Competency to stand trial has become a major concern for the criminal justice system. As more and more people with mental illness are being arrested, jails are becoming the largest providers of mental health care in the United States. Many of these detainees are found incompetent to stand trial and cannot proceed with their court cases until restored to competency. In order to facilitate the movement of these cases through the forensic system, effective restoration programs need to be developed. By doing so, many challenging problems can be alleviated, such as overcrowding in jails, long waiting lists at forensic hospitals, and the overall cost to the public. This manual was written to provide guidelines for restoring competency to defendants in a structured and efficient manner. Practical information is presented to assist forensic providers from their patient's initial finding of incompetency to the final disposition of the case. In addition, instructional materials and other resources are provided, which include definitions of court terminology, educational activities, competency tests, court report templates, and a certificate of completion. Forensic providers are encouraged to customize the contents of this manual to comply with specific State statutes.

The correctional system has become the largest provider of mental health care in our society. Due to the prevalence of mental disabilities in the criminal justice system, many defendants are found Incompetent to Stand Trial. However, defendants do not usually understand what it means to be incompetent, let alone what to do about it. The purpose of this guidebook is to help defendants better understand why they were found incompetent, what they can do about it, and how to get the best possible outcomes. In addition to giving a general overview, materials are provided to assist in the restoration of competency. This guidebook should be used in conjunction with professional forensic services.

Handbook of Forensic Mental Health Services focuses on assessment, treatment, and policy issues regarding juveniles and adults in the criminal and civil systems. Uniquely, this volume is designed for professionals who deliver mental health services, rather than researchers. Just like its parent series, its goal revolves around improving the quality of mental health care services in forensic settings. It achieves this by integrating the findings related to clinical practice, administration, and policy from trends and best practice internationally that mental health professionals can implement.