Community Competency Restoration Task Force

The task force will

• Identify current service and resources available for individuals in the criminal justice system who have been found incompetent to stand trial;
• Analyze current trends of competency referrals by county and the impact of any diversion projects or stepping-up initiatives;
• Analyze selected case reviews and other data to identify risk levels of those individuals, service usage, housing status, and health insurance status prior to being jailed;
• Research how other states address this issue, including funding and structure of community competency restoration programs, and jail-based programs; and
• (5) Develop recommendations to address the growing number of individuals deemed incompetent to stand trial including increasing prevention and diversion efforts, providing a timely process for reducing the amount of time individuals remain in the criminal justice system, determining how to provide and fund competency restoration services in the community, and defining the role of the counties and state in providing competency restoration.

The enabling legislation:
2019 Sp. Sess. Chap. 9, Art. 6, 77, art. 14, 2 sub 7(a) Enabled: 07-15-2019
Expires: 02-01-2021. Link to the statute.

Office of the Secretary of State , boards and commissions

The Taskforce is made up of 25 appointees:

• Catherine Middlebrook: Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission representative
• David Hutchinson: Minnesota Sheriff's Association representative
• Katheryn Cranbrook: State Court Administrator representative
• Dr. KyleeAnn Stevens: Direct Care and Treatment Services representative
• Dr. Raj Sethuraju: organizations representing racial and ethnic groups over-represented in the justice system representative
• Tarryl Clark: The Association of Minnesota Counties representative
• Mark Bliven: designated by the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections
• Jodi Harpstead: the Commissioner of Human Services
• Gertrude Mutemba-Mutasa: designated by the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services 
• Richard Lee: Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health representative
• William Ward: the Minnesota Board of Public Defense representative
• Andy Skoogman: Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association representative
• Timothy Carey: Minnesota County Attorney Association representative
• Dr. Ian Heath: Minnesota Hospital Association representative
• Leah Kaiser: Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administration representative
• Tami Luek: Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administration representative
• Michael Woods: Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities representative
• Harlan James Gilbertson: Minnesota Psychological Association representative
• Dr. Michael Trangle: Minnesota Psychiatric Society representative
• Monette J. Berkevich: Jail Administrator representative
• Becky Graves: a reentry representative
• Sheila Novak: a crime victim representative
• Catherine Moore: a person with direct competency experience representative
• Molly Hicken: governor appointed member
• Sue Abderholden: a mental health organization representative
• Eren Sutherland: designated state protection and advocacy representative

DHS staff contacts

• Laura Lane, Legislative Director, Direct Care and Treatment
• Ryan Fralich, Executive Assistant, Direct Care and Treatment
• Christopher Sprung, Communications and Media Relations, Direct Care and Treatment

Upcoming Meeting

The next Community Competency Task Force Meeting will be held Friday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To meeting will take place virtually by Webex to accommodate safe physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To Join the Meeting

• Log on to minnesota.webex.com 
• Meeting number (access code): 965-704-223
• Meeting password: CCRTF

Join by Phone

• 1-415-655-0003
• Meeting number (access code): 965-704-223

Need Help?

Visit http://help.webex.com

Meetings in 2020

• February 21, 2020 minutes (PDF)
• January 24, 2020 minutes (PDF)
• August 19, 2020 Work Group C minutes (PDF)
• October 7, 2020 Work Group B minutes (PDF)

Meetings in 2019

• December 18, 2019 minutes (PDF)
• November 20, 2019 minutes (PDF)
• October 30, 2019 minutes (PDF)

Reports

• Community Competency Restoration Task Force Final Legislative Report February 2021 (PDF)
• Community Competency Restoration Task Force Interim Legislative Report February 2020 (PDF)
• Office of the Legislative Auditor: Mental Health Services in County Jails Summary (PDF)
• Office of the Legislative Auditor: Mental Health Services in County Jails Full Report (PDF)
• Police Involved Deadly Force Encounters: Recommendations and Action Steps (PDF)

Data and Statistics

• Competency Data By County (XLS)
• Community Competency Restoration Funding Data (XLS)

Sequential Intercept Model

• Implementing Sequential Intercept Model in Minnesota (PDF)
• Comments on Implementing Sequential Intercept Model in Minnesota (PDF)
• Olmsted County Sequential Intercept Model (PDF)
• PRA Sequential Intercept Model (PDF)

Competency Restoration Presentations

• How to do Community Competency Restoration (PDF)
• Comments on How to do Community Competency Restoration (PDF)
• Crow Wing County Community Competency Restoration (PDF)
• Olmsted County Community Competency Restoration (PDF)

Law Enforcement and Courts

• Mental Health Courts in the United States (PDF)
• Minnesota Treatment Court Overview (PDF)
• Judicial Work Group Presentation to Competency Task Force (PDF)
• Law Enforcement Response to Mental Health Crisis Incidents A Survey of Illinois Police and Sheriff’s Departments (PDF)
• Public Defenders Course Corrections (PDF)

Miscellaneous

• AAPL Practice Guideline for the Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation of Competence to Stand Trial (PDF)
• Increases in Rule 20 and Incompetency Rates and Why(PDF)
• The Link Between Methamphetamine Use and Mental Health (PDF) 
• Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative Grant Request for Proposals (PDF)