Statewide Training: Veterans Treatment Courts

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and the Justice-Involved Veteran Population

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): A Tailored Therapeutic Response for Your JIV Participant

This session focuses on Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a cognitive-behavioral treatment initially developed for veterans with posttraumatic disorder and related problems. An overview of the therapy is shared. Areas covered include how it works, the goals of the treatment, and what counseling sessions look like from a participant’s perspective. Case examples are shared to highlight the efficacy of the intervention.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify current research that reviews the efficacy of CPT.
2. Describe the fundamental components of CPT in relation to the approach.
3. Describe how CPT can be used in conjunction with other treatment approaches

Engaging Families and Other Primary Participant Support Networks in Your VTC

Although there is a dearth of research evidence on incorporating family and friends in the recovery process of veterans and treatment court participants, the research from related areas establishes the wisdom of making this a part of the treatment court practice. We can see that intentional family engagement leads to better outcomes for participants and the family unit. In addition, related systems such as schools, drug treatment programs, and mental health treatment programs have a significant evidence base indicating that integrating family and friends into the recovery model has positive benefits.

Learning Objectives

1. Summarize the evidence base for family/personal support participation in treatment courts based on evidence from related fields.
2. Use the VTC Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) to assess the appropriateness of potential family/personal support participation.
3. Identify ways to incorporate family and emotional support into VTC models.

Identifying, Preventing, and Managing Professional Burnout in Working with Justice-Involved Veterans

Self-care has perhaps never been so clearly necessary as it is within our current societal circumstances. Serving justice-involved veterans brings its unique risks of developing compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, and professional burnout, which can negatively affect personal and professional well-being. This session will help the audience better identify these conditions, including their related signs and symptoms, and will provide practical steps to prevent and mitigate their impact.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress, and professional burnout.
2. Examine contributing factors of compassion fatigue when working with justice-involved veterans with trauma.
3. Identify effective coping strategies to foster resiliency and prevent burnout.

Intimate (IPV) Partner Violence in Veterans

This plenary will focus on the problem of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a subsect of the justice-involved veteran population. The speaker will discuss the etiology of IPV, focusing on how trauma and related problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder may influence how veterans interpret and respond to others in conflict situations. The discussion then shifts to a description of the Strength at Home program, including how motivational strategies facilitate accountability for abusive behavior. The session concludes with a review of the scientific evidence for the intervention.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review the social information processing model for intimate partner violence.
2. Discuss strategies for motivating those who use intimate partner violence to increase their engagement in the therapy process.
3. Describe suggested programmatic modifications that can enhance participant outcomes.

Leveraging the VA in Identifying Veterans in the Criminal Justice System (Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS) and The SQUARES Application)

The first step necessary for any veterans treatment court (VTC) is identifying their justice-involved veteran population. Justice For Vets Key Component #3 of the Ten Key Components of Veterans Treatment Courts is that “Eligible Participants are identified early and promptly placed in the veterans treatment court program.” Identification can be accomplished through various methods and at multiple points within the criminal justice system. This session will highlight two systems provided by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs to assist jurisdictions in identifying justice-involved veterans.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify two external Dept. of VA systems avaialble to assist in the early identification of veterans within the criminal justice system, VRSS and SQUARES
2. Recognize who can access the systems and what information may be necessary to provide inorder to achieve better outcomes.
3. Integrate veteran Identification information and systems into criminal justice and court case processing.

Mental Health Disorders and the Justice-Involved Veteran Population

This session provides an overview of common mental health disorders, as identified in the DSM-5, that participants may be experiencing. Attendees will learn about screening and assessment interventions that are used to assist with identifying these potential disorders. Additionally, this session will introduce participants to how to help facilitate change through available evidence-based treatment modalities.

Learning objectives:

1. Recognize how mental illness can impact the individual and those around them.
2. Recognize various disorders that can be present in this population.
3. Identify current clinical interventions for the identified population.

Military Sexual Trauma: Employing Interventions that Enhance Outcomes

This session provides an overview of military sexual trauma (MST). MST encompasses experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault during military service and is often associated with various mental health conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Learning Objectives

1. Define military sexual trauma
2. Describe the adverse impact of MST on the individual
3. Identify services available to the individual in the VA System of Care

Motivating Change in Clients Who Use Violence

This training will discuss specific strategies for integrating a trauma informed approach to working with people who use violence and are court mandated to receive intervention. Potential motivational challenges with this population will be discussed along with strategies to overcome these barriers and promote behavioral change. The Stages of Change Model will be reviewed to describe stages of intentional behavior change. Specific “Motivational Interviewing” strategies for increasing motivation among violent individuals and eliciting personal change goals will be described, with video examples provided and opportunity for group practice.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the Stages of Change model as it applies to those who use violence and aggression.
2. Describe motivational challenges for those court mandated to intervention for violent behavior.
3. Describe specific strategies for motivating violent individuals to change their behavior.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Veteran Population with Focus on JIVs

This session will first provide an overview of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including diagnostic features, the identification of biomarkers for PTSD, and interventions for PTSD. The second portion of this presentation will focus on how trauma and PTSD may impact the family, and interventions to prevent family conflict and domestic violence are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe common signs/reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.
2. Describe the available evidence-based interventions for PTSD offered through the VA.
3. Develop ways to respond to behaviors and symptoms without retraumatizing the participant.
4. Describe how PTSD may impact the family unit.

Prosecutor and Defense Counsel: Working Effectively on the Treatment Court Team

The roles of prosecutor and defense counsel provide the opportunity for a unique collaboration to effectuate positive change within the criminal justice system. While prosecutors and defense counsel may disagree on individual participants and legal matters, they aim to ensure that the treatment court produces the best possible outcomes. Effective collaboration between the prosecutor and defense counsel is vital for ensuring the treatment court program operates effectively, avoids pitfalls, identifies areas needing improvement, and provides equal participation opportunities.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe common barriers and challenges each discipline faces when working with the treatment court population
2. Identify effective strategies each discipline can use to overcome these barriers and challenges
3. Negotiate obstacles within the context of the prosecutor-defense counsel for the betterment of the team and participant outcomes

Substance Use Disorders and Treatment in Veterans

This plenary provides an overview of substance use disorder (SUD) as identified in the DSM-5 and interventions commonly used by the VA Healthcare System. Additionally, participants will learn how the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria impact recommended care levels.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify and discuss screening and assessment tools for participants with potential or actual substance use disorders.
2. Identify evidence-based practices and treatment principles associated with positive client outcomes.
3. Describe the Department of Veterans Affairs’ approach to working with individuals with a substance use disorder diagnosis.

Tackling Sleep Hygiene in Justice-Involved Veterans

Insomnia is a symptom of almost every significant mental health problem found in veterans treatment courts, including substance use disorders, PTSD, depression, and chronic pain. Nonetheless, it often goes unaddressed until later in treatment, even though treating insomnia would improve every one of those diagnostic problems. This plenary will address the links between insomnia and other mental health disorders.

Learning Objectives

1. Recognize common signs and reported symptoms commonly associated with sleep deprivation/insomnia
   Identify how symptomology can mimic other common psychiatric disorders.
   Describe a systematic approach to sleep hygiene that can dramatically improve sleep and decrease insomnia by 30-50 percent.

Translating Core Principles of Military Leadership to VTC Teams

This session reviews the guiding principles of military leadership. Teams will learn how these leadership principles may be utilized by the Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Team with their participants, regardless of each team member’s role. Additionally, this session will identify some leadership “don’ts” to avoid that may be unique to the military and veteran population.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify military leadership principles and the practical application of those principles in their VTC.
2. Explain how these principles may impact VTC participants in the court and community.
3. Describe how improper application of cultural principles can cause harm to the team and participant.