Alternative court providing help
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, Donnie Ellison says his life in Clifton Park with his wife started spinning out of control when he quit methadone cold turkey in 2018.
“I stayed awake for 17 days straight and I went crazy,” said Ellison, 40, during a recent interview. He added that he drove to North Carolina and Georgia thinking people were chasing him.
Ellison, who has since moved to Schenectady and is going through a divorce, says the Schenectady County-run alternative treatment program that provides a broad array of services to people struggling with mental health problems and substance abuse saved his life.
“If I didn’t have that I would probably be dead because I was literally out of my mind,” he added.
In February 2020, he faced misdemeanors for destruction of property related to a domestic dispute and for allegedly violating a restraining order his wife at the time had against him.
Twenty-year-old India Williams said alternative treatment made her realize she had to do better for her 4-year-old son. Set to graduate from the program next month, Williams faces charges stemming from theft.
She’s in a job training program that she hopes will lead to a job in the medical field once she graduates.
“I’m in this program that pays for me to go to school that will help me get a job,” said Williams who recently graduated from Schenectady High School.
County Probation Officer Billie Hall, who supervises participants of the program, explained that a person being arraigned on a criminal charge is normally screened by the assistant district attorney or public defender for potential mental health problems.
Once they meet that criteria, the attorneys let Hall know.
She then follows up with a comprehensive vetting to determine if the defendant is a good fit for alternative court, a voluntary program.
“What we’re generally looking for is somebody with a serious persistent mental health issue or illness,” Hall said. “It’s the motivation to engage in treatment and improve their lives.”
The program for felonylevel offenses is two-anda-half years long and one year for misdemeanors, with court taking place every two weeks on Mondays.
To get into the program, a defendant must plead guilty to a crime, which is reduced to a less serious offense if they get through the program.
The team that works with participants consists of Hall, and attorneys from the District Attorney and Public Defenders Office, a psychiatric supervisor from Ellis Mental Health, and a peer who may be in recovery to help the person with services they may need.
Participants also receive help in finding a job, education, and housing.
In between court visits, Hall keeps in touch with treatment providers to make sure everyone is making their medical appointments and following all the rules if they’re living in supported housing.
“The judge is looking to see that they are moving forward, whether that is getting involved in employment programs, vocational programs, or just continuing to improve,” Hall said.
Participants who don’t comply face sanctions ranging from writing essays to community service to being jailed.
“If they are terminated from the program, the alternative likely will be incarceration,” Hall said.
Ellison said he panicked and thought he was in trouble after Hall found out he was using drugs again.
“I used to be so paranoid every day about getting locked up because it’s one of my phobias,” he said, adding he would sometimes call Hall up and plead with her not to lock him up if he skipped a medical appointment. “She helped me out tremendously.”
Kevin Pausley, a probation supervisor with the county, said that the program also takes people with developmental disabilities.
He credits County Court Judge Michael Eidens with coming up with the concept in 2004, explaining that while presiding over drug court, Eidens realized he was seeing defendants also grappling with mental health problems.
In 2009, the program was expanded to included misdemeanor cases in Schenectady City Court by Judge Christine Clark, Pausley added.
That same structure exists today with two judges handling cases with each having no more than 12 participants, Hall said.
Most, Hall said, successfully complete the program with little or no problems.
“Success is a person finding recovery in mental health or substance abuse — it’s stabilizing and getting the appropriate treatment that you need in the community and being able to progress into getting involved in educational programs or employment programs,” he said.
Schenectady County Manager Rory Fluman said that the program aims to keep people battling mental health issues out of hospitals and instead help them become productive members of society.
Both Williams and Ellison praised Hall for being compassionate.
Williams, who has been on probation since the age of 12, said she feels comfortable talking to Hall, adding she is the “best probation officer” she’s ever had.
These days Ellison, who graduated from the alternative treatment program in February 2020, has his own place, and says he’s not afraid to ask for help if he ever falters again.
“That was one thing I wouldn’t do is talk about it, and my wife didn’t know what to do because I wouldn’t ask for help, I was just sitting at the table talking to walls thinking all kinds of things,” Ellison said. “If it ever happened again, I would ask for help a lot sooner.”
“That was one thing I wouldn’t do is talk about it, and my wife didn’t know what to do because I wouldn’t ask for help, I was just sitting at the table talking to walls thinking all kinds of things. If it ever happened again, I would ask for help a lot sooner.”
Donnie Ellison