EXPANDING VETERANS TREATMENT COURT TO INCLUDE A VETERANS MENTOR PROGRAM AND INCREASING SOBER SUPPORT SERVICES

The recipient requested funding to expand sober support services to an already existed VTC by adding a Veteran Mentor Program. Our VTC Program is post-Adjudication.
Total number of participants proposed to be served: 15/year (60 for the grant cycle); Minimum time of participation is 15 months; Average participation is 550 days for graduates and 344 days for those who are terminated); No maximum length of participation determined.
Target population: Participants must be Fairfield County, OH residents, legally and clinically eligible and on probation in Municipal Court. Participants to be included in VTC will meet these requirements and be of Veteran status. All participants must be screened through state-mandated Ohio Risk Assessment System and determined high-risk. VTC has access to several treatment agencies who serve on the treatment and advisory committees who offer evidence-based withdrawal and treatment services.
Plan to provide treatment: Goal/Objective: Assess all incoming participants for appropriateness of the following treatment approach: MAT; Co-occurring treatment; Trauma/PTSD (EMDR); Gender-specific groups; Aftercare; IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program); Outcome: All participants will be regularly assessed to determine appropriateness of Specialized Treatment Approaches. Justification: Specialized approaches are needed within VTC to address issues outside the scope of drug and alcohol treatment to address underlying causes of addiction.
Resources/retention data to ensure disparities do not exist: Eligible veterans will have equal access to the program through the identification of eligible participants in the following manners: 1) Our treatment team’s VJO will coordinate with the Reentry Coordinator at the jail to early identify veterans through VRSS and through the VA group that meets weekly at our jail and facilitated by the VJO and Reentry Coordinator. 2) One dedicated Probation Officer supervises all individuals identified as a veteran on probation. These individuals will be monitored for potential participation in VTC. All retention data is collected through a spreadsheet for future reporting to PMT.