Armor Health expands services to include Competency Restoration Program in collaboration with the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and Valeo Community Mental Health Center

The Shawnee County Department of Corrections and their correctional healthcare partner, Armor Health (ArmorHealthcare.com), are proud to announce the expansion of services to include Competency Restoration Programming in collaboration with the Valeo Community Health Center for inmates at the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center in Topeka, Kansas.

The inclusion of these additional services in cooperation with Director Brian Cole and his leadership team, enhances Armor Health’s commitment to providing evidence-based jail and prison healthcare.

The competency restoration program provides court-ordered treatment for individuals found incompetent to stand trial (IST) due to a mental health disorder, with the goal of restoring their legal capacity to understand the proceedings and participate in their own defense. 

The jail based program aims to improve a defendant’s current ability to consult with their attorney and assist in their defense. The program works to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and lengthy wait times for services. Instead of waiting for up to a year for psychiatric care at Larned State Hospital, the new program can be delivered locally at the detention center.

“We have had as many as 30 of our inmates waiting to go through this process because they have to wait for a bed at Larned,” Department of Corrections Deputy Director Timothy Phelps said. “They’ve waited anywhere between 9 months to a year and a quarter just to get there. So this is hopefully going to be a way to move those people through our jail more quickly.” 

“Our successful partnership providing comprehensive medical and mental health services to patients in Shawnee County created the foundation for the Shawnee County leadership to add these services in coordination with Valeo to reduce the backlog of patients found incompetent to stand trial and potentially shorten their time in the detention center,” says Armor’s Chief Executive Officer, Otto Campo.

As part of the program, inmates will go through a post-restoration evaluation before returning to the courts. Construction of a new mental health facility should be completed by April 2026.

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