The graduation rate of the Hays County Veterans Court graduates increased from 73 percent to 90 percent between 2018 and 2019, but grant funding is unsustainable to maintain future success.
An executive summary says more veterans are becoming stabilized thanks to robust screening changes, by using local treatment providers with military experience and creating a “Recidivism Prevention plan.” The most beneficial addition is clinical staff, but the current budget does not accommodate for staff with higher education and experience.
The Veterans Court is a one to two-year drug and mental health treatment program focused on accountability and strives to help put veterans on the right path after facing criminal charges.
The program utilizes traditional judicial system players like prosecutors, lawyers, probation officers and judges, but their roles are not adversarial and punishment based. That doesn’t mean the veteran is off the hook, but the court players are looking for accountability and someone interested in self-improvement. The court’s role is to provide resources and structure that treats the disabilities that are a by-product of military service.
Veterans Court Program Manager Gerald Ramcharan attributes success to veterans getting help from other local veterans, which created a nuanced level of communication and understanding of military indoctrination.
“Everyone on staff has a connection to the military whether they are retired or come from a military family. There is a different culture in the military and it can be difficult for someone who doesn’t understand that culture to understand the language. There is a perspective difference, especially experiences like combat. There is no equivalent and having someone who can understand and communicate with our veterans is just imperative,” Ramcharan said.
Veterans on staff can help find the deeper issue in a once obedient and functioning veteran. Ramcharan said another factor in higher graduation rates is developing a personalized plan to address their deeper underlying issues.
“We carefully look at every veteran, look at the conditions that brought that person there to begin with and develop a plan in advance for how to deal with that temptation or how to deal with the fallout of the future failure with the triggers that got them in trouble and put in place a plan that will address those triggers,” Ramcharan said.
Currently the staff shows their dedication by being available 24 hours a day to veterans in the program, said Ramcharan. However, the level of service is not covered through the current grant funding rate. For example, the case manager who currently handles 36 cases is always available, but is the most underpaid.
The Veterans Court program is funded by a grant through the Texas Veterans Commission. The grant request for this year is valued at $300,000. Services like mental health assessments, individual and family counseling and service dog programs are always paid for first. Unfortunately, staff salary is on the cutting board when trying to budget.
“We do have an issue with getting the proper pay for some of our individuals approved through the system. That's not an easy thing. The court was put together fairly quickly to serve the need in the community, but there wasn't a lot of understanding about what salary is appropriate for constant effort. I mean, part of the success is the constant effort, and that hard work and discipline, that takes a toll. And that requires somebody to do it and that person needs to get paid properly,” said Judge Chris Johnson.
After a veteran is arrested for a crime, they can be referred to the program and go through an intense interviewing process. Ramcharan said there are several rounds of interviews that last from one to two hours in length. Changes to the interview process have proven successful because each facet of the program decides if available resources are adequate to bring this veteran success.
“So we have had a lot of professionals look very closely at every single individual who comes in. And I think that's a huge part of the success – we've deliberately gone through and said, this one we can help, this one we cannot help. And we hold each other accountable, right. And a team comes together initially and stays together throughout the process, to clarify what's happening with that person,” Ramcharan said.
Developing a deeper relationship with clients is what makes the court so unique, according to Johnson.
“The purpose of the criminal justice system is different than the purpose of the Veterans Court. We treat you because we genuinely want to help you. Our program starts by recognizing whatever is bothering you, which is deeply entangled with service to the country and trauma and injury that you suffered serving us. We owe you, we will treat you different, we will actually care about this problem and about you as an individual. So the whole ethos immediately separates us from criminal justice. And consequently, it's much more thorough, much more interested in that individual,” Johnson said.
