Veterans Treatment Court Grant

Grants starting at $5,000 to Texas local units of government for programs that enable veterans and their families to receive services that provide assistance in managing the judicial process and court system. Funding is intended to aid veterans in accessing the services available through Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) programs.

As defined in Texas Government Code § 124.001, a Veterans Treatment Court is a program that has the following essential characteristics:

• The integration of services in the processing of cases in the judicial system;
  
• The use of a non-adversarial approach involving prosecutors and defense attorneys to promote public safety and to protect the due process rights of program participants;
• Early identification and prompt placement of eligible participants in the program;
• Access to a continuum of alcohol, controlled substances, mental health, and other related treatment and rehabilitative services;
• Careful monitoring of treatment and services provided to program participants;
• A coordinated strategy to govern program responses to participants’ compliance;
• Ongoing judicial interaction with program participants;
• Monitoring and evaluation of program goals and effectiveness;
• Continuing interdisciplinary education to promote effective program planning, implementation, and operations; and
• Development of partnerships with public agencies and community organizations, including the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Additionally, the duties of a Veterans Treatment Court Program are outlined in § 124.003 and must include:

• Ensuring that a defendant eligible for participation in the program is provided legal counsel before volunteering to proceed through the program and while participating in the program;
  
• Allowing a participant to withdraw from the program at any time before a trial on the merits has been initiated;
• Providing a participant with a court-ordered individualized treatment plan indicating the services that will be provided to the participant; and
• Ensuring that the jurisdiction of the Veterans Treatment court continues for a period of not less than six months but does not continue beyond the period of community supervision for the offense charged.

The Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) established the following priorities to provide guidance to the FVA Advisory Committee in developing funding recommendations and for the Commission in making grant awards. These priorities are:

• Geographic Distribution: The FVA Advisory Committee will develop recommendations that will ensure widespread distribution of grants across the state.
  
• Diversity of Services in Geographic Areas: The Commission encourages a diversity of services provided within geographic regions.
• Outstanding Grant Applications: Priority will be given to outstanding-rated grant applications.
• Full Funding: The FVA Advisory Committee will recommend fully funding grant requests, whenever possible.

The above priorities will be used in the funding recommendations made for this grant.