Program Deliverables

The goal of the VTC Initiative is to develop, and take to scale, a set of evidence-based screening and assessment tools, and case planning protocols for veteran treatment courts. Below are links to the current versions of program deliverables:

• VET-S Short Screener: Short pre-adjudication screening tool will be used to identify veterans as they enter the justice system and measure their risk of re-offending prior to case disposition. This tool will help courts and criminal justice professionals to appropriately identify veterans early and promptly connect them to a veterans treatment court.
• VET-Q Comprehensive Assessment: Comprehensive risk-need assessment tool will allow VTC staff to learn more about individuals’ needs and criminogenic risk factors. This information will help VTCs confirm participant eligibility.
• User Guide: Document is comprised of two sections. The first section of the User Guide includes a general summary of the administrative guidelines for the tools. The second section provides specific guidance on how to score individual questions.
• Online VTC Screening and Assessment Tool Training

Publications

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), November 2018. This fact sheet provides information about BJA's Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program, which is designed to equip courts and community supervision systems with the necessary tools and resources using the most current evidence-based practices and principles to intervene with substance abusing participants while preparing them for success in the community.

Drug Courts Flyer, BJA, National Institute of Justice, and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Updated annually, this brief presents an overview of drug courts across the country.

Drug Court Best Practice Standards, National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), 2018. NADCP identified 10 best practice standards, volumes I and II. These standards represent the cumulative body of the most current evidence-based practices available to drug courts to effectively operationalize the drug court 10 key components.

Teleservices: Happening Now! BJA-Sponsored, Center for Court Innovation, June 2017. This fact sheet details the implementation of innovative teleservices programs in seven jurisdictions around the country to enhance drug treatment courts.

Ten Key Components for Veterans Treatment Courts, Justice for Vets, March 2017. Modeled after the adult drug court key components, these key components provide the foundation for the successful operation of a veterans treatment court.

Drug Court Review: Veterans Treatment Court, Winter 2018 Issue, BJA-Sponsored, National Drug Court Resource Center. The winter 2018 issue of the Drug Court Review focuses on veterans treatment courts (VTCs) to develop a deeper understanding of how these courts work. The issue is a curated compilation of research articles, a practitioner note, and a legal commentary designed to increase knowledge about VTCs and call attention to areas in need of inquiry or further consideration.

National Veterans Day Toolkit (November 11), Justice for Vets. November is a great opportunity for veterans treatment courts to engage their community on the inspiring, lifesaving work VTCs do every day. The Justice For Vets National Veterans Day Toolkit outlines the many ways to recognize the commitment and sacrifice made by veterans in VTC programs and in the community throughout the month.

Ten Key Components for Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts, BJA-Sponsored, Tribal Law and Policy Institute, April 2003. This publication is organized around 10 key components, adapted for Indian Nations and tribal justice systems, which describe the basic elements that define Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts. The purpose of each key component is explained, followed by several recommended practices that give guidance for implementing each component.

Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Case Management, BJA-Sponsored, Tribal Law and Policy Institute, May 2018. This resource is designed to provide tribal healing to wellness courts and their staff a guide to effective case management and the case manager role.

Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Treatment Guidelines (2nd Edition), BJA-Sponsored, Tribal Law and Policy Institute, November 2017. This resource provides tribal communities with an overview of Western substance abuse treatment strategies, drawing upon drug court standards and best practices, and the experiences of hundreds of tribal and state adult and juvenile drug courts.

Websites

National Drug Court TTA Partners

Center for Court Innovation
The Center for Court Innovation creates operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performs original research to determine what works (and what does not), and provides expert assistance to justice reformers around the world.

National Drug Court Resource Center (NDCRC)
Managed by the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, the NDCRC mission is to equip the drug court field with a wide variety of open and accessible resources and research, helping treatment courts run more effectively.

National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)
NADCP is a training, membership, and advocacy organization for the treatment court model, which now includes over 3,000 programs found in every state, 4 territories, and over 20 countries.

National Drug Court Institute (NDCI)
NDCI was formed in response to a need for standardized, evidence-based training and technical assistance as a result of the rapid expansion of problem-solving courts across the United States.

Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
The Tribal Law and Policy Institute works under a grant program to provide training and technical assistance to tribal healing to wellness courts.