This August marks two years that the Forensic Support Team has been assisting forensic clients when competency restoration services have been ordered by the court. Senate Bill 19-223 allocated 20 staff positions to the Office of Behavioral Health to serve as the Forensic Support Team (FST). This team consists of 16 Forensic Navigators who work in all 55 jails and all 22 judicial districts in Colorado. This team also includes two Program Coordinators who are licensed clinicians. The Program Coordinators provide supervision to the Forensic Navigators and ensure consistent coordination of competency restoration services. The Forensic Support Team serves as the primary point of contact for OBH competency services for stakeholders.
Over the past two years the team has had over 3,227 face to face contacts with individuals in jail and approximately 42,910 contacts with jail staff, jail mental health staff, courts and other justice and behavioral health system stakeholders with the goal of supporting the clients. Currently, Navigators check in on each client in jail who has been ordered to complete a competency evaluation and Inpatient Restoration Treatment at least once every 10 days. Check-ins alternate weekly between face-to-face visits and receiving updates from jail staff during multi-disciplinary team meetings.
| Tier 1 Status: A defendant who has been ordered to receive inpatient restoration treatment and whom a competency evaluator has determined either: (1) appears to have a mental health disorder, and as result of such mental health disorders, appears to be a danger to other or self, or appears to be gravely disabled or (2) has a mental health disorder, and as a result of either (1) or (2) delaying hospital admission beyond seven days would cause harm to the defendant or others. |
The FST assists with triaging client admission to inpatient competency restoration sites. Over the past two years, the FST has identified, consulted, and triaged the admission of 174 high-acuity clients, thus ensuring their prioritized admission. Finally, the FST have saved 4,847 jail days by requesting that a court date be moved to an earlier date and notifying the courts when a Tier 1 status was entered by an evaluator, when a person returned to the jail from inpatient restoration, and when an evaluation was completed.
During the pandemic, the Forensic Navigators increased their scope of duties to monitor clinical acuity of individuals who are awaiting competency evaluations in jails. The FST has been instrumental in providing information to assist with prioritization for admissions and evaluation completion, as well as advocating for outpatient evaluations and restoration services when appropriate.
In addition to the complexities involved in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of FST clients increased by 40% in fiscal year 2021. In response to this sharp increase, the FST focused on building community partnerships and engaging stakeholders in diversion efforts. To date, the FST has established at least 20 additional statewide community and local partnerships and is actively engaged in conversations with five judicial districts about diversion programs.
Visit the Forensic Services webpage to learn more.
How the Team Works
The Forensic Navigators are automatically assigned to individuals:
- Waiting in jail for a competency evaluation
- Waiting in jail for admission to inpatient restoration
- Participating in inpatient restoration; and
- Returning from inpatient restoration waiting in jail to be reviewed by the court.
The Forensic Navigators meet face-to-face with competency-involved individuals and multidisciplinary teams within each jail, including Jail Based Behavioral Health Services (JBBS) providers, administration, and medical staff to assess clients' needs. Through this process, the FST assists the state mental health institute to prioritize and triage admissions to inpatient restoration sites. It also identifies low-acuity, medication-compliant, general-population individuals who are better suited for Outpatient Restoration services. In these instances, the FST makes referrals to and collaborates with programs, such as Bridges – Court liaisons, Momentum, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Community Mental Health Centers, and other community stakeholders, to build community transition plans and inform the court.
Finally, Forensic Navigators provide care coordination for individuals returning from inpatient restoration to the jail, including ensuring that the jail and JBBS teams are aware and equipped to provide prescribed medication. They also notify the court when individuals return to the jail from inpatient restoration.
Forensic clients whose charges are dismissed by the court due to a finding that they are unlikely to be restored to competency in the foreseeable future receive referrals, resources, and services that support their successful reentry into the community.
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Forensic Support Team Special Program Navigators Did you know that the FST has Special Program Navigators who provide a direct connection to coordinated community care in order to streamline communication with internal and external stakeholders? They track client referrals and outcomes, ensuring timely and thorough communication regarding transition plans for each client. Special Program Navigators have developed a vast network of resources in every judicial district to assist with care coordination through community transitions. Please see the following resources for additional information about programs and contacts: |