Dr. Pinals was appointed by U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman to act as a neutral expert in the Mink (Aid and Assist) and Bowman (GEI) cases. She worked collaboratively with Disability Rights Oregon, Metropolitan Public Defenders (MPD), Oregon Health Authority (Behavioral Health) and the Oregon State Hospital (OSH) to develop recommendations to address capacity issues.
Dr. Pinals' first report, submitted on Jan. 30, 2022, outlines a short-term plan to shorten admission wait times for the hospital. The second report, submitted to the court on June 5, 2022, outlines a long-term plan for remaining in compliance with the seven-day admission requirement.
As described in Dr. Pinals' June 2022 report, the new time limits are clinically supported and based on time limits for competency restoration imposed in other states. Dr. Pinals reviewed statutes from multiple states and a summary of state restoration statutes published in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. She also spoke with many stakeholders, including OSH patients, peer recovery specialists, behavioral healthcare providers, defense and prosecuting attorneys, the Psychiatric Security Review Board members, and others for a comprehensive view of varying perspectives and suggestions.