GAINESVILLE - Hall County Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin first met "Lucy" in 1990 when she stood in the judge's courtroom charged with simple battery against her mental health workers. Dealing with multiple personality disorder, Lucy had once been a law enforcement officer, but her mental health issues had caused her to become violent--mostly towards herself. Judge Gosselin was frustrated by the lack of assistance available to Lucy and was deeply saddened when she died, alone and sick.
It was the memory of Lucy and so many others like her that prompted Judge Gosselin to do something. In 2005, she took her first participant into the HELP (Health, Empowerment, Linkage, Possibilities) Program, an accountability court program that provides alternatives to incarceration for defendants who are involved in the criminal justice system as a result of their mental health issues. The Program links those individuals to local, community-based treatment resources with the goals of reducing recidivism and helping participants become stable, productive members of society.
Recently, past and present members of the HELP Program team joined stakeholders and other community supporters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the program. Held at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens' Gainesville location, the event was a chance to celebrate the program's 111 graduates, thank the long list of supporters, recognize the addition of the track for military veterans, and celebrate how far the program has come.
Click here http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/9/152332 for earlier story on the program.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/11/352872/hall-co-help-program-celebrates-10th-anniversary