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Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Procedure for Obtaining Competency Examinations

DEFINITIONS

Department
means the Department of Health Services (DHS)
Contract Provider
means the Mental Health Provider under contract to DHS who has contractual responsibility for working with the examiners in the county ordering the competency examination to arrange the time of the examination, gather information, etc.
Wisconsin Forensic Unit (WFU)
Is the group of examiners under contract to the DHS to conduct competency examinations on behalf of the DHS.
Contracted Examiner
is a DHS approved examiner who performs competency examinations on behalf of the DHS and has signed a contract to work with the Wisconsin Forensic Unit.
Crisis Situation
Is a situation which occurs in the county jail where the defendant is being housed pending the examination by the DHS and is generally described as one in which the defendant is at high risk for harm to him/herself in the jail setting or the mental health needs of the defendant can not reasonably be met by the staff in the jail until the examination and hearing have been held.

POLICY. 

WSS 971.14(2)(am) specifies that if the Department is ordered by the court to conduct an examination under this section, the Department determines whether it will be conducting the examination on an outpatient or inpatient basis. The Department will normally conduct these examinations on an outpatient (outside the custody of one of the department’s Mental Health Institutes) basis unless a situation arises which in the opinion of the Department, requires conducting the examination in an inpatient setting.

PROCEDURES.

  1. The court orders an examination conducted by the Department.
  2. DHS assumes an outpatient examination is appropriate.
    1. The court sets a hearing date on the competency examination to occur 15 days after the examination is ordered. Place the date on the court order (CR-205). If the report is completed earlier, DHS requests that the hearing be moved up if at all possible.
    2. Attach a copy of the Criminal Complaint and all pertinent mental health records to the court order (CR-205).
  3. The Clerk of Circuit Courts contacts:

Wisconsin Forensic Unit
Safety Building
821 W. State Street, Room 504
Milwaukee, WI 53233
414-278-4690
FAX: 414-223-1817

The Clerk will fax the court order and criminal complaint to WFU, and also establish with WFU the location of the defendant (jail or elsewhere).

  1. The WFU contract examiner will generate the report, fax the report to the court and to District Attorney and Defense Attorney.
    Follow with hard copy to the court and the Appropriate Contract Provider.
  2. Acute Situations Where Defendant Can Not Remain in Jail:

If an acute mental health situation arises while the defendant is in the jail awaiting an outpatient competency examination, jail staff will contact local county mental health staff who work with the jail for consultation. County crisis staff will contact the Wisconsin Forensic Unit (WFU) (414) 278-4690, to determine when the examination is scheduled to occur. If the defendant can be managed until examination date, the defendant will remain in jail. If WFU determines that the defendant cannot be managed in the jail safely, WFU will coordinate a transfer to MMHI or WMHI on the Order for Competency Examination. (See below for contact telephone numbers at MHI’s).

Calls received in a non-emergency situation where the court prefers an inpatient examination will be referred to Ken Smail, PhD, Clinical Coordinator for the Outpatient Competency Evaluation Program at (414) 278-4690.

Calls received in emergency situations where the jail staff and county mental health staff determined the individual cannot be managed in the jail safely will be handled as follows:

Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.

  • MMHI: Contact Admissions Office (608) 301-1352
  • WMHI: Contact Admissions Office (920) 235-4910

After 4:30 p.m./ Weekends or Holidays

  • MMHI: Contact the Nursing Office Supervisor at (608) 301-1386
    or (608) 301-1060 and request the Supervisor be paged.
  • WMHI: Contact the House Supervisor (920) 235-4910 and request the Supervisor be paged.

 

Last Revised: February 01, 2011