We put the OT in competency restoration

What happens when a person’s mental illness prevents them from collaborating with their attorney in the criminal legal process? Currently, the lack of effective behavioral health services for people who have active charges results in major barriers for progressing through the judicial process. The Denver Health and Hospital Authority (DHHA) Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Unit is one of the few inpatient hospital facilities in Colorado working toward resolving this issue through a unique competency restoration program led by two full time occupational therapists (OTs). Since June 2020, the Colorado Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health has contracted with DHHA to provide inpatient competency restoration. As of March 2025, more than 200 individuals have been treated by this competency restoration program.