VETERANS COURTof ORANGE COUNTY - UMAVA Mission 退伍军人法院橙县-舒马瓦使命.pptVIP

VETERANS COURT OF ORANGE COUNTY Community CourtSuperior Court of California909 N. Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 Veterans Court began November 18, 2008 BACKGROUND In January 2002, the Orange County Superior Court initiated a study on the feasibility of developing a community court. The community court will focus on those who have committed quality of life crimes and, by building partnerships with local criminal justice, County and community agencies, more effectively respond to the needs of offenders. As the study progressed, a vision for a new kind of community court was developed - one that would seek not only to improve the offender’s quality of life, but also address more serious issues and more complicated social problems like substance abuse and mental illness. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Orange County Veterans Court is to provide an inter-agency, collaborative, non-adversarial treatment strategy for Veterans in the criminal justice system who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), psychological or substance abuse problems as a result of having served in a combat theater Veterans Court is a collaborative effort The Court Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) The Public Defender The District Attorney The Probation Department The Health Care Agency Many other community partners The goals of the Veterans Court are to: Protect the public Reduce participant contact with the criminal justice system Reduce cost associated with criminal case processing and re-arrest Introduce participants to an ongoing process of recovery designed to help them become stable, employed and substance free while continuing mental health care through community/peer counseling groups or the V.A. Admission Criteria Cases considered for admission to the Veterans Court will include both misdemeanor and felony cases, where the treatment team believes admission will protect the pu