Programs for Veterans – Serving Those Who Sacrificed to Serve Us

By Commissioner Jeff Koons

Through my service as chairman of the Homeless Advisory Board and the Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Planning Council, I have learned about the various factors that contribute to persons becoming homeless or entering the criminal court system. Veterans in particular, face a number of challenges in addressing combat related trauma. Sadly, many veterans returning home from combat suffer from illnesses including mental illness and substance addictions. These war related illnesses are believed to contribute to escalated suicide attempts, arrests, incarceration, divorce, domestic violence, homelessness and despair.

There are several efforts underway in Palm Beach County to improve services for our area veterans. County staff and I have been working with local Department of Veterans Affairs’ officials and the Chief Judge to help support and facilitate the following projects:

• Construction of a new facility on VA Medical Center grounds adjacent to their homeless center, that will expand outpatient mental health services;
• Development of a second VA Veterans Readjustment Center in the Jupiter area providing counseling services;
• Reorganization of Veterans Homeless Outreach Services – well-established for several years, these outreach visits are conducted with the County’s Homeless Outreach Team;
• Enhancements to women’s health programs for female veterans;
• Proposed 60-bed Domiciliary to be constructed on VA Medical Center grounds to provide transitional housing to homeless veterans working through drug and alcohol issues;
• Incarcerated Veterans Program – initiated within the Social Work Service department of the VA, it provides post-incarceration follow-up to the veteran, typically for a 3-4 month period, to help him/her stabilize in the community; and,
• Implementation of a Veterans Court in Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit. This program, which is supported by the VA, Chief Judge Blanc and the Criminal Justice Commission, would be based on models successfully operated throughout the country. It is designed to divert eligible veteran-defendants with substance dependency and/or mental illness that are charged with no-violent criminal offenses, to a specialized criminal court docket. The court substitutes the traditional court processing with a treatment problem solving model.

I am very excited about the relationship the County has developed with the VA and the mutual interest in working together to serve our veterans more efficiently and effectively. I hope you will support our efforts.
As always, please feel free to call me with your comments and questions at 355-2202.