A SECOND CHANCE FOR VETS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR WAY 2015 VET COURT CON WASHINGTON, D.C. JULY 29, 2015

Transcription

1 A SECOND CHANCE FOR VETS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR WAY 2015 VET COURT CON WASHINGTON, D.C. JULY 29, 2015

2 2 MODERATOR Greg Crawford Correctional Program Specialist Community Services Division National Institute of Corrections Washington, D.C

3 3 PRESENTER Judge Robert Russell, Jr. Erie County Court Judge Drug Treatment, Mental Health Treatment Veterans Treatment Court Judge Erie County, Buffalo, NY

4 4 PRESENTER Thomas J. Berger, Ph.D. Executive Director, Veterans Health Council & Senior Advisor On Veterans Health Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)

5 5 PRESENTER Bernard Edelman Deputy Director, Policy & Government Affairs Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) extension 118

6 6 OBJECTIVES Introduce NIC s white paper on Veterans Treatment Courts: A Second Chance for Vets Who Have Lost Their Way Observations from the field and what makes these courts effective and successful; Identify the unique issues which contribute to veterans involvement in the criminal justice system; How the first court started in Buffalo, NY; How veterans courts have evolved; Lessons learned; and Q & A.

7 7 VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS Places of hope; Restore lives; Connect veterans to the benefits and treatment they have earned; Give veterans structure, treatment, and mentoring while holding them accountable; Keep veterans connected to their families; Help veterans reduce a charge and/or avoid a criminal conviction; Reduce recidivism; and Save taxpayer dollars.

8 8 SITE VISITS Erie County, Buffalo Monroe County, Rochester Harris County, Houston Cook County, Chicago El Paso County, Colorado Springs Orange County, Anaheim Vet Court Con 2014

9 9 VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS "What has been created through Veterans Treatment Courts is the most profound change in the attitude of our criminal justice system towards veterans in the history of our country." Patrick Welch Veterans Advocate Buffalo, NY

10 10 HISTORY ~ BUFFALO, NY VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS First Veterans Treatment Court, January, 2008 Buffalo, NY I never envisioned that Veterans Treatment Court would be embraced as it has been nationally. For us, it was a journey where we thought it was the right thing to do. - Judge Robert Russell, Jr.

11 11 MENTORS This is the most important thing I ve done in my life. Leo Martinez, Colorado Springs Trust is the first thing that has to be established. That is the beginning of healing. Patrick Welch, Buffalo The number one thing as a mentor is to listen. Tony Solomon, Houston

12 12 VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS Veterans Treatment Courts are part of a holistic solution to support veterans who may have actually reached the point where hopelessness has overtaken their life. General Clyde Butch Tate Senior Fellow for Veteran and Legal Affairs Justice For Vets

13 13 INVISIBLE WOUNDS OF WAR Combat Fatigue, Soldier s Heart: PTSD by Any Other Name Can Still Wreck Lives TBI: Signature Wound of the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq The Epidemic of Suicide

14 14 POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER Symptoms of PTSD can be terrifying and usually start soon after the traumatic event, although they might not surface for weeks, months, or even years. If left untreated, PTSD can affect individuals to the point that, over time, even their daily functions become seriously impaired. Thomas Berger, Ph.D.

15 15 TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY Despite the prevalence of TBI among veterans who deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, veterans of earlier wars may have undiagnosed residuals of TBI, having been injured during training or combat, involved in motor vehicle accidents during military service, and involved in accidents or falls while on active duty. Thomas Berger, Ph.D.

16 16 THE EPIDEMIC OF SUICIDE The number of reported suicides committed by veterans and members of the military has risen to the highest level since recordkeeping began three decades ago. Statistics, of course, do not paint a full picture we do know that almost 7 out of 10 veterans who have committed suicide were over the age of 50. Thomas Berger, Ph.D.

17 17 HOW WE GOT STARTED What got me thinking; Hank & Jack; Dr. Welch; Stakeholder meeting; Collaboration; and Lessons Learned.

18 18 HOW TO GET STARTED Identify a champion and key players in your jurisdiction; Get commitment from the local VA; and Find out what community resources are available.

19 19 QUESTIONS? What are the essential elements needed to establish a Veterans Treatment Court? How can we identify a champion and other key players who will work diligently to create a Veterans Treatment Court? How critical are peer mentors, and mentor training programs in the operation of a Veterans Treatment Court? How do we gauge success of Veterans Treatment Courts? How do VTCs hold justice-involved veterans accountable?

20 20 Q & A WITH PANEL Judge David Shakes, El Paso County, Colorado Springs Jack O Connor, Erie County, Buffalo Patrick Welch, Erie County, Buffalo Kisten Born, El Paso County, Colorado Springs Laura Sales, El Paso County, Colorado Springs

21 21 THE COURAGE TO REMEMBER It s not how much you accomplish in life that really counts, it s how many lives you ve touched in getting there. Lester Tenney, Ph.D. WWII Veteran Bataan Death March Survivor Prisoner of War Survivor

22 LEAVE NO VETERAN BEHIND 22