Grant Details

The Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Discretionary Grant Program provides financial and technical assistance to grantees to implement or enhance the operations of veterans treatment courts. These courts effectively integrate evidence- based substance use disorder treatment, mandatory drug testing, incentives and sanctions, and transitional services in judicially supervised court settings that have jurisdiction over veterans in the criminal justice system who have substance use disorders, including those with a history of violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of their military service. Recognizing the significant public threat of overdose deaths related to drug use, BJA also encourages approaches that seek to prevent overdose and overdose deaths.

Early and accurate identification of veterans in the criminal justice system is critical to its ability to effectively address their needs and connect them with support and resources. Applicants are expected to demonstrate their plan for early identification of eligible veterans for referral to VTCs.

Goals 

To provide VTCs and professionals in the criminal justice system with the resources needed to plan, implement, enhance, and sustain evidence-based treatment court programs for veterans with SUDs who are involved in the criminal justice system in order to reduce recidivism, increase access to treatment and recovery support, and prevent overdose. 

Objectives 

• Increase the number of potential participants screened (i.e., determine eligibility) and assessed (i.e., identity criminogenic risk, substance use or mental health conditions) from open to close of project period. 
• Ensure all grantees administer mandatory and random drug and alcohol testing of program participants to help monitor substance use and treatment progress over the project period. 
• Ensure all grantees provide or develop access to evidence-based SUD treatment, as well as recovery support services, over the project period. 
• Ensure all grantees provide or develop the capacity to access all three forms of FDA approved medications to treat SUDs over the project period.   
• Increase graduation rates for all treatment court participants actively participating in the grant program from open to close of project period. 
• Reduce the current recidivism rate among program participants actively participating in the grant program from open to close of project period.  
• Ensure all grantees, over the project period, have access to BJA treatment court resources (e.g., TTA) needed to: 
  • Effectively provide judicial and community supervision, mandatory and random drug testing, substance use and mental health disorder treatment, and appropriate incentives and sanctions.  
  • Ensure the utilization of evidence-based practices and principles that incorporate the Best Practice Standards and other relevant research.  
  • Ensure that all individuals eligible for the treatment court program have equivalent access as measured by the collection and examination of program data.