Outcomes of the San Diego Veterans Treatment Review Calendar (VTCR) Participants

• In Event: Veterans’ Treatment Courts as a Problem-solving Justice Alternative

Abstract

This paper presents results on outcomes from the first 69 veterans who enrolled in the San Diego VTRC. We examine their justice and clinical outcomes while in the program and subsequent to their discharge. The SD-VTRC inclusion criteria for the program are: post-911 veterans, diagnosed with trauma-based mental health problems due to military experience who have committed a crime due to their mental health problem. Certain crimes are excluded from eligibility. Combat veterans in the San Diego VTRC are administered a number of symptom screens at baseline and again at regular intervals as one means of monitoring their clinical progress through the court program. The veterans improve on most behavioral health dimensions: drug use, depressed mood, total trauma and stress, and anger and aggression. There are differences in progress, however, on subscales. There was not a significant decline in reported TBI symptoms. In addition to these measures of the cohort of veterans together, we examine the same scales for subsets of veterans such as by number of deployments, history of violence, criminal recidivism, and type of drug used. Further, we examine the treatment received by the veterans during their program involvement, relapse, and progress through program phases.

Authors

• Lisa Callahan, Policy Research Associates, Inc.

• Roger K. Krauel, San Diego Superior Court

• Judith A. Litzenberger, VTRC San Diego

• Leiana Rae Camp, California Veterans Legal Task Force

• Raquel Moriarty Derrick, University at Albany, SUNY

• Roumen Vesselinov, Policy Research Associates, Inc.