Veterans treatment courts: Eligibility, service provision, and future directions

Abstract: The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) was interested in understanding the VTCs and how they serve the needs of veterans. They commissioned a study via a transfer of federal funds from BJA to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN). The study was conducted by the JCOIN Coordination and Translation Center (CTC) under the leadership of Drs. Faye S Taxman and James M. Byrne. The Veteran’s Administration participated in the study as members of the Advisory Board, which also included a representative from All Rise (formerly the National Association of Drug Court Professionals), and representatives from the judiciary, probation, and academia. This is the largest study of VTCs conducted to date, and it includes both a qualitative and a quantitative component. In phase one of the project, interviews were conducted with VTC team members in 20 separate VTCs across the country. These interviews provided a platform for VTC team members – judges, district attorneys, defense council, probation, mentors, veterans justice outreach (VJO) coordinators, treatment providers and other VTC personnel – to offer their perspectives on the service delivery features in 20 VTCs; in addition, in phase 2 (currently underway) the research team is examining treatment process data in three VTCs, while also conducting focus groups with justice-involved veterans to gain their perspective and insights. The findings from the first phase of this research project – highlighted in this special issue – uncover some of the core strengths of the VTC model, while also identifying service coordination hiccups and challenges in the implementation process. The role of the VJO is a critical component of the VTC model; phase one of this project highlights the views of VTC team members – including VJOs – on importance of VJOs to the success of veterans treatment courts.