New Orleans, LA – The Orleans Public Defenders (OPD) is proud to announce the selection of Barksdale Hortenstine, Jr. as a recipient of the 2022 CityBusiness Leader in Law. Hortenstine is the Director of OPD’s Mental Health Unit, and as one of two court-appointed honorees, is among 50 of New Orleans’ top legal professionals recognized for moving the legal community forward with energy, innovative ideas, achievements and a commitment to excellence.
For nearly 15 years, Hortenstine has partnered with community and stakeholders in the fight to radically change the criminal legal system’s treatment of people suffering from mental health disorders and mental illness, and called on local and state leaders to prioritize community-based mental health care long before system interaction occurs. He advocates for his clients, our community, and a more compassionate and medically-appropriate response to our most vulnerable citizens.
In 2020, Hortenstine spearheaded the creation of the city’s very first Mental Health Unit in Municipal Court with the goal of increasing the level of understanding and care of mental health issues, and how best to treat them so as to break the cycle of crisis-induced recidivism. The program gives stakeholders and decisionmakers a window into what is already clear: mental illness is not a public safety threat, it is a public health crisis.
This unique approach utilizes a specialized, multidisciplinary team trained in working with, and representing, individuals suffering from mental health issues. The approach extends outside the courtroom through advocacy and referrals to mental health providers, housing and other community resources resulting in shorter jail stays, lower recidivism, and ultimately, a healthier community. Understanding this need for specialized and focused attention to mental health concerns and the subsequent continuous interaction with the legal system, the mayor identified funding the Mental Health Unit a priority in her 2022 budget.
Hortenstine has partnered and worked with other justice and community stakeholders, and mental health advocates, to implement the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program in Orleans Parish with Civil Court Judge Kern Reese, and remains on the Board. He is a founding member of the Louisiana Mental Health Coalition, co-chairs the Louisiana Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Committee, and is an appointed member of the New Orleans City Council’s Crisis Intervention Strategy Taskforce.
With Hortenstine’s selection, OPD has now had seven attorneys honored as Leaders in Law in the last 10 years. Honorees will be celebrated on Monday, October 24 at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
