The Mental Health Court (MHC) is a dedicated court, with an assigned presiding judge, mental health professional, and probation staff with mental health expertise, prosecutor and public defender.

Mental Health Court is a voluntary program. Referrals come from judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, jail staff, and others. Please contact Sonya Oh, sonyao@smh.org, for more information if you are interested in making a referral. Please attach the referral form (Click here) to any request. The Release of Information form (below) is for illustrative purposes and does not need to be attached to a referral request.

The key issue for the MHC is whether the alleged criminal activity is related to or caused by mental illness. MHC defendants may have any type of charge. They may have any type of serious mental illness, be developmentally disabled, have a brain injury, or suffer from dementia. The defendant may be a first time offender or have a lengthy record.

• Mental Health Court Evaluation Report
• Overview and Goals

Do you have questions or comments about Seattle's Mental Health Court? Do you have comments about the Mental Health Court Web Page?

To ask a question or send a comment directly to Seattle Municipal Court's Mental Health Court Program, please email us.

Mental Health Court is held in the
Seattle Justice Center
Courtroom 1101
600 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 684-5600 View Map

MHC Staff

The Mental Health Court Team (click to enlarge)

Seattle Municipal Court Mental Health Court Forms

For more information about using these forms, email the Mental Health Court Liaison.

Referral Form: Please attach this form for any referral you request. Referral requests may be made to Sonya Oh (Sonyao@smh.org), the Mental Health Court Liaison. You may also fax this form to Sonya Oh at 206-386-1272.

Release of Information: The Release of Information form should be attached to a referral request.

Referral Directions: Detailed directions and contact information for making referrals to Mental Health court.