Mentally Ill and Dangerous Civil Commitment Reform Task Force

The Task Force is made up of 18 members who have been appointed by the Governor or a specially designated stakeholder organization.

Members

• Marshall E. Smith, designee of the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)
• Dr. Soniya Hirachan, Direct Care and Treatment Administration, DHS
• Robin Bode, Direct Care and Treatment Administration, DHS
• Lisa Harrison-Hadler, Minnesota Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
• The Hon. Jay Quam, state district court judge with experience presiding in MI&D civil commitments
• Dr. Amber Lindeman, court examiner with experience in MI&D civil commitments
• Dr. Kristen Otte, member of the Special Review Board
• Casandra Sassenberg, appointed by the Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators
• Sue Abderholden, Executive Director, Minnesota Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-MN), appointed by NAMI-MN
• Anne Zimmerman, a county attorney with experience in MI&D civil commitments, appointed by the Minnesota County Attorney's Association 
• Jinny Palen, Executive Director, Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACHMP), appointed by MACMHP
• Dr. Ian Heath, a licensed independent practitioner with experience in treating individuals subject to MI&D civil commitment
• Dalaine Remes, appointed by the Minnesota Disability Law Center
• Sheila Novak, a family member of someone who has been civilly committed as MI&D, is on provisional discharge or has been discharged from civil commitment, appointed by Gov. Tim Walz 
• Donna Ennis, tribal representative, appointed by Gov. Tim Walz
• Michael Biglow, an attorney with experience representing respondents in MI&D civil commitments, appointed by Gov. Tim Walz
• Barbara Weckman Brekke, appointed by the Association of Minnesota Counties
• Vacant, an individual who has been civilly committed as MI&D and who is on provisional discharge or has been discharged from commitment, appointed by Gov. Tim Walz

DHS staff contacts

• Kari Gallagher, Executive Assistant, Direct Care and Treatment
• Carrie Briones, Legislative Director, Direct Care and Treatment
• Christopher Sprung, Communications and Media Relations, Direct Care and Treatment

Upcoming Meetings

Date: Monday, Oct. 7, 2024
Time: 1 to 4 p.m. 
Location: Scott County Government Center, Room 170, 200 4th Avenue West, Shakopee, MN 55379
Download agenda

Questions or Concerns

Contact Kari Gallagher at kari.a.gallagher@state.mn.us

Agendas

• Oct. 7, 2024
• Aug. 30, 2024 agenda

Minutes

• Aug. 30, 2024 minutes

Duties of the task force include:

• Analyzing current trends in mentally ill and dangerous civil commitments, including but not limited to the length of stay for individuals committed in Minnesota as compared to other jurisdictions
• Reviewing national practices and criteria for civil commitment of individuals who have a mental illness and represent a danger to the public
• Developing recommended statutory changes necessary to provide services to the high number of mentally ill and dangerous civilly committed individuals
• Developing funding and statutory recommendations for alternatives to the current mentally ill and dangerous civil commitment process
• Identifying the types of placements and services necessary to serve individuals civilly committed as mentally ill and dangerous in the community
• Making recommendations to reduce barriers to discharge from the Forensic Mental Health Program for individuals civilly committed as mentally ill and dangerous
• Developing recommended plain language statutory changes to clarify operational definitions for terms used within Minnesota Statutes, section 253B.18
• Developing recommended statutory changes to provide clear direction to the Commissioner of Human Services and facilities to which individuals are civilly committed to address situations in which an individual is committed as mentally ill and dangerous and is later determined to not have an organic disorder of the brain or a substantial psychiatric disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, or memory
• Evaluating and making statutory and funding recommendations for the voluntary return of individuals civilly committed as mentally ill and dangerous to community facilities

By August 1, 2025, the task force shall submit to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over mentally ill and dangerous civil commitments a written report that includes the outcome of the duties in subdivision 7, including but not limited to recommended statutory changes.

Publications

• A 2013 report to the Minnesota Legislature from the Department of Human Services Adult Mental Health Division

Background Documents

• Overview of Forensic Services (PDF)
• Problems with the current commitment law (PDF)
• MI&D Task Force membership (PDF)
• MI&D Task Force duties (PDF)

• Priority Admissions Task Force Final Report and Recommendations (PDF)