This story is a collaboration between Illinois Answers and the Chicago bureau of MindSite News. 

Mental health courts have proliferated across Illinois in recent decades. Now, the state has 31 courts across 25 counties. There’s at least one in most of the state’s judicial circuits, but about two million Illinoisans are still left out.

In order to increase transparency and hold the court system accountable, the Illinois Answers Project and MindSite News reached out to every mental health court in the state to obtain as much information as possible about what’s happening inside these programs. While some courts were able to provide historical data, others could only offer scant details.

See information on your county’s mental health court below. We collected data from late 2025 to early 2026 to provide a point-in-time picture.

Adams County

Adams County’s mental health court launched in 2018, according to Anthony Foster, director of probation and court services. Since then, 125 people have been admitted. Of those, 25 graduated, 25 are still active and 75 did not graduate, including two people who died while in the program.

The court is post-conviction, so charges are not dismissed upon completion. Foster could not say how many people have recidivated.

The court was certified in 2018 and recertified in 2021 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Champaign County

Champaign County operated a mental health court for a couple years, ending in 2013, according to Lori Hansen, the county’s court administrator.

Christian County

Christian County’s mental health court launched in 2013 and has admitted 58 participants, according to Jaime Warren, trial court administrator for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Warren declined to provide additional information.

The court is a hybrid with veterans court, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. It was certified in 2020 and recertified in 2024.

Clay County

Clay County previously operated a mental health court but ended it in 2022 due to low numbers of participants, according to Jaime Warren, trial court administrator for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.

Cook County

The county’s first mental health court was established in 2004 in Chicago, according to Kelly Gallivan-Ilarraza, director of problem-solving courts. Over the years, the chief judge’s office established a mental health court in each of the municipal district courts “to ensure access to justice to individuals throughout Cook County,” the office said.

Since then, 1,744 people have been admitted to a mental health court, and 1,573 have exited, according to the chief judge’s office. Of those exits, 784 graduated, 91 were neutrally discharged, and 698 were unsuccessful.

The courts use a combination of state and county funds for team member salaries, in addition to community partnerships for treatment, Gallivan-Ilarraza said. An Adult Redeploy Illinois grant for nearly $300,000 is funding the county’s mental health courts this fiscal year. The courts contract case managers through NAMI Chicago and partner with a local nonprofit to provide incentives (such as gift cards), along with transportation, housing and education resources.

Gallivan-Ilarraza could not say how much it costs per person to operate a mental health court. She cited a recent analysis that found it costs less than $4,000 per person for one year of supervision on probation by county probation departments.

The courts were first certified starting in 2017 and periodically recertified thereafter, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

DeKalb County

DeKalb County’s mental health court launched in 2017 and has served 113 people, according to Mike Douglas, director of the county’s treatment courts. Of those, 71 graduated and 42 did not graduate. Of the people who were unsuccessful, all were sentenced to incarceration with the exception of four who were removed for a medical discharge.

The county has a “very part time” program evaluator, Douglas said. “We keep track of demographic data, but unfortunately do not have a way to track recidivism, outside of the cases they may pick up within our County.”

The court accepts county residents with a pending felony in the county. About 35% of cases have their charges dismissed, Douglas said. “It is very case and State’s Attorney dependent.”

The court is largely funded by Adult Redeploy Illinois, Douglas said. “The cost to run specifically one of our courts would be difficult to compute, due to the overlap in staff and other resources.”

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2021 and 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

DuPage County

DuPage County’s Mental Illness Court Alternative Program began with a soft launch in 2001, said Kathy Starkovich, director of probation and court services. The court officially launched and began collecting data in 2004. Since then, the court has had 869 people graduate, with a stated graduation rate of 79%. There were 73 active participants.

Starkovich could not say how many total people have been admitted into the program, noting the court has had “a couple of different data systems” that make numbers “difficult to extract.”

The court was certified in 2021 and recertified in 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Effingham County

Effingham County’s mental health court launched in 2013 and has admitted 95 participants, according to Jaime Warren, trial court administrator for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Warren declined to provide additional information.

The court was certified in 2018 and recertified in 2022, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Grundy County

From 2015 to 2025, 74 people were referred to the Treatment Alternative Court, and three declined participation, according to Mitch Conwell, the county’s adult specialty courts coordinator. Of the participants, 32 graduated, 19 voluntarily withdrew, six were terminated, two were discharged due to health conditions and three died. Nine were still active in the program.

“During a participant’s final court appearance/graduation, besides the pizza and cake, their charges are dismissed and their file is sealed,” Conwell wrote. “They are eligible to apply for expungement and are given the information how to pursue that, but that is something they have to do themselves.”

Adult Redeploy funds the county’s mental health and drug courts at $193,000 a year. “We have returned money to the state every year, so our budget is best guess and fluctuates depending on client needs,” he wrote. “One year we might need to spend more on treatment services or housing and the next year housing is down and transportation assistance is up.”

The court was certified in 2019 and recertified in 2022 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Jasper County

Jasper County previously operated a mental health court but ended it in 2022 due to low numbers of participants, according to Jaime Warren, trial court administrator for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.

Kane County

Kane County’s Treatment Alternative Court started taking clients in 2011, according to Lisa Aust, executive director of court services. Since then, more than 400 people have applied to the program, 148 have been admitted to the program, and 88 have graduated.

Data from the court’s annual reports offer even more detailed information about program outcomes in recent years. From 2020 to 2024, 224 people applied, 49 were admitted, 29 graduated and 20 did not graduate.

For detailed evaluations, probation and court services departments often must partner with state researchers and universities, Aust said. “We have several times tried to enter into agreements with various universities to have a comprehensive evaluation done including recidivism, and for various reasons (including capacity) they were not able to accommodate our program.”

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2021 and 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Kankakee County

Kankakee County’s mental health court launched in 2024 and is the state’s newest. Judge Lindsay Parkhurst said the court has about 20 participants at a time and has graduated at least five, with another graduation expected in April.

Participants are required to be residents, but the court allows people to relocate for the program within a few months. Graduates have their cases dismissed and expunged on graduation day. People who don’t graduate are allowed back up to two more times. “A lot of these things you just don’t fix right away. It’s a journey,” Parkhurst said. “We’ll give ‘em another chance.”

The court was certified in 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Kendall County

Kendall County’s mental health court launched in 2021, according to Vanessa Melendez, the county’s problem solving court coordinator. Since then, 130 people applied, 67 enrolled, 34 graduated, eight were unsuccessful and four were neutrally discharged. Another 21 are currently active.

The county recently assessed graduation rates and recidivism rates for drug court participants but has not evaluated mental health court. The county allotted $87,000 for mental health court for the fiscal year, Melendez said.

The court is a hybrid with veterans court, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. It was first certified in 2021 and recertified in 2024.

Lake County

Lake County’s mental health court launched in 2007, according to Frank Morelli, an adult probation unit manager. Since then, 309 people have been admitted, and 283 have been discharged. Of those discharged, 150 graduated and 133 were unsuccessful, coming out to a 53% graduation rate. Another 26 people are still active in the program.

Morelli said the court screens an average of 60 people a year and typically admits 20. The county tracks recidivism but hasn’t had an independent evaluation done in the past eight years, beyond the state’s certification process.

The court was certified in 2020 and recertified in 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

LaSalle County

LaSalle County’s Treatment Alternative Court started in 2020, according to Charles “Chuck” Goodwin, director of court services. Since then, the court has enrolled 19 people, with five currently enrolled. Eight people have graduated, and six voluntarily withdrew from the program, meaning they were sentenced on their original plea.

“Any client that successfully completes the program will have those charges resulting in their admission to the program, dismissed,” Goodwin wrote. “Expungements need to be initiated by the client themselves. Upon request, the program will advise the client where they can go to get assistance with expungement.”

The court was certified in 2020 and recertified in 2023, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Lee County

Lee County had a mental health court from 2008 to 2016, when it ended due to a judge retiring and a change in state’s attorney, according to Lesley Dever, the court administrator.

Macon County

Macon County’s mental health court began operating in 2011, according to Shalon Hyde, specialty courts coordinator. The court began using its current data tracking method in 2016. Since then, 144 participants have entered, and 58 have graduated. Another 27 were terminated, 23 were neutrally discharged and 17 voluntarily withdrew.

The court does not track recidivism and has not had an outside evaluation done since 2018, Hyde said. “Nearly all of our graduates’ charges are dismissed during their graduation ceremony,” Hyde said, noting that there may be exceptions. The county’s mental health board covers the cost of the court team at approximately $80,000 per year.

The court was certified in 2018 and recertified in 2021 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Madison County

Madison County’s mental health court launched in 2006, according to Ryan Anderson, trial court administrator for the Third Judicial Circuit.

Since then, 119 people have graduated, and 83 have had their charges dismissed, said Michael Wilkinson, deputy chief of problem-solving courts. Expungement is now automatic for some graduates, but Wilkinson could not say exactly how many have had their charges expunged. “We are tracking this information more accurately this past year,” he said.

Wilkinson said there is no “concrete” number for recidivism among mental health court participants. The court has only had one longitudinal study, and it combined drug and mental health court. “Drug Court and Veterans’ Treatment Court have had more research conducted on their programs, largely due to grant funding targeted toward those specific courts,” he said.

The program costs approximately $5,000 per client per year to operate, he said. “However, for participants funded through Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI), the cost per client is even lower, reflecting cost-efficiency benefits associated with ARI grant,” he said.

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2021 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

McHenry County

The Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court launched in 2007, according to Dan Wallis, the county’s court administrator. Since then, at least 136 people have graduated. Wallis could not say how many total people have been admitted or how many were unsuccessful.

The court had an internal evaluation in 2024 and an independent evaluation in 2025. The court declined to provide copies but shared some details. An initial study assessed graduates from 2007 to 2023 and found that 21% were convicted of a new felony or misdemeanor. The subsequent study looked specifically at graduates from 2019 to 2023 and found 19% had recidivated.

Wallis attributed the slight improvement in recidivism to changes in the program about a decade ago. The program added a new phase, extended program duration and started moral reconation therapy, a type of cognitive-behavioral treatment. “You always want to know where you’re at, and you want to know that your program is having the desired outcomes,” Wallis said. He expects the next study to be done in 2027.

The program receives federal and county funding. In fiscal year 2023, the speciality courts served 120 people with a budget of nearly $12,000, largely for staff salaries, Wallis said. Medicaid covers treatment costs, he said.

The court only takes McHenry County residents. “There’s talk to change some of that. It’s just a matter of getting all of that done,” he said. “These make sense, and every court should have a mental health court.”

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2021 and 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

McLean County

McLean County’s Recovery Court started in 2010, according to Kirk Schweizer, deputy director of court services. Data available since 2023 suggests 74 people have participated in the program, including 12 who graduated and 18 who were unsuccessfully terminated. Two graduates have been charged with new crimes.

The court has received federal grants from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The court does not have a program evaluator but previously had one through a grant from the National Center of State Courts.

The court was certified in 2020 and recertified in 2023, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Montgomery County

Montgomery County’s mental health court launched in 2023 and has admitted 10 participants, according to Jaime Warren, trial court administrator for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Warren declined to provide additional information.

“Even in these smaller communities, mental health issues are there,” said Wes Poggenpohl, an associate public defender in the county. “They’re more prevalent than they’ve been in the past. And they’re not going away.”

The court was certified in 2023, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Peoria County

Peoria County’s mental health court launched in 2010, according to Dawn Askins, the county’s problem-solving court coordinator.

An Illinois State University evaluation of the court from 2018 to 2022 found there were 70 participants in that time, and about 65% graduated, typically in a little over a year. The most common mental health diagnoses were depression, schizophrenia and anxiety. Most clients had a co-occurring substance use disorder, but few had received prior treatment for substance use. Most were unemployed or seeking employment, and about a fifth were unhoused or living in a shelter, the study found.

From 2022 to 2025, the court received 255 referrals to mental health court and admitted 65, Askins confirmed. Of those, 30 graduated, 17 were revoked, one passed away and 17 are still in the program. “Most of the graduates had their charges dismissed,” Askins said. “It is up to the graduate to file to have their charges expunged.”

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2021 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Rock Island County

Rock Island County’s mental health court launched in 2007, according to Derrick Hendrickx, the county’s director of court services. At least 375 people have been admitted to the program, including 35 active in the program. As of October 2025, the program had 186 graduates and 154 people who did not graduate successfully.

“Some recidivate, some voluntarily withdraw, others are unsuccessful due to technical violations,” Hendrickx said. He was unable to offer statistics on recidivism or demographics.

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2022 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Sangamon County

Sangamon County’s Mental Health Recovery Court started as early as 2015, according to Kent Holsopple, director of the county’s court services. Over the past three years, 53 people have entered, and 14 graduated. Another 15 did not graduate, including three discharged neutrally, eight terminated and four revoked and sentenced to prison.

The county does not track recidivism, demographics or how many participants have had their charges dismissed or expunged, Holsopple said.

The court was certified in 2019 and recertified in 2022, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

St. Clair County

St. Clair County’s mental health court launched in 2010, according to Chris English, the court coordinator.

“Trying to find the total number of people served is hard to do,” English said, because participants are lumped into groups of mixed caseloads. For the last four years, the court has served an average of 30 people at a time. “I can only think of three people who have been unsuccessful in the program,” he said.

On average, the program takes 16 months. Upon graduation, charges are dismissed and, in many cases, expunged. A public defender is available to help graduates fill out paperwork, which they file the same day.

The court was first certified in 2022, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Tazewell County

Tazewell County’s mental health court launched in 2016, according to Justin Stump, chief juvenile probation officer. Since then, the court has had nearly 400 applicants, 95 admissions, 31 graduates and 51 people who were removed due to violation, withdrew voluntarily or died. Another 13 people are still active in the program.

Participants must be county residents and have charges in the county. “I’m not sure how many had their charges dismissed,” Stump said.

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2021 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Vermilion County

Vermilion County’s mental health court started in 2011, according to Cayley Martin, problem-solving courts supervisor.

A maximum of fifteen people can be active in the program, said Stefanie Verando, deputy director of probation. “That’s … based on our staffing, because we also have drug courts and veterans court,” she said. “As far as referrals to those programs, we get well over that per year, but we can’t admit them all.”

Verando said it would be difficult to pull historical data, citing limited time and resources. In the past, she said, “consistent data wasn’t there — at least that we would feel comfortable throwing out percentages and numbers.”

The court does not track recidivism. But Verando said she believes mental health court is “absolutely” effective. “We see very few repeat offenders from those programs, so they’re working.” The court relies on federal grants, which largely support incentives for participants, housing and other resources.

The court was certified in 2018 and recertified in 2022 and 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Will County

Will County’s mental health court launched in 2010, according to Dr. Scott DuBois, problem-solving court coordinator. He could not say how many people have been enrolled in the court, but he conservatively estimated that more than 200 have graduated. Now, 73 people are currently active in the program.

St. Francis University independently reviewed the program in 2022 and surveyed participants, staff and alumni. Asked about barriers to participation, participants cited work conflicts, lack of transportation, physical and mental health symptoms, lack of child care and drug or alcohol use issues. Most participants relied on a public defender, and 39% reported being homeless at some point during the program.

Only a handful of graduates have had their record expunged, DuBois said. “This is something our jurisdiction is looking to improve upon as there has been a change whereby individuals now have a right to have their records expunged at the time of graduation,” he wrote.

The county also has drug and veterans courts. Across all of the county’s problem-solving courts, the programs serve about 300 people, with 994 graduates since inception and an annual operating budget of about $2.9 million, DuBois said.

The court relies on state and federal funding, including from Adult Redeploy Illinois. The county said it costs approximately $4,000 per year to supervise someone in a problem-solving court.

“The program’s long-term effectiveness is reflected in its 14% recidivism rate among graduates three years post completion — compared to 67.8% for individuals released from the Illinois Department of Corrections over the same timeframe, and 76.6% after five years,” DuBois wrote. “Considering each recidivism event in Illinois carries an average cost of $151,000, the program offers both economic efficiency and improved public safety.”

The court was certified in 2021 and recertified in 2025, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Winnebago County

Winnebago County’s Therapeutic Intervention Program launched in 2005. Of 600 people admitted from 2005 to 2019, fewer than 39% graduated, with graduation rates declining over time, according to a 2022 study by Northern Illinois University. But those that did graduate “exhibited significant decreases in criminal offending.”

From 2020 to 2025, another 214 people were admitted, 200 exited, and 43 graduated, according to data from Adult Redeploy Illinois.

The court was certified in 2017 and recertified in 2022, according to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Have you or a loved one gone through a mental health court program? Reach out to us at ghauck@illinoisanswers.org and josh.mcghee@mindsitenews.org. This story was made possible by a grant from The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation to the Illinois Answers Project.