Transcript Keynote presentation - Johnson County Bar Association

The Kansas City VA Medical Center
And
Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Court
The mission of the Kansas City Municipal Veterans’
Treatment Court is to offer treatment and services which
address the issues of substance abuse, mental health, and
other barriers to leading law abiding, productive lives
within our community. We will reduce drug and alcohol
abuse, lower recidivism rates, and lessen the financial
impact on our community through providing
comprehensive treatment services and helping our
veterans regain their wholeness within the country they
have defended.
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Protect the Public
Reduce participant
contact with the
criminal justice
system
Reduce the cost
associated with
criminal case
processing and rearrest
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Reduce homelessness
Connect Veterans to
VA services.
Introduce participants
to an ongoing process
of recovery designed
to help them become
stable, employed and
substance abuse free
while continuing
mental health care
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Kansas City Municipal VTC began in August
2009
First Graduation Ceremony - April 21, 2010
Modeled after Judge Robert Russell’s Veterans
Treatment Court – January 2008
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Specialist Daniel
OIF/OEF Veteran
Army Combat
Veteran
27 year old Father
PTSD
War on Terrorism
Service Medal and
Combat Action Badge
Daniel returned from
Iraq a changed young
man.
The Model
•Modeled
The Honorable Ardie Bland
Municipal Court Judge
as a “treatmentbased” court
•Hybrid of Mental Health
Court and Drug Court
•Veterans are given the
opportunity to receive
treatment and services as
opposed to receiving the
“standard” sentence in their
case
•Participation is voluntary
and comprehensive
Key
Players on
the Vet
Court
Team
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Law Enforcement Officers
Judge Ardie Bland
Veteran Justice Outreach
Coordinator
Prosecuting Attorney
Legal Aid
Probation
Mentor Coordinator
Volunteer Mentors-Veterans
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Department of Veteran
Affairs
Department of Benefit
Administration
Prosecuting Attorney
Legal Aid
Mentors
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Volunteer Attorneys
Task Force –
Committees
Jails
Other Treatment Courts
Law Enforcement
Probation
Law
Enforcement
Justice
System
VA
• Citation or Arrest
• Identified as a Veteran on the citation or ticket
• Identified as a Veteran in the detention facility
• Identified as a Veteran
• VTC is offered
• Agrees to participate in VTC
• Assessed for treatment needs
• Receives treatment including medical, substance abuse,
housing, and mental health services
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Veteran is screened by
the probation
department to
determine eligibility.
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 Veteran must have a
treatment need.
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Dockets are currently
set every Wednesday at
2:30pm
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If the Veteran is deemed
eligible to participate
they then contact the VA
for a biopsychosocial
assessment
If they do not wish to
participate their case is
continued to a traditional
docket.
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Participation is minimum 12 months and
consist of Four Phases.
68 Veterans Admitted in 2014.
85% of Drug Test were negative.
1,267 court appearances made by 96 Vet
Court participants from January 2014-2016.
676 Incentives and 195 Sanctions.
Average age is 52
Diversion or charges dismissed/Probation
Terminated
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Phase 1
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Phase 3
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Graduation
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Phase 2
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Phase 4
Michael
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Vietnam Veteran
Numerous contact with Law Enforcement
Homeless
Co-Occurring
Multiple Attempts at engagement/treatment
Successfully graduated from Vet Court in 2015
First Veteran’s
Court Graduation
•On
April 21, 2010, three of the first
Veteran’s Court Program
participants graduated from the
Veteran’s Court Program during a
brief ceremony and reception at the
Kansas City, MO Municipal
Courthouse
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Develop MOU
Develop Aftercare Plan
Revise Mentor and Participant Handbooks
Annually
Develop plan for grief counseling.
Staff Development
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Currently have 20 participants.
Grant to assist veterans with barriers to
housing or treatment.
Continued focus on The Mayors Challenge to
End Veteran Homelessness.
Continued enhancement for programming
available at the VA.
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Strength at Home programs.
• Batterers Intervention specific to Veterans
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Continue to gather metrics and data.
Utilize NADCP best practices.
Evaluate program guidelines to make
improvements as necessary.
Continue to understand the individual needs of
Veterans and work to find resources to address
those needs.
Provide Training to mentors and increase
Mentor Capacity.
The Mission of the Veterans’ Mentoring Program
is to make certain to the best of our abilities that
no one is left behind. We will find them, offer
them assistance, assess their needs, and help them
solve their problems. We will support the veteran
through their readjustment to civilian life, assist
the veteran navigate through the court, treatment,
and VA systems, and act as a mentor, advocate
and ally.
Roles and Responsibilities
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Recruit and train volunteer Veterans’ Court mentors
Assist in the retention of volunteer mentors
Organize and conduct training for volunteer mentors.
Assist in supervision of mentors
Assist in the development of specialized training
projects for the program
Perform all other duties as assigned by Justice
Outreach Coordinator and the Judge
Roles and Responsibilities
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Attend court sessions when scheduled
Participate in and lead mentoring sessions with
veterans when assigned by the Judge
Be supportive and understanding of the difficulties
veterans face
Assist the veterans as much as possible to resolve their
concerns around the court procedures as well as
interactions with the Veteran’s Administration system
Be supportive and helpful to the other mentors within
the program
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Be a veteran
Commit to program participation for a
minimum of one year
Complete screening process
Complete the required training procedures
Be a willing volunteer
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Veteran Volunteer Attorney Program (VetVap)
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Volunteer Attorneys (both Veterans and non-Veterans)
Law firms providing pro-bono legal services
Have attorneys in Kansas and Missouri
To date have assisted over 57 veterans
Stand Down
 Veteran Justice Outreach Coordinator
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 Assists
with identifying justice involved Veterans and linking to
appropriate treatment services
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Kelly McDaniel Veteran Justice Outreach
Coordinator (816) 861-4700 ext 56463
Dennis Johnson Mentor Coordinator
(816) 510-9802 or [email protected]
Judge Ardie Bland
Questions