Marion Superior Court Mental Health Alternative Courts: A Collaborative Approach

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Matt Brothers is the Supervisor for the Marion Superior Court Probation Department’s Mental Health Unit. He graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. He has been a Probation Officer in Indianapolis for 16 years, and a supervisor for 11 years. Matt worked for four years on the Probation Department’s specialized Homeless Unit, developing programs aimed at assisting homeless individuals involved in the Criminal Justice System. In his current capacity, he manages ten Probation Officers who handle a special mental health caseload, including overseeing three certified Problem-Solving Courts: The Psychiatric Assertive Identification Referral Program (PAIR), the Behavioral Health Court, and the Indianapolis Veterans Court. Matt helped onboard all three of these Problem-Solving Courts and worked to get them all certified with the State of Indiana. He has served two three-year terms on the Indiana Office of Court Services Probation Officer Advisory Board. He is a member of the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) and has completed the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training program.

Lyndsay Connor is the Mental Health Alternative Courts and Indianapolis Veterans Court Coordinator. She graduated from Indiana University with a master’s in public health in 2015 and returned as an adjunct professor to teach a community health course on demography. She has worked in problem-solving courts for the last 9 years and her current responsibilities include grant writing and management, maintaining the courts’ certification, and collaborating with community-based organizations to address participants’ needs. Before her work as coordinator, she worked as a Drug Treatment Court case manager and a mental health probation officer for the Behavioral Health Court. Lyndsay has focused her career on planning and implementing evidence-based diversion programs that also address public health issues such as mental health and substance use.

Judge Amy Jones was elected to the bench in 2012 and presides over Level 6 Felony and Misdemeanor cases, including the County's red flag gun cases, and the Mental Health Alternative Problem Solving Courts. She served as the Presiding Judge of the Marion Superior Court from 2021 to 2023 and previously served as an Associate Presiding Judge of the Executive Committee for four years. The Executive Committee is responsible for the operation and conduct of the Superior Court. Part of her responsibilities included initiating court policy, representing the court in external relations, counseling and assisting other judges in the interest of speedy economical and uniform disposition of cases as well as overseeing the fiscal operations of the Court. Judge Jones continues to be an advocate for criminal justice reform by seeking alternatives to incarceration for individuals afflicted with mental health disorders and substance abuse addictions. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Jones worked as a deputy prosecutor, a corporate trainer for the Hartford Insurance which included becoming a Certified Diversity & Inclusion facilitator for the Indianapolis Personal Lines Office. In 2007, she opened her own law practice where she focused primarily on criminal and family law cases while serving as a contract public defender in a major felony court.

Steve Ross is the public defender in Marion County’s Mental Health Alternative Courts. He also serves on the board of directors for Mental Health America of Indianapolis. Steve’s passion for mental-health-related issues has been life-long; his professional focus on it began when, as a new attorney, he saw firsthand how pervasive mental illness and addiction are in our justice system—particularly in our jails. Steve believes every person who lives with mental illness or addiction is entitled to dignity, respect, and autonomy. The justice system and our communities need to improve how we serve these individuals, and Steve is excited to be a part of that.