Loading…
40 verbatim requirements from Nassau County Mental Health Court Handbook (pdf).
Fourth Judicial Circuit (Duval, Clay, Nassau). Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Verbatim from https://www.jud4.org/getContentAsset/fbc423d4-96b5-47cf-a2fe-a526eb20732f/135b97c9-84fa-4e82-b956-0fbccec4aa1f/Nassau-MHC-Handbook.pdf?language=en, harvested 2026-07-25; whitespace normalised only. • You are required to read and abide by all rules and procedures outlined in this handbook and are encouraged to share this handbook with family and friends. • Eligibility for acceptance into the program shall be made upon determination that you meet the established clinical, legal, and suitability requirements for MHC as determined by the MHC team. • However, once you enter MHC you may not elect to voluntarily withdraw. • Department of Corrections (felony offenders only), either under pre-trial intervention supervision or formal probation supervision, and must comply with specific terms and conditions. • If you have entered the program with private counsel, court appointed counsel familiar with the program shall automatically represent you unless you specifically request otherwise and your private counsel has agreed to appear as required. • If you were sentenced to complete MHC as a condition of probation or in lieu of prison, you must complete and graduate from • Approval for graduation from the program shall be determined by the MHC judge with input from the MHC team. • You must obey all court orders and rules/regulations regarding weapons. • There is always the potential that treatment you receive by another person or this program may not be perceived by you as either fair or appropriate. • Complaints and grievances will be investigated and you will be notified of the outcome within 10 business days. • This project is over and above any court ordered community service you are required to complete as a result of non-compliance. • Community service projects must meet the following requirements: comprised of at least 8 hours, provable/verifiable through photos and letters, no personal or monetary gain, and not connected to your friends or family. • Once you have determined what you wish to do for your community service project, you must submit your plan in writing to your case manager. • Once you have completed your community service project, you must prepare a photo board/presentation board of photos and/or letters or documentation which reflects what was accomplished. • This photo board/presentation board shall be submitted to your case manager and you may be required to present it in court. -- 6 of 26 -- 6 • If you cannot appear in court as scheduled, you must notify your probation officer or case manager as soon as possible to explain why you cannot appear. • Therefore, you are required to be present by 2:45 p.m. to sign-in on the sign-in sheet. • You must communicate with your case manager and probation officer ahead of time so that you are not considered as a “no show” or an “absconder” from the MHC program. • Blue o You must contact the Drug Testing Color Line 7 days a week by calling (904) 255-2455. ▪ It is your responsibility to listen to each recorded message in its entirety and report as directed. ▪ The Drug Testing Color Line is automatically updated each morning at 6:00am. • It is highly recommended that you call the color line no later than 10:00am to find out whether or not your color was called. o If reporting Monday-Friday, you shall report to Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, Inc., for testing when your color is called. • You must report between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. unless otherwise instructed. ▪ You are to sign in, be seated and be prepared to wait up to 30 minutes when reporting for testing. • This is unavoidable. ▪ You must provide a specimen within three (3) hours of arrival. • If you fail to provide a specimen within three (3) hours, you will be dismissed and reported as having failed to provide a specimen which correlates to a missed drug screen. o In the event of a missed test, you are required to report to Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, • You must pay attention to the recording on weekends/holidays to ensure that you report as required. ▪ Calling the Drug Testing Color Line after the reporting time has ended on weekend/holidays will not be accepted as a reason for a missed test. • When providing a urine specimen, you must provide a minimum amount of urine to be tested. • It is recommended that you do not consume more than one (1) cup of fluids in the hour leading up to providing a urine specimen. • The tests we use in MHC are very reliable at detecting any drug or alcohol use. o You must avoid using any products which could cause a positive test result. • You will be sanctioned if you use such products so you must be sure to read product labels. • Do not use or possess any drugs or alcohol. o Sobriety is the primary focus of this program. • Robitussin) • Supplements that contain Creatine. o See the Prohibited Substances List for more information. ▪ Medication Assisted Treatment programs are permitted if deemed medically necessary and monitored pursuant to MHC policies. ▪ If you are receiving mental health treatment only (no history of substance use/abuse) you may be permitted to maintain certain mental health medications that would otherwise be prohibited. • This issue will be considered on a case-by-case basis only. • Approval must be received from the MHC judge prior to continuing any medications. -- 9 of 26 -- 9 • You are prohibited from purchasing, filling a prescription for, possessing, or using any prescribed and/or over the counter drugs/medications without obtaining approval from MHC prior to purchasing or ingesting. o You must maintain compliance with all approved medications. o If you must seek medical attention, you are required to inform the physician that you are in a drug/alcohol treatment program and cannot be prescribed narcotic/addictive medications as take home medications. • Medications provided by physicians in an inpatient/supervised setting (ER visit, hospital stay, office administered) are at the discretion of the physician. ▪ You must submit copies of all medical documentation to the MHC case manager within twenty-four (24) hours of release. ▪ If take home narcotic/addictive medications are determined to be medically necessary for your recovery, MHC will monitor your usage of such medications for the expected duration of use and will suspend all MHC participation/progress during such time. • You must take medication as prescribed. o When medication has been prescribed by the doctor, it is your responsibility to continue the medication regimen that is provided. • You must be alert to ingredients in Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs to ensure you are properly using the medication and to prevent potential relapse. • The following are the most commonly abused OTC medications: • Cold and cough medicines, especially OTC cold and cough medicines that contain large amounts of alcohol or the chemical dextromethorphan (DXM). • Pain relievers, OTC pain relievers that contain acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be toxic when taken too frequently or in larger-than-recommended doses. • Diet pills and various types of OTC diet medications may be abused for their stimulating effects, as well as their ability to suppress appetite. • Homeopathic preparations, vitamins and other supplements may be used to alter drug testing and must be approved before use while in MHC. • Report to Probation Officer as directed (felony offenders only). o You must report to a probation officer (PO) during the first week of each month (felony offenders only). • You must be prepared to provide a urine sample at each visit. • Failure to report as required to a probation officer or failing to attend a scheduled appointment/visit may result in sanctions and/or fines. ▪ You must provide 24 hour notice of any cancelled probation appointment. ▪ You must leave a voicemail or send an email/text message if you cannot reach your PO. ▪ You must inform your PO of any change of address prior to changing locations. ▪ You must inform your PO when you gain and/or change employment. ▪ You must receive permission from a PO to leave Nassau County (for day travel only). • Overnight travel requires submission of a travel form and approval from MHC • Remain in County of residence. o You are required to remain in the county in which you reside. • Travel Requests. o If you endeavor to travel overnight to a location outside of your county of residence, you must submit a travel request form and receive written approval. ▪ Travel request forms are included in your handbook and are available at the PSC Main
You are required to read and abide by all rules and procedures outlined in this handbook and are encouraged to share this handbook with family and friends.
Reviewer note: Document sha256: 666bcb257b040b8b8a65ca48a6259475aa87f7e171896e664aeead9da4bd7fbb. Extracted from the document's own text layer.
Judge Bell caps motions and responses at 5 pages for UMC hearings and 12 pages for special-set hearings.
Judge Alijewicz requires every motion for attorney's fees and/or costs to attach a document detailing time records — no records, no fee award.
Judge Corlew bars informal contact: every communication with the Court must be in writing, filed with the Clerk, with copies furnished to all parties — and no calls to the JA to schedule or cancel UMC.