More State Money For Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services

The county’s Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services department will received hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal grant money through July 2016 to pay for treatment programs for veterans involved in the justice system. The money — not to exceed $325,000 a year — will expand services provided through the Veterans Treatment Court in Santa Maria. Under the program, vets who have been charged with misdemeanors and select felonies — and also suffer from PTSD, brain injuries, or substance abuse — but then spend 12-18 months receiving outpatient treatment and detox services can then have their charges reduced or dismissed. The grant will help an extra 25 vets per year.