Program Description

Court for the Individualized Treatment of Adolescents, Santa Clara, California

Overview

The Court for the Individualized Treatment of Adolescents (CITA) in Santa Clara County, California, was the first juvenile mental health court. CITA began in February of 2001 as a multi-system initiative guided by strong judicial leadership. The court is primarily funded through reallocation of existing resources. To be eligible for participation in CITA, a youth must have been under 14 years of age at the time of the offense and have a serious mental illness, including brain disorders (schizophrenia, severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, and severe ADHD) or severe head injury that has contributed to their criminal activity. The court also accepts youth with certain developmental disabilities such as mental retardation and autism. CITA excludes youth who have committed certain violent felonies. The court uses a multi-disciplinary team approach to assess, monitor, and make recommendations to the court regarding a youth participant’s case. The team consists of representatives from mental health and probation, and a prosecutor and defense attorney. Referral sources for CITA include juvenile hall, probation, district attorney, and the public defender.
           
Upon acceptance to CITA, all youth receive a clinical assessment, which includes psychological, behavioral, educational, social, and family assessments. In some instances, standardized assessment instruments, such as the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC), are used. These assessments are overseen by a mental health coordinator, who is also responsible for conducting the initial assessment to determine program eligibility. Once accepted into CITA, the coordinator monitors and coordinates treatment planning and reports to the multidisciplinary team. Community supervision through face-to-face visits with the youth and visits with the family is the responsibility of the probation officer, who then reports this information to the court. A number of mental health services are available through CITA, including therapy, emergency services, medication, and wraparound services. As the youth progresses through CITA, transition planning is conducted to help facilitate a successful transition to the community.

Program Contact

Judge Raymond J. Davilla, Jr.
Court for the Individualized Treatment of Adolescents
Department 78
840 Guadalupe Parkway
San Jose, CA 95110-1714
Phone: 408-808-6238