when health department staff, including Mental Health Court Program Manager Robin Willins, met with Mr. Black and suggested a diversion program as a possible avenue for Mr. Black.
“When I met her in prison, she was at the point where she said, 'I don't want to live like this anymore,'” Willins said.
Black said she didn't know it at the time, but looking back on it, she says, “That was probably the moment I became desperate to change my life.”
Willins said that before Black entered the program, he had frequent encounters with law enforcement and emergency medical contacts.
“She didn't have stable housing for a really long time,” Willins said. “She was really struggling with her mental health and access to consistent care and stability with her medications and co-occurring substance use disorder.”
Mr. Willins said Mr. Black hardly qualified for the program. She was someone prosecutors traditionally would have deemed “too high a risk.”
“The prosecutor and one of the defense attorneys both looked at each other and said, 'Well, why shouldn't we try?' Let's try it, if it works, then it works. Can you imagine if it would work?’” Willins said.
And she was “very successful,” Willins added.
Black received treatment from prison and later entered Lighthouse Mission's Agape program.
“She was able to leave her treatment in a stable and supportive shelter environment…” Willins said. “As you saw all these pieces fall into place for her, and gradually she gained a support network around her, her growth was quite remarkable.”
Black said she was initially worried that she wouldn't follow the program, that she wouldn't be successful, that she wouldn't get along with the people running the program, “but it was quite the opposite. ”.
She said the program was “gentle but healthy.” They never forced her to do anything, but “we couldn't do anything,” she said. It was just the right amount of authority, support, and structure. ” In this program, she had someone to accompany her to appointments and someone she could call when she needed support.
She said she was grateful that they trusted her and expected her to see her end of the deal, but offered help whenever she needed it.
“I started to find myself calling anyway. I was like, 'I really don't need help, but I just wanted to call,'” she said.
A day in the program varies depending on the level of care, but may involve as many as three intensive contact days per week. Every week or every other week, depending on the court, all members of the program go to the courthouse for a check-in. Performance will be evaluated and if the performance is good, a gift card will be given.
As the program progresses, members go through five steps to establish services, understand their mental health needs, implement a recovery plan, begin giving back to the community, and plan to continue even without all the support. Can stand. You must also be sober for at least six months to graduate. Most have charges related to mental health conditions dismissed upon graduation.
For Black, this meant that her 10 charges were dismissed.
Willins said having charges dismissed is a vital incentive for those involved in the program, given how a criminal record can greatly impact housing, employment and educational opportunities. And in many cases, Willins said, people are facing these charges and losing their jobs because of their “mental illness.”
The “gold standard” for mental health courts
The mental health court graduation ceremony was Black's first. “It was a huge confidence booster for me,” she said. She said she felt so loved because so many people came to her graduation.
At Mr. Black's graduation ceremony, Chairman Henry said that words could not describe how much Mr. Black had changed since starting the program. Her attorney, Robert Lockhart, called her the “gold standard” in mental health court.
Black moved into the Linden home about a year ago, and she said being there has really given her “steady, healthy support.”
“It was the longest period of my life where there was no danger, no drama,” she said. “It really helped my healing process.”
Black said everyone in her life tells her she's a completely different person from when she started. She has been slow to notice changes in herself, but lately she has become more outgoing and more open about her story. She also learned how to remain consistent and honest no matter what, she said.
“I'm starting to learn that what I have to share in my experiences is important. It's really helped me because before I felt like nothing about me mattered,” she said. I did.
Ms Black said she was proud of the mental health court for having enough “courage” to do something different. She currently enjoys a retreat through a 12-step program and continues to work toward her GED.
“One of the big reasons I'm doing this is to help my friends who are still homeless or in the process of addiction go, 'Okay, Amber did it, we can do it too.' “I hope you'll give me back.'''' She said, “…you have a chance to get your life back.''
Charlotte Alden is a general assignment/corporate reporter at CDN. Please contact charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com. 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
