Courtesy Posting: Senior Court Liaison, Bridges of Colorado - Denver, United States - Colorado Judicial Branch

Description

Bridges of Colorado, established in 2018, places Court Liaisons across Colorado's 22 judicial districts to serve defendants (referred to as participants) in the criminal justice system who have significant mental health needs. Due to the high success of the program, Bridges was legislatively established as an independent state office within the Judicial Branch in April of 2023. See legislation here: Bridges of Colorado

Bridges Court Liaisons are appointed by the court and facilitate collaboration between the criminal justice and mental health systems by partnering with providers, courts, and often families to provide wraparound care for participants. Liaisons provide person-centered care, working with participants to identify needs and address barriers, such as mental health, disabilities, housing, or transportation.

Because liaisons work with participants both in and out of custody, they are integral to outpatient planning when a participant is in custody and support engagement into identified services once a participant is released. Advocating for the best behavioral health interests of the participant, Court Liaisons keep judges and attorneys informed of participant needs and barriers, available services, and progress with engagement into services through regular reports to the court and attendance at hearings.

Individuals with high acuity mental health needs are ten times more likely to be jailed and nationally there are three times more individuals with serious mental illness in jails or prisons than in hospitals. Bridges of Colorado has been identified nationwide as a promising practice that focuses on the whole person. It is intentionally designed to address disparities often experienced by this population in the criminal justice system. Court Liaisons advocate for each participant's inherent worth and dignity by centering their lived experiences and voice to ensure their behavioral health best interests. At its very core, Bridges is person-centered advocacy rooted in solution-focused, collaborative practices intended to promote positive outcomes for participants.

STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Legislation creating Bridges of Colorado speaks to the disparities typically experienced by individuals with significant mental and/or behavioral health challenges, including mental health disabilities, who are also involved in the criminal justice system and tasks the program with promoting positive outcomes for participants. Court liaisons are generalists, boundary spanners, and creative problem solvers who work to identify needs and help connect participants to appropriate services, in part by addressing the multitude of complex barriers that exist for participants. Court liaisons are assigned by district or region of the State and support Bridges participants in gaining access to meaningful services and resources with a person-centered, trauma-informed, and socially just approach.

This critical role also liaises with the relevant criminal justice, behavioral health, and support service entities to support decision-making and actions that take into consideration the participants' behavioral health best interests. Court liaisons function as court-appointed experts, providing a broader base of information for legal problem-solving and decision-making. They inform courts and attorneys of participant needs, available community-based services, and individual and systemic barriers and related solutions. While liaisons are neutral in legal proceedings, they advocate for the best interests of the participant's behavioral health both in and out of the court setting.