Veterans Treatment Courts

What is a Veterans Treatment Court?

Judge Robert Russell

Role of The Veteran Mentor

Jack O’Connor

You’re out! Finished at Faber!

Expelled!! I want you off this

campus at nine o’clock Monday

morning, and I’ve contacted your

local draft boards and told them

that your were all, all eligible for

military service.

Dean Vernon Wormer

Faber College

Animal House

“You can’t create a monster,

then whine when it stomps on a

few buildings.”

Lisa Simpson

Recently Returned Veterans

2.4 million served in Iraq and Afghanistan

1.44 million now eligible for VA health care

774,000 have obtained VA health care

Top two diagnoses:

– Musculoskeletal ailments 56%

– Mental disorders 52%

Rand Study (2008)27%-33% at risk for mental-health problems such as

PTSD and major depression

About 320,000 veterans have experienced traumatic

brain injury

Veterans in Arizona

(VA Statistics)Over 527,000 living in Arizona

Largest Age Group 65-69 - 72,179

Second Largest 60-64 - 51,879

Women veterans – 59,200

Native American - Over 11,000

March 2010 – 2884 AZ DOC inmates self reported as

veterans (39 women) = 7% of prison population

Veterans Courts

Are NOT a free pass

They are:

– Problem solving courts

– Utilizing rigorous treatment programs

– Emphasizing personal ACCOUNTABILITY

Veterans Courts in Arizona

Maricopa County Superior Court (probation)

Coconino County Superior Court (diversion)

Pima County Justice Court

Tucson; Phoenix; Lake Havasu City; Flagstaff; Tempe;

and Mesa Municipal Courts

Arizona Federal District Court

Possible New Courts in Arizona

Pinal, La Paz, Yavapai, Mohave, Gila and San Cruz

Counties

Cochise County Justice Court (end of year)

East Valley (Chandler, Gilbert, San Tan Justice)

Glendale

Hopi Tribal Court

Colorado River Indian Tribal Courts

Arizona Veterans’ Hall of Fame Society

Buffalo’s Experience:

Veterans Treatment Court

Buffalo Veterans court started in January 2008

Judge Robert Russell started seeing Veterans coming

Through his Drug/Mental Health Courts

Year long meetings with VA Hospital 2007-2008

Mentor program also began in 2008

NATIONAL EXPERIENCE

CURRENTLY 235 VETERANS COURTS IN US

CLOSE TO 10,000 VETERANS IN THESE COURTS

A specialized criminal court docket

Established to address the needs of

veteran-defendants with substance

dependency and/or mental illness issues

Majority non-violent felony or

misdemeanor offenses (violent offenses:

case by case)

Substitution of treatment problem solving

model for traditional court processing

KEY COMPONENTS

Key Components adapted from Drug Treatment and

Mental Health Treatment Courts

Resources: Justice for Vets

Veterans Treatment Court Clearinghouse

www.justiceforvets.org

Also

www.buffaloveteranscourt.org

Unique Components

Court entirely of Veterans

Veterans Health Care Worker(s) & Services

Veteran Mentors

Therapeutic Environment

Hybrid Drug & Mental Health Court

The Court Room

Veterans (family members?)

Legal defense team & Prosecutor

Court staff

Veteran health care professionals

Veteran peer mentors

AOD health care professionals

Mental health professional

VA benefit coordinators

Ask the right question– Have you ever served in the United States Armed Forces (to include

the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard; Active

duty, Reserves, or National Guard)?

Ask early, ask often– Initial law enforcement contact all the way through sentencing

– Screen existing treatment court clients

– Some Veterans will not self-identify

Identifying your Veterans

Target Population/Eligibility

Combat vs. Non-combat

Violent Offenders

Active Duty, Reservists, National Guard

High Risk, High Need

Military Discharge Status

VA Eligibility

Differing VTC Approaches

Substance Abuse

and/or Mental Health

related to military

service

Current and returning

OEF/OIF Veterans (as

prevention target)

Honorable or General

discharged Veterans

only (i.e., eligible for

VHA services)

Combat Veterans

only

Violent offenders (to

include Domestic

Violence) not

normally accepted in

other treatment

courts

Reserve, National

Guard or Active Duty

military

V.A. Health Care Worker

Veterans Justice Outreach, (VJO)

Liaison

Obtaining VA Releases of Information

Facilitating VA linkages for services

Coordinating and providing VA status

report regarding Tx, toxs, appointments,

etc.

Case management & crisis management

The Role of the

Mentor In

Veterans

Treatment

Court

Mentoring Models Vary

• I will present The Buffalo Model Mentoring 101

• There are other mentor models

• What works for your Court?

• DEVELOP A STATEWIDEMODEL MANY STATES HAVE DONE

THIS AND IT WORKS

• All models share several key concepts :

• -mentors are not Counselors

• -Mentors are not Drill Sergeants’

• -maintain confidentially

• -most important BE A FRIEND WAR BUDDY

Leave No Veteran Behind

What is a Veteran Mentor?

• A Friend, War Buddy, Advocate

• Acts as a resource to the veteran

Defendant

• Helps veteran and their families

navigate the VA ,Social Services and

other Systems

• Served or is serving in the U.S. Military

• Is not a Counselor

VOLUNTEER

WHAT A MENTOR IS NOT

• A MENTOR IS NOT A COUNSELOR

• A MENTOR IS NOT A MENTEES PRIEST

• A MENTOR IS NOT MENTEES BANKER

• A MENTOR IS NOT MENTEES INTIMATE PARTNER

• A MENTOR IS NOT A MENTEES LAWYER

• STAY IN YOUR LANE

KEY COMPONENTS OF ANY MENTOR PROGRAM

• DOCUMENT YOUR MENTOR PROGRAM

• VETERANS ADVOCATES’

• ACCREDITED SERVICE OFFICIERS

• VETS CENTER

• COLLEGE VETERAN COORDINATORS

• WOMEN

• VA HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS

• DEVELOP RESORCE LIST

• RESERVES - NATIONAL GUARD

• SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (VVA,VFW,ETC)

The Mentor Coordinator

• Essential to maintaining the success of the

Veteran Mentor Program

– DOCUMENT YOUR MENTOR PROGRAM

– Recruit volunteer Veteran mentors

– Assist in their retention

– Organize and conduct their training

– Supervise your mentors

– Perform duties as assigned by Project Director

and Judge

– Sustain and evolve the Veteran Mentor

Program

– Run your “Not For- Profit” or other program

•

Mentors’ Duties & Responsibilities

• Attend Court scheduled sessions

• Participate in and lead mentoring sessions when

assigned by the judge

• Be supportive and understanding of the

difficulties the veteran clients are facing

• Assist the veteran clients as much as possible to

resolve any concerns

around the court or VA

• systems

Mentors’ Duties & Responsibilities

• Assist the veteran clients on how to access and

navigate the Veteran’s Health Care and Disability

Systems

• Be supportive and helpful to other veteran

mentors

• Communicate and stay close to the Court

Coordinator and Your Judge

Matching Policy

• Branch of service

• Occupational specialty

• Combat experience

• Similar age/gender/ethnicity

• Specific skill of a mentor matched to the

need of a mentee

• Previous sessions where the mentor and

mentee were matched

• THIS CAN CHANGE AS TIME PASSES

Mentor process KEEP IT SIMPLE

• All MENTORS ARE VETERAN ADVOCATES

• YOU ARE A RESOURCE FOR THE VET

• HELP VET AND FAMILY NAVIGATE SYSTEMS

• MAKE SURE VA HEALTHCARE AND ANY DISABILITY CLAIMS

ARE IN PLACE

• 50% OF TIME YOU ARE JUST A FRIEND

• TRAINING IS IN HOW TO NAVIGATE SYSTEMS NOT IN”

COUNSELING”

• SET UP TRAINING SESSIONS

Mentor Dos and Don’ts

Is it appropriate or inappropriate for a Mentor to do?”

•Act as a counselor.

•Escort participant to VA or other appointment.

•Eat lunch with participant.

•Have a beer with mentee

Mentor Professions

• Police

• School teachers

• Social workers

• Lawyers

• Businessmen

• Labor

• Students

• Religious

• Vet Center

• Reserves and National Guard

• Veteran Service organizations (e.g., Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, Disabled American Vets, etc. )

501c3 “Not for Profit” status

• Donations come from many sources

• Donations are used to help Veterans

• Transportation Issues bus passes

• Rent/mortgage payments

• Furniture

• Small appliances

• Travel

• ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO COLLECT MONEY? YOU WILL

BE GIVEN MONEY BE READY

Start Small

• Find coordinator

• Document your Mentor program

• Only need or 2 or 3 mentors to start

• Slowly build Resource Book – Use it!

• Keep Logbook

• Be careful on Mental Health cases

• DON’T OVERWHELM MENTORS

• MAKE SURE YOUR MENTOR

QUIDELINES ARE DOCUMENTED

CONTACT INFORMATION

Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court

Jack OConnor

716-858-7345

OCONNORJ@ERIE.GOV

www.buffaloveteranscourt.org

Thank you for your ServiceGood Luck with your Mentor Programs

Can I ask you a question?

What is it?

It is an interrogative statement used to test knowledge.

But that isn’t important now.

Airplane

And don’t call me Shirley!!!