Shelby County Veterans Treatment Court Enhancement Program

The purpose of this grant project is to enhance the capacity of the treatment and recovery support services available to participants in the Shelby County Veterans Treatment Court (SCVTC), a pre- and post-adjudication court; and continue to provide participants with the opportunity for recovery and equip them with the tools needed to be productive members of their community. The court staff has identified the primary service gap as being the lack of timely access to treatment, which is most often provided through the Memphis Department of Veterans Affairs. The identified target populations for the SCVTC program are criminal justice-involved veterans in Shelby County (male) who have a primary diagnosis of substance use disorder.

A minimum of 12 months of active treatment is required for participants to complete the program and most participants complete the program in 12 to 18 months. Each phase includes court and supervision requirements and addresses specific treatment and recovery goals and overdose prevention strategies, with therapeutic interventions and rehabilitative directives needed to advance to the next phase. The SCVTC supports the use of evidence-based and Food and Drug Administration -approved forms of medications. No otherwise eligible veteran will be denied access to the court’s program because of their use of such medication. Participants are grouped as high-risk/high-need, high-risk/low-need, low-risk/high-need, or low-risk/low-need based on their assessment results. Expected outcomes include improving public safety by reducing recidivism among community residents and increasing recovery capital. Subrecipient activities include job preparation, career exploration and planning, teaching harm reduction techniques, and training opportunities.