19th JDC Veterans Treatment Court

East Baton Rouge Parish (EBRP) spans 455 square miles and is home to a diverse population of more than 440,000 Louisiana residents. The parish comprises four cities, Baton Rouge, Baker, Central, and Zachary. The 19th Judicial District Court (19th JDC) is responsible for all civil and criminal court matters in the parish. The 19th JDC operates two specialty courts: Adult Drug Court (ADC) and the David O’Quinn Pre-Trial Diversion & Recovery Program (PTD).  The current proposal is being submitted by the 19th JDC to establish a post-adjudication Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) in EBRP. The target population will be justice-involved veterans in need of substance abuse and/or mental health treatment. All treatment, including medication assisted treatment, will be provided by local court-approved treatment providers. Additional services will include support and resources to address any identified need or barrier to success, such as housing, employment, education, social, family, and medical assistance. If funded, an estimated 326 participants will be enrolled during the grant term. Length of time in the VTC will be guided by the results of a risk/need assessment at intake. At minimum, participants will be in the VTC for nine months; however, some veterans, such as those with high risk and high need will be mandated to 18 months. The average length of program participation is estimated to be 12 months.  The following reflects NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards addressed in the 19th JDC’s application and associated document and page numbers for reference:   Target Population 4, 5, 9 (Proposal Narrative) Equity and Inclusion 8 (Proposal Narrative) Roles And Responsibilities of The Judge 4 (MOU) Incentives, Sanctions, and Therapeutic Adjustments 6 (Proposal Narrative) Substance Use Disorder Treatment 11 (Proposal Narrative) Complementary Treatment and Social Services 12, 13 (Proposal Narrative) Drug and Alcohol Testing 10,11 (Proposal Narrative) Multidisciplinary Team 10, 16, 17, 18 (Proposal Narrative) Census and Caseloads 14 (Proposal Narrative) Monitoring and Evaluation 19, 20 (Proposal Narrative)  Federal Funding in the amount of $700,000 is being requested under Category 1: Planning & Implementation. The 19thJDC is not a current recipient of VTC or ADC federal funding.