In December 2018, Commander Walt Cusick and Servce Officer Jim Mitchell sponsored two veterans who graduated from Cobb County Veterans Court. They worked with Mens Warehouse to get them outfitted for the newest phase of their lives.
Cobb County Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court (VTC) seeks to divert eligible veteran defendants with substance dependency and/or mental illness that are charged with criminal offenses, to a specialized criminal court. The court substitutes a treatment problem solving model for traditional court processing. The program began on June 13, 2014 by Cobb County Superior Court Judge Reuben M. Green, a Post 29 member.
The veterans voluntarily participate in a judicially supervised treatment plan that a team of court staff, veteran health care professionals, veteran peer mentors, and health care professionals develop with the veteran. At regular status hearings, treatment plans including counseling, job training, while other conditions are periodically reviewed for appropriateness, incentives are offered to reward adherence to court conditions, and sanctions for non-adherence are handed down.
Program Description
Many veterans are known to have a warrior’s mentality and often do not address their treatment needs for physical and psychological health care. Often those who are referred to the Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court (VTC) are homeless, helpless, in despair, suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, and others have serious mental illnesses.
Their lives have been spiraling out of control. Through this program, the veteran is offered the opportunity to regain stability in their lives, employment for the employable, housing for the homeless, and to have their families strengthened.
Our mission is to successfully rehabilitate veterans by diverting them from the traditional criminal justice system, and providing them with the tools they need to lead a productive and law-abiding lifestyle.
Our goal is to increase public safety by reducing recidivism; provide better mental health, alcohol and drug treatment through the VA; turn tax burdens into tax payers; and provide intensive case management and structure to the veteran participants.
Program Structure
There are 4 phases to the program with varying degrees of treatment, supervision and drug screening. All participants will be expected to be randomly drug screened at least 1-2 times per week. Each veteran is financially responsible for a portion of his or her treatment at $25.00 per week.
The program is a minimum of 18 months and maintains the following time frame for treatment:
- Phase 1: Minimum of 3 months
- Phase 2: Minimum of 4 months
- Phase 3: Minimum of 5 months
- Phase 4: Minimum of 6 months
Each participant will be required to attend court sessions as follows:
Phase 1: Weekly
Phase 2: Weekly
Phase 3: 1st and 3rd Friday
Phase 4: 2nd and 4th Friday
