Acting Commissioner Kristin M. Woodlock, RN,
MPA
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
Division of Forensic Services
Forensic Links
New York State
- New York State Probation and Correctional Alternatives
- New York State Department of Correctional Services
- New York State Division of Parole
- New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
- New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors
Other Resources:
- The National GAINS Center for People with Co-Occurring Disorders in the Justice System
was created in 1995 as a national locus for the collection and dissemination of information about effective mental health and substance abuse services for people with co-occurring disorders who come in contact with the justice system. - Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy
at the University of Virginia is an interdisciplinary program in mental health law, forensic psychiatry, and forensic psychology. Institute activities include academic programs, forensic clinical evaluations, professional training, empirical and theoretical research, and public policy consultation and review. - Family and Corrections Network
is for and about families of offenders. It offers information, training and technical assistance on children of prisoners, parenting programs for prisoners, prison visiting, incarcerated fathers and mothers, hospitality programs, keeping in touch, returning to the community, the impact of the justice system on families, and prison marriage. With over 140,000 visitors a year, this site is the gateway to practice, policy and research on families of offenders. - Louis De La Parte Florida Mental Health Institute
is Florida's primary research and training center for mental health services and a source for research and training. - The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
is a non-profit legal advocacy organization based in Washington D.C. It is named after the federal appeals court judge whose landmark decisions pioneered the field of mental health law, and our advocacy is based on the principle that every individual is entitled to choice and dignity. Bazelon Center publishes handbooks, manuals, issue papers and reports explaining legal and policy issues in everyday terms. - The Open Society Criminal Justice Initiative
. The Open Society Institute (OSI) is a private operating and grant-making foundation that seeks to promote the development and maintenance of open societies around the world by supporting a range of programs in the areas of educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and often controversial issues. - SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
is the Federal agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses. - The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD
) includes a Forensic Division which seeks to improve the administration of state forensic systems. - The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC)
is an organization concerned with improving the quality of health care provided in jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities. NCCHC develops and maintains the nationally recognized standards for correctional health care. These standards are used to accredit jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities, and to assist public and private agencies in monitoring the quality of medical services provided in these settings. - The Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
evaluates and accredits nearly 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, JCAHO is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Since 1951, JCAHO has developed professionally based standards and evaluated the compliance of health care organizations against these benchmarks. - The American Correctional Association (ACA)
is a multi-disciplinary organization of professionals representing all facets of corrections and criminal justice, including federal, state, and military correctional facilities and prisons, county jails and detention centers, probation/parole agencies, and community corrections/halfway houses. Comprised of 78 chapters and affiliated organizations and individual members of more than 20,000. - The American Psychiatric Association
is a medical specialty society recognized worldwide. Its 40,500 U.S. and international physicians specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illnesses and substance use disorders. - Jail Diversion Programs
This University of Maryland page has links to various jail diversion programs. - The Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS) Jail Diversion Project
The goal of the Albany County Jail Diversion Project is to create a post-booking jail diversion program in Albany County, New York, for persons with mental illness and/or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse. The project will bring together key stakeholders in Albany County for the primary goal of early identification and diversion of persons with serious mental illnesses and/or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders prior to incarceration and into appropriate mental health and substance abuse treatment. - The Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM)
is a national clearinghouse for information, trainings, publications, and curriculum on effective management of sex offenders. Sample publication topics include sex offender assessment, treatment, re-entry, and supervision. Training curricula is available for download including understanding sex offenders, sex offender treatment, supervising sex offenders in the community, secondary trauma and the management of sex offenders. - The Static-99
is the most widely used sex offender risk assessment instrument. This highly researched and validated actuarial risk assessment tool is designed to assist in the prediction of sexual recidivism (defined as a new criminal charge or conviction) among male sex offenders. The instrument includes measurements of criminal history, age at the time of scheduled release, prior cohabitation with intimate partner(s), victim gender, and victim-offender relationship. Based on research within and outside the U.S., the Static-99 classifies sex offenders into one of ten levels of risk based on their history. Each Static-99 risk level has a particular expected rate of sexual recidivism. Information about the Static-99 as well as training materials and responses to frequently asked questions are available at www.static99.org
. Additionally, this website provides presentations related to the Static-99, the Static-2002, specific sex offender populations (e.g., sexual sadists, developmentally delayed sex offenders, female sex offenders, sex offender with traditional mental illness), and sex offender treatment. - The New York State Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (NYS ATSA )
is the state chapter of the international organization, Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA
). The NYS ATSA website
contains information on sex offender best practices and PowerPoint presentations related to treatment, secondary trauma, child sexual abuse prevalence, Static-99 training. - The California Coalition on Sexual Offending (CCOSO) Library
provides useful information on such topics as civil commitment, community management and treatment, community re-integration, Good Lives model, internet crimes, polygraph, pornography, recidivism, risk assessment, victim issues.
Comments or questions about the information on this page can be directed to the Division of Forensic Services.


