Wcvc is requesting $253,493.00IN category 2 BJA FY 23 veterans treatment court discretionary grant program funding over 48 months to enhance its existing operations

The County of Will in Illinois was awarded a $253,493 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.043 Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program) to enhance its existing Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) operations over a 48-month period beginning October 1, 2023.

The grant funding will enable the county to utilize the Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS) to quickly identify justice-involved veterans and promptly divert them into the VTC program. The grant aims to serve at least 61 VTC participants over the life of the award, including 3 new participants enrolled each quarter. The VTC program provides substance use disorder treatment, mental health services, mandatory drug testing, and transitional support to eligible veteran participants within a judicially supervised setting, with the goal of reducing recidivism and increasing access to treatment.

Wcvc utilizes a veterans reentry search service (VRSS) to quickly identify justice-involved veterans in WC and promptly divert them into wcvc. Wcvc will work with its assigned veterans justice programs specialist to run VRSS. Wcvc seeks to serve at least 61 participants over the life of the grant. Wcvc has 13 current participants and plans to enroll at least three new participants each quarteran additional 48 over the life of the grant. The minimum length of program participation is 14 and the average length of program participation is 18 months; there is no maximum.