NRI Releases New Reports Highlighting State Approaches to Forensic Mental Health Services and Criminal Justice Diversion

NRI Releases New Reports Highlighting State Approaches to Forensic Mental Health Services and Criminal Justice Diversion

The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute (NRI) has released three new State Profiles reports examining key aspects of forensic mental health services and criminal justice diversion across state mental health agencies. 

Based on responses from 40 states collected in Spring 2025, these reports provide current insights into competency to stand trial evaluations, competency restoration services, and criminal justice diversion programs. Together, they offer a snapshot of state policies, service delivery, emerging trends, and ongoing challenges to inform system improvement and support states in strengthening behavioral health and justice partnerships.

• Competency Evaluations: Examines adult competency to stand trial evaluations across 40 states, including evaluation settings, outcomes, waitlists, statutes, and recent policy and service changes.
• Competency Restoration: Highlights adult competency restoration practices across 40 states, including service locations, forensic patient trends, restoration statutes, waitlists, outpatient restoration models, and recent initiatives.
• Criminal Justice Diversion: Reviews diversion programs across 40 states that connect adults with mental illness to behavioral health services, including pre-arrest and post-booking diversion, reentry supports, and community supervision opportunities.

Profiles reports are available at: www.nri-inc.org/profiles. State Mental Health Agency staff have access to detailed accompanying materials through the NRI’s State Profiles restricted access website. Please contact NRI at [email protected] with any questions or comments.