PORT ANGELES   — A new mental health court in Clallam County could be operating in a couple of months.

The mental health court recently hired a court manager and presiding judge Dave Neupert says the new court could start cases in the next couple of months.

“We’re on track and on time to get the mental health court established and running and taking on the challenges of having a productive year. We fully expect to be under way, I’d say within a couple of months optimistically. And part of the delay that we had in getting started was making sure that we had the right person in charge to be able to manage the court,” said Neupert.

That person is Birgit Talman. She says she’s currently developing the guidelines for how the court will run locally

“There are many mental health courts, across the country. And we are surrounded by mental health courts, Jefferson County, and Kitsap County.  I had the honor and the pleasure of actually watching their court. So basically, at this moment, I’m putting together policies and procedures. I’ve just completed a participant handbook as well,” said Talman.

Under a mental health court, non-violent offenders whose actions are deemed due to mental health issues are offered a chance to complete a supervised mental-health rehabilitation program in exchange for having charges dropped. Organizers expect the court will have about 10 participants at a time as it gets started.

Clallam County has received a state grant that will pay for two years of operating the court.

The court cases will be heard through District Court One.