Embedding a Co-occurring Disorders Rehabilitation Intervention in Veterans Courts: A Pilot Study with Male Veterans

Community Ment Health J. 2020 Jul;56(5):970-977. doi: 10.1007/s10597-020-00565-z. Epub 2020 Jan 31.

Abstract

Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) have expanded dramatically despite their limited empirical base. This pilot study examined MISSION-Criminal Justice (CJ), a co-occurring disorders wraparound intervention, delivered alongside two VTCs. Baseline data from 26 male veterans enrolled in two VTCs and MISSION-CJ, and 6-month follow-up data for 18 of the 26 veterans, are presented. Veterans on average were 37.5 years old, 85% Caucasian, had significant histories of criminal justice involvement (14.3 lifetime arrests), had an average of 14.7 years of alcohol use and 9.3 years of illicit drug use, and roughly three-quarters reported mental health symptomatology. At 6-month follow-up, veterans demonstrated improvements in behavioral health, substance use, and criminal justice outcomes. This study demonstrated promising preliminary outcomes of MISSION-CJ in VTCs. A randomized controlled trial is a critical next step to examine whether these outcomes remain consistent with a more rigorous design.

Keywords: Alternative to incarceration; Case management; Co-occurring disorders treatment; Justice-involved veterans; Veterans treatment court.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Criminal Law
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pilot Projects
  • Substance-Related Disorders*
  • Veterans*