Source: https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?Cite=10.77&full=true
Timestamp: 2019-11-15 21:44:16
Document Index: 99761389

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 5005', '§ 405', '§ 58', '§ 4', '§ 2', '§ 106', '§ 2', '§ 12', '§ 49', '§ 2', '§ 29', '§ 4', '§ 3', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 2', '§ 1', '§ 8', '§ 9', '§ 4', '§ 5', '§ 2', '§ 6', '§ 4', '§ 1', '§ 411', '§ 6', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 411', '§ 6', '§ 5', '§ 5033', '§ 10']

10.77.074 Competency evaluation—Forensic navigator.
10.77.086 Competency restoration—Procedure in felony charge.
10.77.088 Placement—Procedure in nonfelony charge (as amended by 2019 c 248).
10.77.088 Competency restoration—Procedure in nonfelony charge (as amended by 2019 c 326).
RCW 10.77.010
Definitions. (Effective until January 1, 2020.)
(19) "Release" means legal termination of the court-ordered commitment under the provisions of this chapter.
(20) "Secretary" means the secretary of the department of social and health services or his or her designee.
(21) "Treatment" means any currently standardized medical or mental health procedure including medication.
(22) "Treatment records" include registration and all other records concerning persons who are receiving or who at any time have received services for mental illness, which are maintained by the department, by behavioral health administrative services organizations and their staffs, by managed care organizations and their staffs, and by treatment facilities. Treatment records do not include notes or records maintained for personal use by a person providing treatment services for the department, behavioral health administrative services organizations, managed care organizations, or a treatment facility if the notes or records are not available to others.
(23) "Violent act" means behavior that: (a)(i) Resulted in; (ii) if completed as intended would have resulted in; or (iii) was threatened to be carried out by a person who had the intent and opportunity to carry out the threat and would have resulted in, homicide, nonfatal injuries, or substantial damage to property; or (b) recklessly creates an immediate risk of serious physical injury to another person. As used in this subsection, "nonfatal injuries" means physical pain or injury, illness, or an impairment of physical condition. "Nonfatal injuries" shall be construed to be consistent with the definition of "bodily injury," as defined in RCW 9A.04.110.
[ 2019 c 325 § 5005; 2016 sp.s. c 29 § 405; 2014 c 225 § 58; 2011 c 89 § 4; 2010 c 262 § 2; 2005 c 504 § 106; 2004 c 157 § 2; 2000 c 94 § 12. Prior: 1999 c 143 § 49; 1999 c 13 § 2; 1998 c 297 § 29; 1993 c 31 § 4; 1989 c 420 § 3; 1983 c 122 § 1; 1974 ex.s. c 198 § 1; 1973 1st ex.s. c 117 § 1.]
RCW 10.77.020
RCW 10.77.025
RCW 10.77.027
RCW 10.77.030
RCW 10.77.040
RCW 10.77.050
RCW 10.77.060
RCW 10.77.068
RCW 10.77.070
RCW 10.77.074
Competency evaluation—Forensic navigator.
(1) Subject to the limitations described in this section, a court may appoint an impartial forensic navigator employed by or contracted by the department to assist individuals who have been referred for competency evaluation.
(2) A forensic navigator must assist the individual to access services related to diversion and community outpatient competency restoration. The forensic navigator must assist the individual, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, and the court to understand the options available to the individual and be accountable as an officer of the court for faithful execution of the responsibilities outlined in this section.
(3) The duties of the forensic navigator include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) To collect relevant information about the individual, including behavioral health services and supports available to the individual that might support placement in outpatient restoration, diversion, or some combination of these;
(b) To meet with, interview, and observe the individual;
(c) To present information to the court in order to assist the court in understanding the treatment options available to the individual to support the entry of orders for diversion from the forensic mental health system or for community outpatient competency restoration, and to facilitate that transition; and
(d) When the individual is ordered to receive community outpatient restoration, to provide services to the individual including:
(i) Assisting the individual with attending appointments and classes relating to outpatient competency restoration;
(ii) Coordinating access to housing for the individual;
(iii) Meeting with the individual on a regular basis;
(iv) Providing information to the court concerning the individual's progress and compliance with court-ordered conditions of release, which may include appearing at court hearings to provide information to the court;
(v) Coordinating the individual's access to community case management services and mental health services;
(vi) Assisting the individual with obtaining prescribed medication and encouraging adherence with prescribed medication;
(vii) Planning for a coordinated transition of the individual to a case manager in the community behavioral health system;
(viii) Attempting to follow up with the individual to check whether the meeting with a community-based case manager took place;
(ix) When the individual is a high utilizer, attempting to connect the individual with high utilizer services; and
(x) Attempting to check up on the individual at least once per month for up to sixty days after coordinated transition to community behavioral health services, without duplicating the services of the community-based case manager.
(4) Forensic navigators may submit nonclinical recommendations to the court regarding treatment and restoration options for the individual, which the court may consider and weigh in conjunction with the recommendations of all of the parties.
(5) Forensic navigators shall be deemed officers of the court for the purpose of immunity from civil liability.
(6) The signed order for competency evaluation from the court shall serve as authority for the forensic navigator to be given access to all records held by a behavioral health, educational, or law enforcement agency or a correctional facility that relates to an individual. Information that is protected by state or federal law, including health information, shall not be entered into the court record without the consent of the individual or their defense attorney.
(7) Admissions made by the individual in the course of receiving services from the forensic navigator may not be used against the individual in the prosecution's case in chief.
(8) A court may not issue an order appointing a forensic navigator unless the department certifies that there is adequate forensic navigator capacity to provide these services at the time the order is issued.
[ 2019 c 326 § 2.]
Intent—2019 c 326: "The legislature recognizes that there has been a nationwide increase in the number of individuals with behavioral health disorders in the criminal justice system. The legislature also recognizes that reforms must be made to our own behavioral health systems and services to meet the increasing demands in our state, to provide timely competency evaluations and restoration services, and to comply with federal court orders issued in A.B., by and through Trueblood, et al., v. DSHS, et al., No. 15-35462 ("Trueblood"). The legislature acknowledges that these reforms will require the support of a broad range of stakeholders, including local law enforcement, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, community members, and health care providers. The legislature further acknowledges the significant efforts of the parties to the Trueblood litigation to establish a roadmap and framework within their settlement agreement for proposed systemic reforms to the forensic mental health care system. It is the intent of the legislature to enact appropriate reforms consistent with the goals agreed to in the Trueblood settlement agreement, to continue to engage with stakeholders and community partners to address the needs of this vulnerable population, and to ensure that the public safety needs of our communities are met." [ 2019 c 326 § 1.]
RCW 10.77.075
RCW 10.77.078
RCW 10.77.079
(1) If the issue of competency to stand trial is raised by the court or a party under RCW 10.77.060, the prosecutor may continue with the competency process or dismiss the charges without prejudice and refer the defendant for assessment by a mental health professional, substance use disorder professional, co-occurring disorder specialist, or developmental disabilities professional to determine the appropriate service needs for the defendant.
[ 2019 c 444 § 8; 2015 1st sp.s. c 7 § 9.]
RCW 10.77.080
RCW 10.77.084
RCW 10.77.086
Competency restoration—Procedure in felony charge.
(1)(a)(i) If the defendant is charged with a felony and determined to be incompetent, until he or she has regained the competency necessary to understand the proceedings against him or her and assist in his or her own defense, but in any event for a period of no longer than ninety days, the court shall commit the defendant to the custody of the secretary for competency restoration. Based on a recommendation from a forensic navigator and input from the parties, the court may order the defendant to receive inpatient competency restoration or outpatient competency restoration.
(A) To be eligible for an order for outpatient competency restoration, a defendant must be clinically appropriate and be willing to:
(I) Adhere to medications or receive prescribed intramuscular medication; and
(II) Abstain from alcohol and unprescribed drugs.
(B) If the court orders inpatient competency restoration, the department shall place the defendant in an appropriate facility of the department for competency restoration.
(C) If the court orders outpatient competency restoration, the court shall modify conditions of release as needed to authorize the department to place the person in approved housing, which may include access to supported housing, affiliated with a contracted outpatient competency restoration program. The department, in conjunction with the health care authority, must establish rules for conditions of participation in the outpatient competency restoration program, which must include the defendant being subject to medication management and regular urinalysis testing for defendants who have a current substance use disorder diagnosis. The outpatient competency restoration program shall monitor the defendant during the defendant's placement in the program and report any noncompliance or significant changes with respect to the defendant to the department and, if applicable, the forensic navigator.
(D) If a defendant fails to comply with the restrictions of the outpatient restoration program such that restoration is no longer appropriate in that setting or the defendant is no longer clinically appropriate for outpatient competency restoration, the department shall remove the defendant from the outpatient restoration program and place the defendant instead in an appropriate facility of the department for inpatient competency restoration for no longer than the time allowed as if the defendant had been initially placed into inpatient competency restoration, in addition to reasonable time for transport to or from the facility. The department shall notify the court and parties of the change in placement before the close of the next judicial day. The court shall schedule a hearing within five days to review the placement and conditions of release of the defendant and issue appropriate orders. The standard of proof shall be a preponderance of the evidence, and the court may in its discretion render its decision based on written submissions, live testimony, or remote testimony.
(E) The court may not issue an order for outpatient competency restoration unless the department certifies that there is an available appropriate outpatient competency restoration program that has adequate space for the person at the time the order is issued or the court places the defendant under the guidance and control of a professional person identified in the court order.
(ii) The ninety day period for competency restoration under this subsection (1) includes only the time the defendant is actually at the facility and is in addition to reasonable time for transport to or from the facility.
[ 2019 c 326 § 4; 2015 1st sp.s. c 7 § 5; 2013 c 289 § 2; 2012 c 256 § 6; 2007 c 375 § 4.]
RCW 10.77.088
Placement—Procedure in nonfelony charge (as amended by 2019 c 248).
(2) If the defendant is charged with a nonfelony crime that is not a serious offense as defined in RCW 10.77.092((:))and found by the court to be not competent, the court may stay or dismiss proceedings and detain the defendant for sufficient time to allow the designated crisis responder to evaluate the defendant and consider initial detention proceedings under chapter 71.05 RCW. The court must give notice to all parties at least twenty-four hours before the dismissal of any proceeding under this subsection, and provide an opportunity for a hearing on whether to dismiss the proceedings.
(3) If at any time the court dismisses charges under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, the court shall make a finding as to whether the defendant has a history of one or more violent acts. If the court so finds, the defendant is barred from the possession of firearms until a court restores his or her right to possess a firearm under RCW 9.41.047. The court shall state to the defendant and provide written notice that the defendant is barred from the possession of firearms and that the prohibition remains in effect until a court restores his or her right to possess a firearm under RCW 9.41.047.
[ 2019 c 248 § 1; 2016 sp.s. c 29 § 411; 2015 1st sp.s. c 7 § 6; 2007 c 375 § 5.]
Competency restoration—Procedure in nonfelony charge (as amended by 2019 c 326).
(1)(((a))) If the defendant is charged with a nonfelony crime which is a serious offense as identified in RCW 10.77.092 and found by the court to be not competent, then the court:
(a) Shall dismiss the proceedings without prejudice and detain the defendant for sufficient time to allow the designated crisis responder to evaluate the defendant and consider initial detention proceedings under chapter 71.05 RCW, unless the prosecutor objects to the dismissal and provides notice of a motion for an order for competency restoration, in which case the court shall schedule a hearing within seven days to determine whether to enter an order of competency restoration.
(b) At the hearing, the prosecuting attorney must establish that there is a compelling state interest to order competency restoration treatment for the defendant. The court may consider prior criminal history, prior history in treatment, prior history of violence, the quality and severity of the pending charges, any history that suggests whether or not competency restoration treatment is likely to be successful, in addition to the factors listed under RCW 10.77.092. If the prosecuting attorney proves by a preponderance of the evidence that there is a compelling state interest in ordering competency restoration, then the court shall order competency restoration in accordance with subsection (2)(a) of this section.
(2)(a) If a court finds pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section that there is a compelling state interest in pursuing competency restoration treatment, then the court(((i)))shall commit the defendant to the custody of the secretary ((who shall place such defendant in an appropriate facility of the department for evaluation and treatment;
(ii) May alternatively order the defendant to undergo evaluation and treatment at some other facility or provider as determined by the department, or under the guidance and control of a professional person. The facilities or providers may include community mental health providers or other local facilities that contract with the department and are willing and able to provide treatment under this section. During the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium, the department may contract with one or more cities or counties to provide competency restoration services in a city or county jail if the city or county jail is willing and able to serve as a location for competency restoration services and if the secretary determines that there is an emergent need for beds and documents the justification, including a plan to address the emergency. Patients receiving competency restoration services in a city or county jail must be physically separated from other populations at the jail and restoration treatment services must be provided as much as possible within a therapeutic environment.))for competency restoration. Based on a recommendation from a forensic navigator and input from the parties, the court may order the defendant to receive inpatient competency restoration or outpatient competency restoration.
(i) To be eligible for an order for outpatient competency restoration, a defendant must be clinically appropriate and be willing to:
(A) Adhere to medications or receive prescribed intramuscular medication; and
(B) Abstain from alcohol and unprescribed drugs.
(ii) If the court orders inpatient competency restoration, the department shall place the defendant in an appropriate facility of the department for competency restoration under (b) of this subsection.
(iii) If the court orders outpatient competency restoration, the court shall modify conditions of release as needed to authorize the department to place the person in approved housing, which may include access to supported housing, affiliated with a contracted outpatient competency restoration program. The department, in conjunction with the health care authority, must establish rules for conditions of participation in the outpatient competency restoration program, which must include the defendant being subject to medication management and regular urinalysis testing for defendants who have a current substance use disorder diagnosis. The outpatient competency restoration program shall monitor the defendant during the defendant's placement in the program and report any noncompliance or significant changes with respect to the defendant to the department and, if applicable, the forensic navigator.
(iv) If a defendant fails to comply with the restrictions of the outpatient competency restoration program such that restoration is no longer appropriate in that setting or the defendant is no longer clinically appropriate for outpatient competency restoration, the department shall remove the defendant from the outpatient restoration program. The department shall place the defendant instead in an appropriate facility of the department for inpatient competency restoration for no longer than twenty-nine days regardless of any time spent in outpatient competency restoration, in addition to reasonable time for transport to or from the facility. The department shall notify the court and parties of the change in placement before the close of the next judicial day. The court shall schedule a hearing within five days to review the placement and conditions of release of the defendant and issue appropriate orders. The standard of proof shall be a preponderance of the evidence, and the court may in its discretion render its decision based on written submissions, live testimony, or remote testimony.
(v) The court may not issue an order for outpatient competency restoration unless the department certifies that there is an available appropriate outpatient restoration program that has adequate space for the person at the time the order is issued or the court places the defendant under the guidance and control of a professional person identified in the court order.
(b) The placement under (a) (((i) and (ii))) of this subsection shall not exceed ((fourteen))twenty-nine days ((in addition to any unused time of the evaluation under RCW 10.77.060. The court shall compute this total period and include its computation in the order. The fourteen-day period plus any unused time of the evaluation under RCW 10.77.060 shall))if the defendant is ordered to receive inpatient competency restoration, or shall not exceed ninety days if the defendant is ordered to receive outpatient competency restoration. The court may order any combination of this subsection, not to exceed ninety days. This period must be considered to include only the time the defendant is actually at the facility and shall be in addition to reasonable time for transport to or from the facility((;
(iv) May order any combination of this subsection)).
(((b)))(c) If the court has determined or the parties agree that the defendant is unlikely to regain competency, the court may dismiss the charges without prejudice without ordering the defendant to undergo restoration treatment, in which case the court shall order that the defendant be referred for evaluation for civil commitment in the manner provided in (((c)))(d) of this subsection.
(((c)))(d)(i) If the proceedings are dismissed under RCW 10.77.084 and the defendant was on conditional release at the time of dismissal, the court shall order the designated crisis responder within that county to evaluate the defendant pursuant to chapter 71.05 RCW. The evaluation may be conducted in any location chosen by the professional.
(((2)))(3) If the defendant is charged with a nonfelony crime that is not a serious offense as defined in RCW 10.77.092:
[ 2019 c 326 § 5; 2016 sp.s. c 29 § 411; 2015 1st sp.s. c 7 § 6; 2007 c 375 § 5.]
Reviser's note: RCW 10.77.088 was amended twice during the 2019 legislative session, each without reference to the other. For rule of construction concerning sections amended more than once during the same legislative session, see RCW 1.12.025.
RCW 10.77.091
RCW 10.77.092
RCW 10.77.093
RCW 10.77.094
RCW 10.77.095
RCW 10.77.097
RCW 10.77.100
RCW 10.77.110
RCW 10.77.120
RCW 10.77.140
RCW 10.77.145
RCW 10.77.150
RCW 10.77.152
RCW 10.77.155
RCW 10.77.160
RCW 10.77.163
RCW 10.77.165
RCW 10.77.170
RCW 10.77.180
RCW 10.77.190
RCW 10.77.195
RCW 10.77.200
RCW 10.77.205
RCW 10.77.207
RCW 10.77.210
RCW 10.77.2101
RCW 10.77.220
RCW 10.77.230
RCW 10.77.240
RCW 10.77.250
RCW 10.77.260
RCW 10.77.270
RCW 10.77.280
Office of forensic mental health services. (Effective until January 1, 2020.)
Office of forensic mental health services. (Effective January 1, 2020.)
(1) In order to prioritize goals of accuracy, prompt service to the court, quality assurance, and integration with other services, an office of forensic mental health services is established within the department of social and health services. The office shall be led by a director who shall have responsibility for the following functions:
(a) Coordination of all forensic evaluation services;
(b) Responsibility for assuring appropriate training of forensic evaluators;
(d) Liaison with courts, jails, and community mental health programs to ensure the proper coordination of care, flow of information, and transition to community services, when applicable;
(e) Coordination with state hospitals to identify and develop best practice interventions and curricula for services relevant to forensic patients;
(f) Coordination with the authority, managed care organizations, behavioral health administrative services organizations, community behavioral health agencies, and the department of corrections regarding community treatment and monitoring of persons on conditional release;
(g) Participation in statewide forensic data collection, analysis, and appropriate dissemination of data trends;
(h) Provide data-based recommendations for system changes and improvements; and
[ 2019 c 325 § 5033; 2015 1st sp.s. c 7 § 10.]
RCW 10.77.290
RCW 10.77.940
RCW 10.77.950