Section 9-27-21 - Certification and monitoring of mental health treatment courts by Administrative Office of Courts(1) The Administrative Office of Courts shall be responsible for certification and monitoring of mental health treatment courts.(2) The Administrative Office of Courts shall promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the certification and re-certification process and make any other policies consistent with this section to carry out this process.(3) The Administrative Office of Courts shall establish, implement and operate a uniform certification process for all mental health treatment courts designed to adjudicate criminal actions involving an identified classification of criminal defendants to ensure funding for mental health treatment courts which supports effective and proven behavioral health treatment practices that reduce recidivism among their participants.(4)(a) The Administrative Office of Courts shall establish a certification process that ensures any new or existing mental health treatment court meets standards for mental health treatment court operation.(b) Mental health treatment court certification application must include:(i) A description of the need for the mental health treatment court;(ii) The targeted population for the mental health treatment court;(iii) The eligibility criteria for mental health treatment court participants;(iv) A description of the process for identifying eligible participants, using a risk and needs screening and a clinical assessment which focuses on accepting moderate to high-risk individuals; and(v) A description of the mental health treatment court components, including anticipated budget, implementation plan, and a list of the evidence-based programs to which participants will be referred by the mental health treatment court.(5) Every mental health treatment court shall be certified under the following schedule: (a) All certified mental health treatment courts in existence on December 31, 2022, must submit a recertification petition to the Administrative Office of Courts before July 1, 2023. The mental health treatment court must submit a recertification petition every two (2) years.(b) A mental health treatment court's certification expires on December 31 of every odd calendar year.(6) A certified mental health treatment court established under this chapter is subject to the regulatory powers of the Administrative Office of Courts as set forth in Section 9-27-13.