Mental illness is on the rise in Coos County, said Paula Bechtold, judge of the Coos County Circuit Court. Running unopposed for re-election, Bechtold said the main goal of her next term will be addressing this growing problem.

Bechtold, 59, has served as judge of the Coos County Circuit Court in North Bend for the past 12 years. She was elected to the position after working 18 years as an attorney in Coos Bay.

Recently, Bechtold said, she has seen a large increase in the number of mentally ill people who come before her court for such minor crimes as disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and shoplifting. In response, Bechtold said she intends to seek more funding for the mental health court, which is held in North Bend County Annex and presided over by Bechtold.

Mental health courts, which can be found throughout the country, attempt to secure treatment for mentally ill offenders rather than putting them through the criminal justice system, where they often become repeat offenders cycled endlessly through the system. In lieu of sentencing offenders with jail time or fines, the court puts them on a probation and treatment plan developed collaboratively by the court, mental health personnel, and alcohol or drug counselors when appropriate, as well as family or other supportive persons. Their sentences require them to report regularly to mental health workers, take medications as prescribed, attend alcohol or drug treatment classes or groups as needed, commit no new crimes, maintain stable housing and possibly employment if appropriate, and appear at least monthly in nental health court for review of compliance with the conditions.

“We've started a court ... and we currently have one defendent, but until we solve some funding issues we won't be able to address this problem as much as we need to,” Bechtold said. “Our resources are stretched to the very max.”

The biggest obstacle a mental health court faces in Coos County, Bechtold said, is funding the hire of a case manager. Mental health cases require intensive case management, and the salary of a capable caseworker, she said, could run as high as $60,000 a year.

Bechtold said that while increased use of methaphetamines isn't the only cause of the increase in incidences of mental instability in the area, it is a big one. The defendent the mental health court currently has was charged with theft and possession of meth.

“In my court, we don't deal with cases involving the possession of meth,” said Bechtold. “We have to deal with meth's aftermath. Meth leads to people losing their jobs, losing their houses, and, in some cases, losing their minds. These people aren't dangerous, usually, as much as they're a nuisance. They need help.”