What is a Competency Attainment Program?

Competency attainment programs are intended to meet the needs of adult criminal defendants who have been found incompetent to proceed to trial and do not have access to competency attainment services as part of any other programming. 

 

Minn. Stat. § 611.41, subd. 5 defines a competency attainment program as “a structured program of clinical and educational services that is certified and designed to identify and address barriers to a defendant’s ability to understand the criminal proceedings, consult with counsel, and participate in the defense”.

 

Principal standards for community-based and jail-based competency attainment programs are provided in Minn. Stat. § 611.59. Generally, all competency attainment programs must be able to provide mental health services and/or substance use disorder treatment and competency attainment education (services) using MNCAB’s approved curriculum. Additional standards and requirements may also apply and are outlined in statute, the certification policy and procedures, and in the FAQs.