The circuit court of cook county is seeking funding under category 2, priority area 2 of this solicitation to enhance the courts veteran treatment courts (VTC), to implement a plan to expand…

The Circuit Court of Cook County was awarded a $1,000,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.043 Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program). The grant will fund a 4-year initiative to enhance the court's Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) programs and expand access to substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services for justice-involved veterans who are ineligible for or cannot access U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs resources. Key activities include hiring a full-time case manager to coordinate assessments, develop treatment plans, and connect participants to appropriate services. The program also aims to increase access to medication-assisted treatment for VTC participants. Through this enhancement, the court expects to serve 40 unduplicated veterans over the 4-year grant period, representing a 500% increase in participation by veterans who cannot access VA services.

The circuit court of cook county is seeking funding under category 2, priority area 2 of this solicitation to enhance the courts veteran treatment courts (VTC), to implement a plan to expand services to veterans who cannot or do not have access to veterans administration (VA). Resources. The proposed enhancement project will serve veterans in the first municipal district (chicago) and second and fourth municipal districts of northwest and western suburban cook county. These programs target high-risk/high-need justice involved veterans arrested and charged with a felony offense, who are diagnosed with a substance use or mental health disorder and have not been convicted of a violent crime within the past 5 years. Funding will be used to 1) enhance coordination of services to vets who are ineligible for VA resources by employing a case manager to assess behavioral health needs, develop case plans, make referrals, and monitor the delivery of treatment; and 2) increase access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services to meet the unique needs of these justice-involved veterans. Services will be sensitive to issues of race, culture, religion, gender, age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. These goals will be achieved through the following targeted activities designed to meet specific process and outcome objectives over a 4-year funding period. Onboard a full-time case manager to quickly screen veterans for eligibility to participate, coordinate mental health and CO-occurring assessments and develop individualized treatment plans. The case manager will connect participants to appropriate treatment and social supports, such as housing and employment, and monitor their progress and communicate with the VTC team. In addition, the program will expand access to medicine assisted treatment (mat) services to VTC participants WO cannot or do not have access to VA services. Currently, the VTC programs are serving eight vets that are ineligible for VA services. The program estimates that the enhanced services model presented will serve 40 unduplicated veterans during the 4-year funding period. Through this program enhancement, participation in VTC programming by justice involved veterans who cannot or do not have access VA service will increase by 500% from current levels.