Craighead county is requesting $950,000 in funding to enhance the arkansas 2ND judicial district veterans court (salute court)

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded Craighead County, Arkansas a $950,000 Project Grant under the Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program (CFDA 16.043) to enhance the operations of the Arkansas 2nd Judicial District Veterans Court (SALUTE Court) over a 4-year period from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2027. The grant funding will be used to increase the capacity of the SALUTE Court to serve at least 60 participants, with a focus on improving access and equity for minority and other underrepresented populations. Key activities include hiring additional staff (court coordinator, part-time defense attorney, veteran mentor coordinator), providing training on evidence-based practices, expanding the use of peer recovery support, and strengthening program evaluation through a partnership with Arkansas State University. The grant aims to reduce substance misuse, overdoses, and recidivism among veteran participants through enhanced treatment, services, and recovery support.

Salute court is a post-adjudication CO-occurring court. Through this project, craighead county hopes to increase the capacity of the courts to serve and provide treatment to at least 60 participants. Grant funds will be used to enhance the courts ability to provide access to critical support services; improve and enhance the operations of the court; expand court services; and improve the quality and intensity of services based on needs assessments. This will be achieved through the application of the nadcp adult drug court best practice standards and the 10 key components of veterans treatment courts. Specifically, the project will focus on standard 2 (equity and inclusion), standard 5 (substance use disorder treatment), standard 6 (complementary treatment and social services) and standard 8 (multidisciplinary team). These standards are addressed on page -- of the proposal. The projects primary activities will include hiring 1 court coordinator, part-time defense attorney, and a VET mentor coordinator. Moreover, the project will support training on evidence based practices, which will be used in treatment services; increase the use of peer recovery support/mentors; engage in intentional outreach to historically underrepresented and marginalized populations including people of color and females; also implementing an additional track to serve low risk-high need offenders. Evaluation of adherence to best practice standards, and project goals, objectives and activities will be provided by arkansas state universitys office of behavioral research and evaluation. Through implementation of the project, craighead county will enhance the operations of the salute court, ensure equity and inclusion by improving access for minority and other underrepresented populations, reduce the misuse of opioids, stimulants, and other substances and work to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths through the provision of evidence-based and culturally appropriate services, and increase access to treatment and recovery support for program participants. The project will serve individuals who reside and/or have charges in craighead, clay, crittenden, greene, mississippi and poinsett counties, arkansas. Program participants will be individuals diagnosed with CO-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and who have been determined to be high-risk high-need or low-risk high-need. Additional emphasis will be placed on minorities and other marginalized populations.