The 36th District VTC consists of five phases and lasts a minimum of 14 months. It incorporates numerous evidence-based practices into its programming. As part of a treatment continuum, the following therapeutic programs are available: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention, Problem Solving Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (H.E.A.T.), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Processing Therapy, Moral Reconation Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, parenting therapies including Scream-Free Parenting and Dads Matter, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Seeking Safety.

Additional treatment and counseling services include peer recovery support specialists, emotional support and service animals, yoga, mindfulness meditation, Housing First, and caregiver support.

• Active mentoring component
• Helps organize and assist with a local annual Veterans Stand Down event
• Memoranda of understanding with local law enforcement, community programs, and the VA
• Partnership with Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, which leads all substance use and mental health services in Wayne County, including attending and presenting at the network’s monthly Crisis Intervention Training
• Family reunification funds are available for participants
• Presiding Judge Shannon Holmes is a veteran, a member of the board of directors for All Rise and the Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals, and an appointed member of an advisory committee for the state of Michigan

The Lancaster County VTC is designed for veterans with felony offenses relating to substance use or behavioral health issues. The program is voluntary, consists of five phases, and includes regular court appearances before the judge. The VTC ensures that every participating veteran has a fellow veteran who acts as a mentor, advocate, and ally.

The program encompasses veteran services throughout Lancaster County and requires intensive community-based supervision through the probation department and treatment services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program works closely with the other treatment courts operating in Lancaster County.

The Lancaster County VTC program lasts from 18 to 24 months and incorporates numerous evidence-based practices into its programming. As part of a treatment continuum, the following therapeutic programs are available: Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Image Rehearsal Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression, Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depression, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, Problem Solving Therapy, Moral Reconation Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Seeking Safety, Strength at Home, Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorder, and Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation. Additional treatment and counseling services include peer recovery support specialist, mindfulness meditation, caregiver support, and Whole Health wellness interventions such as yoga, tai chi, biofeedback, and battlefield acupuncture.

The VTC also has a volunteer veteran mentor component. Veterans from the community are assigned to participants to support their efforts to create a better life. The mentors meet monthly among themselves to discuss best practices, conduct trainings, and brainstorm ideas for helping their veteran participants.

The Lake County VTC accepts pre-adjudication, post-adjudication, post-plea, and probation violation cases at both the misdemeanor and felony levels. This program accepts defendants prior to sentencing as well as those who need to enter a plea to be sentenced into the program. The court has a policy to waive all monetary restrictions that might preclude some cultural groups from participating. The VTC offers the legal incentive for the individual’s charges to be reduced or dismissed upon successful completion of the program.

The Lake County VTC case manager uses a validated risk/need assessment tool (IRAS) to determine the participant’s appropriate level of supervision and to aid in developing the case management plan.

The Lake County VTC provides evidence-based treatment for substance use, mental health, trauma, and co-occurring disorders from qualified treatment professionals that is acceptable to the participants and sufficient to meet their validly assessed treatment needs. Recovery management interventions that connect participants with recovery support services and peer recovery networks in their community are core components of the treatment court regimen and are delivered when participants are motivated for and prepared to benefit from the interventions. Participants receive desired, evidence-based services from qualified treatment, public health, social services, or rehabilitation professionals that safeguard health and welfare, help them to achieve their chosen life goals, sustain indefinite recovery, and enhance their quality of life.

The Lake County VTC also has a thriving mentoring component of over 80 volunteer veteran mentors.

• Alumni program
• Collaborative community partnerships with organizations such as the VA, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Operation Lima Charlie, Veterans Life Changing Services, Volunteers of America, Work 1, Indiana University Northwest Vet Center, Liberty House Recovery Cafe, American Veterans Collective, and Positive Recovery Solutions
• Partnership with local law enforcement and social workers
• Court case managers raise awareness of the program through job/resource fairs, schools, and Veterans Stand Down events
• Judge and mentor coordinator attend meetings at the local chapters of the DAV, American Legion, and VFW to raise awareness and recruit mentors
• Volunteer attorneys assist participants with small claims and family law cases

VTC participants are carefully screened and assessed prior to admission and monitored, including via drug testing, throughout the program.

The VTC is an outpatient, court-managed program that lasts approximately 14-16 months. The program has five phases, with a misdemeanor track and a felony track. The program also has a mentoring component led by a mentor coordinator that includes active and veteran U.S. military volunteers as well as program alumni.

Program alumni who stay engaged with the VTC and our aftercare program for at least 12 months can have their cases considered for expungement.

• Collaborative community partnerships with organizations such as the VA, Alluvion Health, Dynamic Recovery, the Vet Center, Volunteers of America, and Alliance for Youth/Sober Life
• Founding member of Rockin’ for Recovery (R4R), a nonprofit that raises funds to assist veterans in Cascade County; the VTC uses its share of funds raised for program incentives, prosocial activities, employment assistance, and medical assistance for participants
• Presiding judge is a U.S. Army veteran

The WCVHC serves veterans charged with a felony or a felony amended to a misdemeanor for whom court-monitored treatment and other services would enhance their ability to become productive and law-abiding citizens. Veterans interested in participating in the WCVHC must meet the legal and clinical criteria before admission.

The WCVHC emphasizes collaboration with various community organizations and agencies to provide a comprehensive range of services for participants, including mental health support, substance use treatment, vocational training, and housing assistance.

Volunteer veteran mentors, overseen by a mentor coordinator, play a critical role in supporting participants as they transition to civilian life, cope with the effects of military service, or navigate the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system.

Community supervision services include a quality assurance manager who ensures the overall effectiveness of interventions, and an employment specialist officer who plays a critical role in connecting participants with job opportunities, vocational training, and other resources that promote self-sufficiency and stability. The program also offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Thinking for a Change.

The program features a wide range of collaborative community partnerships with organizations such as Talbert House, Solutions, DeCoach, Joseph House, Project Rise Above, Vet Connect at the Countryside YMCA, Mustang Journey, Stand2Serve, Save A Warrior, Valor Therapeutics, The Hope Line, Helpful Paws, Easterseals Redwood, Warren County Veteran Services Commission, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, Mental Health America, and the Warren County Veterans Suicide Prevention Coalition.