DeKalb County Veterans Treatment Court
The DeKalb County Veterans Treatment Court (DCVTC) is a two-year judicially supervised alternative sentencing program offered by the DeKalb County Superior Court. DCVTC is designed to engage moderate to high risk/high needs adult felony offenders with substance use and/or mental health disorders who have served in the Armed Forces.
The DCVTC formally began operation in October 2016 and begin providing treatment services in mid- January 2017. The program is slightly different from the Drug Court and the Mental Health Court models in that the veteran participants have a veteran mentor. The mentor is a volunteer who has served in the same branch of service as the participant. The mentor also serves as a person of support and encouragement throughout the judicial and treatment process.
The participants in DCVTC also have a Veteran Justice Officer (VJO) to serve as an advocate via the VA and the Court system. The VJO further assists with establishing and/or re-stablishing services for our Vets (with honorable discharges) with the VA. DeKalb is unique in that Veterans who have served with dishonorable discharges are also allowed to participate in the program, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Participants have the opportunity to learn coping skill strategies to assist with maintaining everyday life stressors as well as receive services from a variety of organizations. While other Courts may rely solely on the VA to provide treatment, DeKalb provides services in-house, just as the Drug Court and the Mental Health Court does. This is another way DeKalb County is not only serving, but giving back to those who have served.
The DCVTC is another successful collaborative effort of the Superior Court, the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, Community Service Board, Pretrial Services, the DeKalb County Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Office.
