Alameda County’s Collaborative Mental

Health Court Paul Seeman

Introduction Former judge Paul Seeman served in the Alameda

County Superior Court in California until 2013. Paul Seeman was instrumental in the creation of Alameda County’s Collaborative Mental Health Court, a successful program that helps keep local youth out of detention centers.

Well over half of the young people in American juvenile detention centers have a diagnosable mental illness. According to a congressional study, as many as 2,000 young people are incarcerated daily because they lack access to mental health services.

Mental Health Court Alameda County’s Collaborative Mental Health Court

seeks to correct this injustice by providing effective treatment and health services instead of punishment and incarceration. It diverts youth with mental health disabilities from the mainstream juvenile justice system, and instead provides them with support, treatment, education, and vocational opportunities.

The program has shown promising improvements already. Among youth who participated in the Alameda Mental Health Court, detentions declined 76 percent, and new law violations decreased 68 percent.