Veterans Court Gets Major Funding Boost

The Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) just received a $975,000 funding boost from a three-year federal grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant allows the program, which runs a special court docket for veterans involved in the criminal justice system, to increase its services by 25 percent, Congressmember Salud Carbajal wrote in his supporting letter. The project involves a partnership between courts, probation, counseling centers, vets groups, and UCSB, and works to help veterans escape alcohol and drug abuse, reduce psychiatric symptoms, and avoid repeated encounters with the justice system. “VTCs are critical to addressing any wrongdoing,” said Carbajal, “while ensuring that our veterans gain access to the care they need and are treated with the respect they deserve.”