Competency Attainment Board reports growth in navigators but says coverage gaps remain

Kim Larson, program administrator for the Competency Attainment Board, told the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee that the board has transitioned from a soft launch to a growth phase while building staff, policy and financial systems to operate independently.

Larson said the board has 42 forensic navigators on staff, is supporting 2,292 case assignments that represent assistance to about 942 defendants, and has certified 13 competency attainment programs. ‘‘We currently have 42 forensic navigators on board,’’ Larson said, adding that the board has assignments in roughly 80 of 87 counties. She said MCAB received over 9,000 court orders in 2025, representing about 4,500 defendants, and explained why case counts and defendant counts do not match 1:1.

Larson described navigators’ work as broader than classroom instruction: they help stabilize defendants by securing housing and basic needs, arranging assessments, coordinating with family and service providers, and then assessing whether education is appropriate. She said certified programs and the board’s defendant workbook support education, while navigators focus first on stability and service connections before pursuing competency-related instruction.

Committee members pressed Larson on outcomes and measurement. Larson acknowledged current limitations in quantitative monitoring and said MCAB is still developing the data systems and metrics needed to show how many defendants ultimately attain competency or avoid further system involvement. ‘‘We don’t quite have that ability yet to sort of drill down,’’ Larson said, and described plans to collect more program-level data and to tell qualitative success stories.

Representative Verrick described a local tragedy — the Allina Clinic shooting — as the impetus behind creating the board and asked how MCAB would prevent similar outcomes when defendants are released after being found incompetent. ‘‘This is a direct result of a tragedy,’’ Verrick said. Larson responded that the board’s intent is to monitor so-called ‘‘gap cases,’’ engage people in services, and alert courts when civil-commitment or other interventions may be appropriate; she stressed that MCAB is not a law-enforcement body and relies on courts and partners to act when individuals do not engage.

Larson said the board is recruiting more navigators and currently has a posted position with plans to hire an additional 15–20 navigators by the end of the fiscal year. She also noted the statute authorizes the board to propose legislative or rule changes to address operational needs and signaled the board will bring policy language forward during the session.

The committee did not take a formal vote on any MCAB policy in this hearing; the presentation concluded with Larson taking members’ questions and offering to follow up with additional materials and data.