Webinar - The National Veteran's Technical Assistance Center

1. David Morrissette
Center for Mental Health
Services, SAMHSA
Sam Shore
Veteran’s Jail Diversion
and Trauma Recovery,
SAMHSA
Aaron Diaz
Center for Health Care
Veteran‐Specific Innovations Services, San Antonio
Texas
in Criminal Justice – Gilbert Gonzales
Center for Health Care
Services, San Antonio
Texas
Jim McGuire
VA and SAMHSA Initiatives Veterans Administration
Charles Brown
Goodwill Industries of
Houston
David Sands
Veterans Administration
April 17, 2012 Stephan Haimowitz
1 NVTAC Burton Blatt
Institute

2. NVTAC AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Stephan Haimowitz, J.D.
315 744‐4139 sjhaimow@law.syr.edu
Burton Blatt Institute
Syracuse University
National Veterans Technical Assistance Center
http://bbi.syr.edu/nvtac/
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3. NVTAC
Supported by the
U. S. Department of Labor
Veterans' Employment & Training Service
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S‐1325
Washington, D.C. 20210 www.dol.gov/vets/
Prime partner
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
333 ½ Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20003‐1148
(202) 546‐1969 www.nchv.org
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4. HVRP ‐ ADDRESSING EMPLOYMENT
 Jobs – HVRP, IVTP, HFV/VWF
 VA‐ VR&E, CWT, HVSEP
 One Stop Workforce Centers DVOPs LVERs
 Housing
 VA ‐ Grant Per Diem HUD/VASH
 HUD Continuum of Care
 Physical and Behavioral Healthcare
 VA – Medical Centers and HA
 Community providers
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5. Criminal Justice Involvement
 Homelessness
 12% of prison population were homeless when arrested
 Female Veterans 3 times as likely as female non‐Veterans
 Substance abuse
 Largest cause of homelessness‐single adults
 25% of Veterans aged 18‐25 met criteria ‐‐ 1.8 million people
 Mental Illness
 20‐25% of the homeless population
 Evident in incarcerated populations
 Veterans
 Approximately 9% of jails and prison inmates
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6. Veterans with Criminal Justice Issues
6 http://nvtac.org

7. Veterans with Criminal Justice Issues
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8. Strategies for Overcoming Job Barriers
1. Prepare for Job Applications and Interviews
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9. Strategies for Overcoming Job Barriers
2. Use Federal Bonds and Tax Credits
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10. Strategies for Overcoming Job Barriers
3. If Possible, Clear Your Record or Limit Its Impact
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11. Resources for Veterans with Criminal Justice
Issues 1. Diversion Programs
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12. Resources for Veterans with Criminal Justice
Issues 2. Public Housing
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13. Resources for Veterans with Criminal Justice
Issues 2. Public Housing
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14. David Morrissette, Ph.D. LCSW
Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
Center for Mental Health Services,
SAMHSA
david.morrissette@samhsa.hhs.gov
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15. Grantees
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16. Milestones
• Year 1 Pre‐implementation activities and strategic
planning at state and local level
• Year 2 Early pilot implementation and data analysis
• Years 3‐5 Statewide replication, training and/or
policy changes
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17. Key Program Components
• Prioritize, Screen and Address Trauma;
• Train staff and clients in Trauma Informed Care (TIC);
• Maximize client choice by coordinating VA and community;
• Involve peers in planning, service delivery and evaluation;
• Build broad based support among all stakeholders.
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18. Texas
Jail Diversion and Trauma
Recovery Initiative:
State Rollout
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Projects
Webinar
April 17, 2012
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19. Sam Shore, JDTR Project Director
Director, MH Transformation and
Behavioral Health Operations
DSHS
sam.shore@dshs.state.tx.us
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20. JDTR Program
 State awarded SAMHSA grant for JDTR
• 5-year grant to create Trauma Informed jail diversion
programs that prioritize veterans
 Veterans courts established in 12 counties
• serving 122+ veterans
• More counties planning jail diversion initiatives for
veterans
 Statewide rollout of Jail Diversion/Trauma
Informed Care
 Annual Statewide Justice-Involved Veterans
conference
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21. KEY Elements of JDTR
 Screening - Veterans with trauma-related disorders
 Trauma informed care (TIC) and trauma specific care: principles of
safety, choice, client control, consumer involvement, trauma-specific
treatment (train staff and clients)
 Build community service competency treating veterans and coordinate
services between VA and non VA providers, maximizing participant
choice.
 Peer presence on Advisory Boards and services provision
 Establish Leadership - State and Local Advisory Committees
 Support existing programs
 Sustainability
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22. JDTR Dissemination
 Provide Training in:
 Trauma-Informed Care
 Trauma-Specific Treatment
 Coordinate State Assets to Support Veterans
 Small grants to support development of trauma-
integrated JD services
 Build on existing community infrastructure
 Increase use of peers and trauma practices
 Develop required linkages among essential service
providers – VA, SA, MH, Law Enforcement, Recovery
Supports (including employment)
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23. Sequential Intercept Model
Sequential Intercepts for Change: Criminal Justice - Mental Health Partnerships
Intercept 1 Intercept 2 Intercept 3 Intercept 4 Intercept 5
Law enforcement / Initial detention / Initial Jails / Courts Reentry Community corrections/
Emergency services court hearings Community support
=
Violation
Courts
Parole
Dispatch
911
Prison
Law Enforcement
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
Initial Detention
Initial Hearings
Arrest
Probation
Violation
Jail
Jail Re-entry
Police Jail/Detention Jail Jail Probation
Crisis Response Pub. Defender Self Referral Prison Parole
ER Pre-Trial PD Community
Dispatcher Court based Prosecution Reentry
Crisis Call Lines clinician Pre-Trial VA Reentry 23
VJO VJO Veterans
www.gainscenter.samhsa.gov  800.311.4246

24. Texas Coordinating
TVC created the
Council for Veterans Services (TCCVS)
Charge:
 Focus on specific issues affecting Veterans, service members and their
families
 Compile and centralize an inventory of all Veteran services provided by
state agencies
 Identify the strengths and weaknesses of Veteran services provided by
the State of Texas
 Work Groups:
 Health and mental health
 Criminal Justice
 Higher Education
 Housing
 Employment
 Women Veterans
 Report to Governor and Legislature Oct. 1, 2012

25. Contact and Resource Information
 Sam Shore, JDTR Project Director
 Sam.shore@dshs.state.tx.us
 512-206-5947
 www.mhtransformation.org
 See 2008 and 2010 Returning Veterans Reports
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26. Texas Veteran
Jail Diversion
and Trauma
Recovery
Program
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27. Aaron Diaz & Gilbert Gonzales
Center for Health Care Services, San Antonio Texas
Aaron Diaz,
Director of Crisis and Jail Diversion
email: ADiaz@chcsbc.org
Gilbert Gonzales,
Director of Communications and
Diversion Initiatives
email: GGonzales@chcsbc.org
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28. Purpose
• Establish community-based “best practices” for
diverting veterans with trauma-related mental
health needs from incarceration and into
treatment.
• Best practices
– Workforce training in trauma (TBD)
– Workforce training in veteran issues (TBD)
– Trauma screening (PTSD Checklist - short version)
– Trauma assessment (Clinician-Admin PTSD Scale)
– Trauma therapy (Seeking Safety)
– Regular input/feedback from stakeholders,
including veterans (Advisory Committees)
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29. Jail Diversion - Veterans
Assessors Trauma
screen for Vet Counselors
Status and assess for
PTSD PTSD
Intercept Point 1:
Crisis Response
PRE‐BOOKING Restoration
Point of Center
Contact with
Law
Enforcement Intercept Point 2: Crisis
Magistration Center
PRE‐ & POST‐
BOOKING Diversion
CHCS trauma‐related
jail diversion services
Bexar County Jail
Trauma
Counselors
provide
services
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30. CHCS Public Safety Net
www.gainscenter.samhsa.gov  800.311.4246 30

31. VA - Justice-Involved Veterans
Jim McGuire, LCSW, PhD
National Director ,
VA’s Justice Programs: Healthcare
for Reentry Veterans Program and
Veterans Justice Outreach
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32. VA - Justice-Involved Veterans
• A justice-involved Veteran is:
– in contact with local law enforcement who can be appropriately diverted from
arrest into mental health or substance abuse treatment;
– in a local jail, either pre-trial or serving a sentence; or,
– involved in adjudication or monitoring by a court
• Related issue:
– Reentry for Veterans being discharged from State and Federal Prisons
• 82% of justice-involved Veterans are likely VA health care eligible (BJS)
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33. Points of Contact
• Health Care for Reentry Veterans (HCRV) Specialists by region
(prison outreach): http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/Reentry.asp
– Jessica Blue-Howells, National Coordinator, Healthcare for Reentry
Veterans
• Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Specialists by medical center (law
enforcement, jails, courts): http://www1.va.gov/HOMELESS/VJO.asp
– Sean Clark, National Coordinator, Veterans Justice Outreach
Sean.Clark2@va.gov (202) 461-1931
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34. HOMELESS VETERANS
PROGRAMS
Presented by Charles Brown
Program Manager
Goodwill Houston IVTP Program
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35. Charles Brown
Charles Brown is the Program Manager for the Incarcerated
Veterans Transition Program (IVTP). He is an Army Veteran Field
Artillery with 8 years of active and reserve service in the U.S. Army.
He has several years’ experience working to place previously
incarcerated individuals into employment, and has spent time in the
for-profit sector at various levels of management and leadership.
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36. Goodwill
Homeless VETS
Programs
Goodwill Industries provides the following programs
for Homeless Veterans:
 IVTP - Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program
 HVRP - Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program
 FHVRP - Female Veterans and Veterans with
Families Homeless Veterans Reintegration
Program
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37. Homeless VETS
Programs Eligibility
HVRP FHVRP IVTP
Veterans who served in the active military, naval or
air service and who were discharged or released ✔ ✔ ✔
under other than dishonorable conditions.
Veterans who lack a fixed, regular and adequate
nighttime residence. This may also include an
individual whose primary nighttime residency is a
✔ ✔ ✔
supervised public or privately operated shelter.
Female homeless veterans and male homeless
veterans accompanied by dependent children.
✔
Veterans either currently incarcerated but within 18
months of release, or released from incarceration ✔
within the last 6 months.
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Candidates must meet all checked requirements to enter a specific program

38. Employment Services
 Work Readiness  Job Preparation
Training training
 Vocational Job  Job placement
Training (by referral) Services
 Telephone, Computer  Job coaching &
& Internet Access for Retention services
Job Search
 Career Transition  Transportation
Counseling assistance
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39. Program Successes
• We have been able to establish a rapport
with the area parole/probation offices
and local WFS, and have earned the
respect of fellow HVRP grantees by our
success in placing veterans into
employment.
• We serve the “whole veteran”
simultaneously through partnerships
with other service providers. This has
allowed veterans to retain employment
better, as all barriers to employment
have been addressed. 39

40. IVTP
2011/12 Results
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41. HVRP
2011/12 Results
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42. FHVRP
2011/12 Results
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43. Program Challenges
• Securing housing for veterans who have
challenging situations or less than 24 months’
active duty time, but have been honorably
discharged from military.
• Working with the parole/ probation officer and
case manager once a veteran who resides at a
transitional facility gets a job to expedite them
being able to go to work without having to do a
two weeks’ schedule in advance.
• Overcoming stereotypes of veterans who have
challenges on their background.
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• Rebuilding confidence for our clients faster.

44. Ways For VJOs and HVRP
to Collaborate
• VJOs, Goodwill, and the Diversion Program can
collaborate on the following activities:
• Getting incarceration papers, applying for benefits,
and planning housing before vets are released.
• Obtaining veterans’ Letter of Service and DD‐214 by
fax and online
• Helping expedite housing and other benefits
• Expediting outreach and intake by doing assessments
behind the walls
• Dual placement services
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45. Questions
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46. Contact Information
 David Morrissette  Jim McGuire
Center for Mental Health Services, Veterans Administration
SAMHSA James.McGuire@va.gov
david.morrissette@samhsa.hhs.gov
 Charles Brown
 Sam Shore Goodwill Industries of Houston
Veteran’s Jail Diversion and Trauma c_brown@goodwillhouston.org
Recovery, SAMHSA
sam.shore@dshs.state.tx.us  David Sands
Veterans Administration
 Aaron Diaz David.sands@va.gov
Center for Health Care Services,
San Antonio Texas  Stephan Haimowitz
ADiaz@chcsbc.org NVTAC Burton Blatt Institute
sjhaimow@law.syr.edu
 Gilbert Gonzales
Center for Health Care Services,
San Antonio Texas
GGonzales@chcsbc.org
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47. WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!
Please let us know how we did
http://websurvey.syr.edu/nvtac_eval_041712.aspx
NVTAC (National Vets Technical Assistance
Center) http://nvtac.org
A partnership: Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, the
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and the U.S.
Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training
Service
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