Jefferson County Veteran's Court Expansion

Jefferson County, Alabama seeks funding for a 48-month grant period. The project will be implemented through a subcontract with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Psychiatry- Substance Abuse Division. Grant funding is requested under Category 2: Enhancement, to implement and provide pre-adjudication expanded access to case management that will link individuals to treatment and recovery services, including medication assisted treatment (MAT); and enhance peer-facilitated relapse prevention and community integration. The Jefferson County Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) operates in Birmingham, Alabama. The minimum length of stay is 12 months, the maximum length of stay is 24 months, and the average length is 15 months. The primary target population is high-risk, high-need individuals with substance use or co-occurring disorders. A total of 75 participants will be served under the grant enhancement. Participants enrolled in the court have access to all three forms of Food and Drug Administration-approved MAT medications. National Best Practice Standard VI Complementary Treatment and Social Services (hiring of a full-time case manager and full-time peer recovery specialist); and National Best Practice Standard V-G Substance Use Disorder Treatment (connecting participants to MAT through case management services) will be addressed. Jefferson County seeks priority consideration under 1(A). The VTC has access to outpatient, intensive outpatient, medium-intensity residential, low-intensity transitional apartments, specialized co-occurring residential services, family services, MAT (all three forms), and gender-specific and family-centered services. All legally eligible veterans will be screened and assessed for the program. Those ineligible for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits will be provided support within the VTC through assessment, peer support, community referrals, and harm reduction. The internal evaluator will track a referral cohort as it progresses through the different stages of the VTC (referral, admission, and discharge) to monitor equity and identify any disparities.