Pitt County Veterans Treatment Court

Pitt County is seeking funding under Category 1 for the planning and implementation of the Pitt County Veterans Treatment Court Program (PITT VTC) for a four-year grant period. Pitt County is in the rural eastern area of the state of North Carolina, about a two-hour drive from the state capital in Raleigh. The program will address the unique needs of veterans with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental illnesses or posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, who have been engaged in high-risk, non-violent offenses. The program will be a post-adjudication sentencing alternative. The PITT VTC will meet bi-weekly for judicial review of progress with evidence-based treatment providers, implement mandatory drug testing through probation, establish incentives and sanctions, as well as supportive mentoring partnerships and transitional services. There are currently no existing services specific to the unique needs of court-involved veterans in Pitt County, despite multiple military bases being within a few hours. The program will evaluate the services in partnership with local colleges and university volunteers and set up a case management system to track data, Pitt County will set capacity limits of no more than 30 participants at any given time receiving services in the program, with the goal of serving a minimum of 50 participants over the life of the grant, with a successful graduation rate of at least 65 percent. This will require ongoing training for the treatment team in order that all staff are following national best practice standards and protocols. The county will utilize the Department of Veterans Affairs and a local behavioral health management entity to contract with community-service providers. All participants will be referred for trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment that will include substance abuse and behavioral therapy, as well as medically assisted treatment using Food and Drug Administration approved medications.

Pitt County understands that there is not a one size fits all program. The program will hire a Treatment Court Coordinator to identify appropriate offenders based on equitable set criteria and connect them with individually tailored intervention strategies. Participants will commit to a minimum of 12 months but may go up to 36 months in special circumstances. The PITT VTC success rate will be based on a reduction in recidivism and connection of participants with treatment, peer mentors, and programs for educational and vocational resources and housing assistance to increase the chances for positive outcomes in the workplace and community in the long-term.