|
Sabrina
Rhinehart
Mental Health Advocate
Alicia Thomas
Senior Staff Attorney
Charles Hess
Staff Attorney
Susan
Myrick
Paralegal
|
|
Office
of the Mental
Health Advocate
104 Marietta St.
Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 232-8900
(800) 676-4432
Fax: (404) 651-5706
Contact
Us
Site
Design by Arno
|
|
|



Karen Bailey-Smith Honored as Debra J. Blum Award Recipient

Judge Winston Bethel (left) and award recipient Dr. Karen Bailey-Smith
The Office of the Mental Health Advocate honored Dr. Karen Bailey-Smith on August 12th as the 2007 Debra J. Blum Award recipient. Dr. Bailey-Smith has been the Director of Forensic Services for the Georgia Department of Human Resources since 2000. Dr. Bailey-Smith was recognized for her tireless efforts to improve the forensic division of DHR and improve the quality of life of forensic patients. She introduced legislation which closed loop holes in the criminal justice system which were a legal detriment to mentally disabled defendants. Under Dr. Bailey-Smith’s direction, seven new state operated forensic group homes were created to target forensic clients who might otherwise have longer stays in the hospital.
Dr. Bailey-Smith co-authored Senate Bill 398 last year and was instrumental in helping that piece of legislation pass through Georgia’s legislature. Dr. Bailey-Smith also rallied support for Senate Bill 198, which clarified to a jury that Defendants found Guilty but Mentally Ill or Retarded would go to prison instead of a mental hospital. This law has created better informed jurors and fewer jailed mental patients. Judge Winston Bethel, Dekalb Magistrate Court and recipient of last years’ Debra J. Blum award, presented this years award to Dr. Bailey-Smith. Dr. Chris Gault, the Medicaid & Special Initiative Coordinator with DHR’s Mental Health Developmental Disability and Addictive Diseases, described forensics as Dr. Bailey-Smith’s true love.
Dr. Bailey-Smith grew up on Long Island, New York and received her Bachelor’s Degree from Adelphi University. She has focused her career on children and adult forensics in the criminal justice settings. She began as a staff psychologist at West Central Georgia Regional Hospital and then served as the Director of Psychology, clinical coordinator of the C & A Unit, and then Hospital Forensic Director. Dr. Bailey-Smith stated that the award meant a great deal to her because of her love of forensics and admiration of Debra Blum. She recounted many memories of working with Debra Blum to improve the mental health laws in Georgia and views her as an inspiration..
|
| Our
Mission
The Office of the Mental Health Advocate (OMHA)
was created by statute in 1996 to provide services
to attorneys representing criminal defendants with
mental health challenges. OMHA monitors cases in
Georgia involving pleas of Not Guilty by Reason
of Insanity (NGRI) and it directly represents a limited
number of insanity acquittees. We provide
services state-wide as a way of assisting attorneys,
the hospitals, and the courts in criminal cases involving
mentally ill defendants. |
|
Announcements
and Articles
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 11:40 AM
|
Check
here frequently for OMHA news and articles about
mental health issues in the criminal justice system.
|
|
February 7 Seminar: "Psychotic Illness, Cognition & Functional Outcomes"

|
Legislative Update: Changes in 17-7-130 Incompetent to Stand Trial (IST)

|
The Office of the Mental Health Advocate Welcomes its 2007 Summer Interns
Our office has added four interns to its staff for the summer. The interns are: Amber L. Bagley, Emory Law School, 3L; Justin Holcombe, Georgia State University College of Law, 2L; Sheena Bosket, Georgia State University College of Law, 2L; and Santisa Hambrick, Atlanta Technical College, sophomore. Our office welcomes the extra help and the energy that this group of interns brings to defending the mentally challenged. |
Amber L. Bagley |
Sheena Bosket |
Santisa Hambrick |
Justin Holcombe |
|
Legislative Update - Changes in 17-7-130 Incompetent to Stand Trial (IST)
|
Macon Gets New Mental Health Court
 |
Yvonne Sherrill Receives the Department of Human Resources Forensic Services’ 1st Annual Debra Blum Award
 |
Women at Risk:
Neonaticide, Infanticide and Filicide
 |
Clarifying the Process for Defendants Found Guilty but Mentally Ill or Guilty but Mentally Retarded
 |
Judge Winston P. Bethel Wins Debra J Blum Award
 |
Aspergers' Syndrome - The Odd, Eccentric, Socially Impaired Have Help
 |
Kenneth Shepherd Gets His
Day in Court
 |
Shock Therapy: It's Not a
Thing
of the Past
 |
Psychiatric Medications 101 has been updated.
 |
A
Victory for Competency in Simms Case
 |
The
Governor's Pilot Mental Health Diversion Program:
The HELP Program, A Hall County Inititative
 |
Dealing
with a Schizophrenic Client
 |
The Standard of Review for Competency Challenged
 |
Honoring
Debbie Blum, a Mental Health Pioneer |
|
 |
|
Some files on this page, denoted by the icon to the left,
require the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You
may download the software, free of charge, by clicking
here.
Some files on this page, denoted by the icon to the left,
require Microsoft Word. If you do not
have the software, you may download the Microsoft Word
Viewer, free of charge, by clicking
here. |
|
|