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Admission Evaluations

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) provide inpatient treatment, inpatient forensic evaluation, and testimony regarding defendants who have been evaluated by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist and adjudicated as incompetent to proceed legally.  The cost for this treatment, evaluation, and testimony is currently borne by DMH and MSH.

Inpatient Forensic Services at Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) are available for criminal-court involved individuals in Mississippi:

  1. Pretrial defendants who have been adjudicated by a Mississippi Court as incompetent to proceed legally, and are in need of inpatient treatment for competence restoration, and
  2. Pretrial defendants adjudicated by a Mississippi Court as Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI), and are considered by the Court to need inpatient treatment until such time that they are restored to reason and no longer dangerous to the community, and
  3. Individuals who are considered to be extremely high-risk mentally ill individuals.  This category is generally reserved for individuals who have been previously referred to inpatient forensic services for competence restoration on violent charges, but have been determined to be not competent and not restorable and referred for civil commitment.

Documentation requirements for admission evaluations are the same as for Initial evaluations.  If necessary documentation was provided to the Forensic Evaluation Service (FES) as part of an initial evaluation order, then no additional documentation is required with the Order for admission.  If the initial evaluation that determined incompetence for a defendant was completed by an evaluator without FES involvement, then the information requirements are the same as for an initial evaluation, namely:

  1. A copy of this order and any and all related motion(s), exhibit(s) and materials Admission Order Template;
  2. A completed Patient Information Form (PIF) as provided by Forensic Services at Mississippi State Hospital Patient Info Form;
  3. Information concerning the alleged crime(s) and legal history, including:
    1. Discovery Materials; Indictment; name(s) of the charge(s); date(s); accounts of the alleged crime(s) including investigators' report(s); arrest report(s); any statements made by witnesses, victims, and Defendant;
    2. A copy of the Defendant's prior local arrest record and N.C.I.C. or F.B.I. Identification report;
  4. Information concerning the defendant’s mental health and medical history, including:
    1. A copy of the report and file of any psychiatric/psychological expert providing any previous forensic opinion or evaluation of the Defendant;
    2. All relevant medical/psychiatric/psychological records, and all relevant educational and Court (including Youth Court) and employment records;
  5. Proof of a completed certificate of compliance filed with the Court documenting that the available medical and criminal history records were submitted to the examining mental health expert in accordance with MRCrP 12.2(e).

Detailed Instructions for Court Personnel:

Ordering Inpatient Treatment for Individuals Determined to be Not Competent to Proceed:

1. County Clerk Sends Form Order to State Hospital:

   - The County Clerk completes and sends the form order to the Forensic Evaluation Service at Mississippi State Hospital (MSH).  At minimum, the order should authorize treatment and transportation of the defendant, and waive privilege for receipt of records.  The forensic mental evaluation used to adjudicate incompetence must be provided.  The form order for admissions to MSH Forensic Services is available here: Admission Order Template

2. County Receives Forensic Identification Number (FID):

   - After reviewing the Form Order, MSH assigns a Forensic Identifier (FID) to the individual referred for treatment.

   - The FID will be transmitted by email to Defense Counsel, District Attorney, Sheriff, Court Clerk, and Judge.

   - The FID will serve as a unique identifier for the defendant throughout the evaluation and, if necessary, the admission process. 

   - If a FID was already assigned as part of the initial evaluation process, this identifier remains the same while the individual is awaiting admission.

3. Submit Required Documents to MSH:

   - Defense counsel or court-assigned individual gathers all required documents as specified in the form order, including:

  1. A copy of this order and any and all related motion(s), exhibit(s) and materials Admission Order Template;
  2. A completed Patient Information Form (PIF) as provided by Forensic Services at Mississippi State Hospital Patient Info Form;
  3. Information concerning the alleged crime(s) and legal history, including:
    1. Discovery Materials; Indictment; name(s) of the charge(s); date(s); accounts of the alleged crime(s) including investigators' report(s); arrest report(s); any statements made by witnesses, victims, and Defendant;
    2. A copy of the Defendant's prior local arrest record and N.C.I.C. or F.B.I. Identification report;
  4. Information concerning the defendant’s mental health and medical history, including:
    1. A copy of the report and file of any psychiatric/psychological expert providing any previous forensic opinion or evaluation of the Defendant;
    2. All relevant medical/psychiatric/psychological records, and all relevant educational and Court (including Youth Court) and employment records;
  5. Proof of a completed certificate of compliance filed with the Court documenting that the available medical and criminal history records were submitted to the examining mental health expert in accordance with MRCrP 12.2(e) Attorney Attestation

   - If required records were provided to MSH FES as part of the initial evaluation of

competence, these records do not require resubmittal for inpatient admission and treatment.

4. Check Progress:

   - Throughout the admission waiting process, a county can check the progress by entering the Forensic Identification Number (FID) into the search tab on the Forensic Evaluation Service at MSH website (https://www.forensicservices.msh.ms.gov/fid).

5. When a bed is available for admission, Forensic Services will notify the Sheriff to arrange transportation to inpatient treatment at MSH.