2023
Miami County Mental Health Court Judge Stacy M. Wall

Tri-County Board Executive Director Terri Becker presents the 2023 Geraldine B. Nelson Advocacy Award plaque to Miami County Mental Health Court Judge Stacy M. Wall.

The 2023 Geraldine B. Nelson recipient is a Miami County judge. Seeing the significant number of cases coming through her court where mental illness played a major role in the defendant’s court involvement, she formed an Advisory Team and in June 2022, instituted The Miami County Common Pleas Mental Health Court. 

The Mental Health Court is an intensive probation program offering targeted treatment to offenders who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness and whose illness was a primary factor contributing to their involvement in the criminal justice system. The program is designed to provide participants access to treatment and resources to achieve stability of mental health symptoms, improving quality of life for participants, and reducing likelihood of reoffending.

She is personally invested in people being mentally well. She includes in her docket presentations to improve life skills, such as budgeting, and also quality of life – art and music, and the pet therapy dog present at every session. She is generous with accolades for small successes, but also firm with accountability when corrections are needed. She is part Mom, part magistrate.

Soon after formally starting the Mental Health Court docket, she recognized an opportunity to promote and connect the many agencies and services in Miami County that support mental health. In September 2022, in conjunction with National Mental Health Month, she hosted a Mental Health and Community Services Fair on the Courthouse Plaza in Troy, with more than 50 agencies present. The second fair, in September 2023, was even larger. In keeping with her holistic view of wellness, attendees were treated to chair massages and free haircuts, in addition to a wealth of resources and information.
 
In recognition of her support for the Miami County Court of Common Pleas Mental Health Specialty Docket; her inclusion and collaboration with law enforcement, courts, behavioral health, and other support services on behalf of her court-involved individuals; and for her efforts to promote the spectrum of mental health services and supports available to residents of Miami County, the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services recognizes the 2023 winner of the Geraldine B. Nelson Advocacy Award, for supportive measures on behalf of another, by promoting the recognition of consumer rights and encouraging positive change in the realm of mental health and addictions issues, presented this day, October 18, 2023, to Judge Stacy M. Wall.