GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – May marks Mental Health Awareness Month.

Genesee County was the first county in Michigan to establish a Mental Health Court in 2007.

Genesee County Chief Probate Judge Jennie Barkey said since that day, more than 800 people, 75% of those in mental health court have graduated.

“I love it,” says Judge Barkey as one woman graduated from the program on Wednesday. “It is almost like seeing your own kid graduate because we get to know these people very well.”

While helping them in the toughest times, there’s a partnership with Genesee Health Care and Law Enforcement and this court.

“Instead of them going to jail or prison, we know our jails and prisons are filled with people who shouldn’t be there. They have to come in front of me,” said Judge Barkey. “Because of their mental illness, they don’t comply with treatment. They get themselves in trouble with the law.”

She explained that without the special court, most defendants would receive only short-term emergency care and would be more likely to re-offend.

From there, a plan is put into place for each person, sometimes leading to a cleared criminal record and forward to a life.

“It’s a step to get us over the shame and embarrassment,” she said. “It’s a disease. It is a body chemistry imbalance.”

The judge says, as the Mental Health Court is just the beginning for many, it is a step in the right direction.