Mental health courts serve a significant role within this collection of responses to the disproportionate number of people with mental illnesses in the justice system. Like drug courts and other "problem-solving courts," after which they are modeled, mental health courts move beyond the criminal court's traditional focus on case processing to address the root causes of behaviors that bring people before the court. They work to improve outcomes for all parties, including individuals charged with crimes, and well as their victims and communities. This guide provides basic information about mental health courts; it explains what a mental health court is and why mental health courts are used; the types of individuals who participate in mental health courts; what the makeup of a mental health court looks like and how it functions; the goals and outcomes of mental health courts; the differences between mental health courts and drug courts; the application of mental health courts to juveniles; the research about mental health courts and issues that should be considered when planning or designing a mental health court; and resources that can help communities develop mental health courts. List of Web resources and 34 notes