Raton district judge to head judicial commission on mental health
Eighth Judicial District Judge Melissa Kennelly, who oversees courtrooms in Colfax and Union County, was appointed last month as the chair of the New Mexico Supreme Court Commission on Mental Health and Competency.
The commission was established by the state Supreme Court in April, with the goal of finding ways to improve the judicial system’s response to people experiencing mental health issues.
The commission consists of 17 voting members and several nonvoting “ex-officio” members from organizations dealing with mental health, such as the New Mexico Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health and the New Mexico Human Services Department Behavioral Health Collaborative.
“The commission’s responsibilities include reviewing policies and procedures about a person’s competency to stand trial and exploring how to expand behavioral health resources in courts and communities across New Mexico,” reads a press release from 8th Judicial District Drug Court Manager Hannah Smith.
Kennelly said in the release that the goal of the commission “is to strengthen community safety while improving outcomes for justice-involved individuals who need behavioral health treatment more than they need incarceration.”
“I look forward to collaborating with commission members who serve in diverse roles all over the state to improve laws and rules, increase opportunities for diversion, and expand training and education,” Kennelly continued. “It’s an honor to be selected to chair this commission, and I look forward to being of service to this important cause.”
Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge Emilio Chavez said Kennelly “is an excellent choice for this position. Her commitment to improving access to justice for individuals with high behavioral health needs can be seen in her push to develop Raton’s Behavioral Health Treatment Court, which will launch this fall.”
The commission will conduct online meetings that are open to the public. The first meeting was held Aug. 18 and focused on identifying subcommittees. Future meetings will be held on Sept. 29 and April 20, June 15, Sept. 7 and Nov. 30 in 2023.