Board Overview and Duties
The Minnesota Competency Attainment Board is responsible for administering a statewide, independent competency attainment system. This includes certifying competency attainment programs and utilizing forensic navigators to:
- Promote the prevention and diversion of individuals with mental illnesses and cognitive impairments from entering the legal system,
- Support defendants with mental illnesses and cognitive impairments in the competency process, and
- Assist the courts and partners in coordinating competency attainment services.
The Board is required by statute to do the following:
- Approve and recommend to the legislature a budget for the board and the forensic navigator program,
- Establish procedures for distribution of funding under this section to the forensic navigator program,
- Establish forensic navigator standards, administrative policies, procedures, and rules consistent with statute, rules of court, and laws that affect a forensic navigator’s work,
- Establish certification requirements for competency attainment programs, and
- Carry out the programs under sections 611.57 (Certification Advisory Committee), 611.58 (Competency Attainment Curriculum and Certification), and 611.59 (Competency Attainment Programs)
The statute permits the Board to also do the following:
- Adopt standards, policies, or procedures necessary to ensure quality assistance for defendants found incompetent to stand trial and charged with a felony, gross misdemeanor, or targeted misdemeanor, or for defendants found incompetent to stand trial who have recurring incidents,
- Establish district forensic navigator offices, and
- Propose statutory changes to the legislature and rule changes to the Supreme Court