Forensic Services provides evaluation and specialized mental health treatment services to patients statewide who have been civilly committed by the courts as mentally ill and dangerous (MI&D). Many patients have been charged with serious crimes and civilly committed after a court found them not competent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of mental illness or cognitive impairment. Treatment takes place in secure and non-secure facilities on the campus in St. Peter, MN. Programs include:
Formerly called the Minnesota Security Hospital, the program provides secure and non-secure inpatient treatment of individuals with chronic, serious mental illness. Treatment focuses on long-term stabilization and prepares patients for eventual provisional discharge and re-entry into the community. The program also includes a 34- bed facility off the main campus in St. Peter which houses patients who have received permission to reside in a non-secure treatment facility.
Minnesota’s only state-operated nursing home, the facility provides a secure, licensed nursing home setting for individuals who are civilly committed as MI&D, a sexual psychopathic personality or as a sexually dangerous person. The facility also cares for prison inmates on a medical release from the Department of Corrections. Care is the same as provided at other nursing homes: daily living care, rehabilitation services, and end of life care.
A team of forensic examiners provides a variety of mental health evaluations, including competency to proceed to trial and criminal responsibility evaluations, mandatory repeat sex offender assessments, risk assessments, mentally ill and dangerous civil commitment evaluations and other court-ordered forensic assessments.. These evaluations can be done on either an inpatient basis within Forensic Services or in a community setting, including jails. The forensic examiners also provide consultation to treatment teams throughout forensic services and to other programs within the Department of Human Services.
A specialized team provides support services for patients who have been provisionally discharged to live in a variety of community settings. These services are designed to help patients live happy, stable, successful lives outside of the Forensic Mental Health Program facilities.
100 Freeman Drive, St. Peter, MN
