Forensic Services
Superior/State Courts:
The Office of Forensic Services provides forensic evaluation and treatment for individuals who are under the jurisdiction of the Superior and State Courts of Georgia. Specifically, Forensic Services complete evaluations on the legal issues of competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility (insanity) in response to a court order. DBHDD also provides inpatient restoration and treatment for individuals adjudicated incompetent to stand trial or acquitted not guilty by reason of insanity who meet inpatient criteria as defined by §37-3. In addition, DBHDD provides outpatient competency restoration services and community monitoring of individuals under court jurisdiction per §17-7-130 or §17-7-131.
We respectfully request that all superior and state court orders related to DBHDD Forensic Services (evaluations, competency restoration, treatment, commitment, conditional releases, passes, etc.) and other materials listed above be sent to either of the following:
Fax: (770) 359-5238
Email: [email protected]
When sending a referral for evaluation, please:
- Send a signed/dated court order specifying the type of evaluation. Judges are not required to use the court orders below but are welcome to use them.
Draft
Order 1- Initial Competency to Stand Trial Evaluation
Draft
Order 2 - Criminal Responsibility or Insanity Evaluation
- Compete the
Adult Evaluation
and Remediation Referral Form
.
- Please have the defendant initial, sign, print and date a
Release
of Information
for every agency involved with the defendant including the jail and mental health agencies. - To expedite evaluation completion, include any and all discovery and records available – criminal history, mental health records including prior evaluations, jail medical/mental health treatment records and any school records.
Questions? (470) 501-6981
- For Court Personnel: Download the
Adult
Outpatient Restoration Program Brochure for Courts
- For Defendants: Download the
Adult
Outpatient Restoration Program Fact Sheet for Program Participants (English)
or
Adult
Outpatient Restoration Program Fact Sheet for Program Participants (Spanish)
Juvenile Courts:
The Office of Forensic Services provides statutorily mandated evaluations as well as community-based competency remediation services to the Juvenile Courts of Georgia. Evaluation types include competency to proceed, behavioral health evaluations (BHEs), as well as jurisdictional transfer evaluations.
As of August 2024, we have a new packet for juvenile referrals. Judges are not required to use the court orders below but are welcome to use them and adapt them as needed. Please contact us if you would like a copy of the orders you can edit. These are “form fill only.”
When sending a referral please:
- Send a signed/dated
Behavioral
Health and Competency Court Order
or
Competency/Remediation
Court Order
for evaluation specifying the type of evaluation or remediation services. Judges are not required to use these court orders but are welcome to use them.
- Compete the
Juvenile
Referral Form
.
- For evaluations only - Have the parent initial, sign, print and date a
Release
of Information
for every agency involved with the youth – school, mental health etc.
- For evaluations only - Ask parents/guardians to complete the
Parent/Guardian
Questionnaire
before leaving the courthouse and send the completed questionnaire with the referral.
- Include any and all records available - any and all prior incident and investigative reports, complaints, history of school grades, attendance, and disciplinary records, special education records including IEPs and Psychoeducational Evaluations, mental health records including prior evaluations, probation compliance reports, and RYDC disciplinary reports if applicable.
We respectfully request that all juvenile court orders related to DBHDD Forensic Services be sent to either of the following:
Fax: (770) 293-5957
Email: [email protected]
Questions? (770) 343-1829
- For Court Personnel: Download the
Juvenile
Outpatient Restoration Program for Courts
- For Juveniles and Families: Download the
Juvenile
Outpatient Program Brochure for Youth and Families (English)
or
Juvenile
Outpatient Program Brochure for Youth and Families (Spanish)
Forensic Services is experiencing delays in admitting individuals to our hospitals due, in part, to increased demand for inpatient treatment. As of November 1, 2024, our current wait time for admission is approximately 353 days for males and 282 days for females.