Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO)

Veterans Justice Outreach

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Program is a preventionfocused component of VA’s Homeless Programs Office (HPO), whose mission is to end homelessness among Veterans. Since the program was founded in 2009, VJO Specialists at every VA medical center have provided outreach to justice-involved Veterans in various settings, including jails and courts. As of November 2020, VJO Specialists report serving in 601 Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) and other Veteran-focused court programs across the U.S. The number of these courts has grown significantly since June 2016, when VJO Specialists reported serving in 461 courts. 


VTCs are initiated, funded, and operated by local governments, rather than by VA. However, VA directly supports VTCs through the participation of its VJO Specialists as members of VTC treatment teams, and through the health care services it provides to Veteran defendants, most of whom would otherwise receive care at county expense. The Specialists assess Veteran defendants’ treatment needs, link Veterans with appropriate VA treatment services, and (with the Veterans’ permission) provide regular updates to the

court on their progress in treatment. VA’s role in a VTC is limited to the treatment-related aspects of the court process; VA does not decide which Veteran defendants should be admitted to a VTC or define the level of offenses (e.g., misdemeanor vs. felony) that a VTC will accept. VJO Specialists work closely with justice system partners as they plan new VTCs, informing the partners about VA services that would be available to Veterans defendants locally or regionally. However, as with all VJO-related services, the Specialists do not advocate specifically for the use a particular model or set numerical targets for desired VTC growth. Instead, they help communities plan to meet the needs of justice-involved Veterans using approaches that best fit local circumstances.

  • Legal and Judicial Resources / Veterans Justice Outreach

    Veterans Justice Outreach Program

    The mission of the Veterans Justice Programs is to identify justice-involved Veterans and contact them through outreach, in order to facilitate access to VA services at the earliest possible point. Veterans Justice Programs accomplish this by building and maintaining partnerships between VA and key elements of the criminal justice system.


    Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists | January 2021

    This fact sheet provides characteristics of and VA involvement in Veterans treatment courts, dockets and tracks from the Veterans Justice Outreach specialist perspective.



  • Veterans Re-entry Search Service (VRSS) Brochure

    Veterans Re-entry Search Service (VRSS) Brochure


    This brochure contains information about VA’s Veterans Re-entry Search Service which helps employees in criminal justice systems identify Veterans who could benefit from VA assistance to aid in their re-entry after incarceration.

  • Veterans Justice Outreach / New York

    Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist Contacts / New York


    Albany

    Albany VA Medical Center:

    Samuel S. Stratton, Alyssa Gibbons


    Bath

    Bath VA Medical Center:

    Stacie Contreras


    Bronx

    James J. Peters VA Medical Center (Bronx, NY):

    Eddie Marcano


    Buffalo

    VA Western New York Healthcare System at Buffalo:

    John Lahood, Carolyn Fagnan


    Canandaigua

    Canandaigua VA Medical Center:

    Shirley McGee


    Montrose

    VA Hudson Valley Health Care System:

    Karetha Henry


    New York

    Manhattan Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System:

    Courtney Ma'at, Jeff Rabinovici, Kimberly Shaw


    Northport

    Northport VA Medical Center:

    Eric Bruno, Tiffany Grant-Zellem


    Syracuse

    Syracuse VA Medical Center:

    Janice James, Wendy Varricchio-Fletcher

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