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RETIRED JUSTICE EVELYN LUNDBERG STRATTON'S VETERANS' CRIMINAL JUSTICE & MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES NEWS

“Sharing Information to Benefit All Veterans”

October 22, 2017

Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Retired Veterans in the Courts Initiative

Evelyn Lundberg Stratton retired from the Ohio Supreme Court at the end of 2012 so as to pursue more fully criminal justice reforms with a particular emphasis on veterans who become involved with the justice system. She

established the Veterans in the Courts Initiative in 2009. Video http://bit.ly/1glCXZ0

Subscribe to this free weekly, all volunteer-generated, news summary by joining our Veterans in The Courts Initiative Group http://bit.ly/1DZ3esD

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE TOPIC PAGE

FEATURED STORIES 1 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 13

OPPORTUNITIES 2 GENERAL NEWS 15

GOVERNMENT 3 "VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LINKEDIN GROUP 16

OHIO 5 OTHER LINKEDIN GROUPS 16

STEPPING UP INITIATIVE 7 VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG 16

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 17

PTS/TBI/MST 11 HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER 17

SUICIDE 12

FEATURED STORIES

VA Announces Veterans Coordinated Access & Rewarding Experiences (CARE') Act Proposal to Congress: Replaces Current 30-day/40-mile' System With Patient/Provider-centric Decision-making http://bit.ly/2yGVM7v

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has presented the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees with the administration’s draft proposal of the

Veterans Coordinated Access & Rewarding Experiences (CARE) Act, designed to improve Veterans’ experiences with and access to health care, building on the best features of VA’s existing community care programs and strengthening VA’s ability to furnish care in its facilities.

In order to meet Veterans’ needs quickly and in a way that is easy to understand, the bill aims to:

Clarify and simplify eligibility requirements, Set the framework for VA to continue to build a high-performing network, Streamline clinical and administrative processes, Implement new care coordination support for Veterans, and Merge and modernize community care programs.

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OPPORTUNITIES

FREE Training: Hocking College Training: Issues & Resources for Justice-Involved Veterans, November 15th http://bit.ly/2ilJXQ2

Course Description: This training is targeted to justice system professionals and will identify and provide an in-depth understanding of the specific issues facing and resources available for veterans and military service members in the justice system. Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to identify health-related issues specific to military and Veteran culture and ascertain, analyze, and make appropriate referrals to available resources and supportive services to improve outcomes for justice-involved veterans.

Registration Process: To register complete the attached form and e-mail to Carrie Arnold at cassadyc@hocking.edu by November 13, 2017. Who Should Attend: Judges, lawyers, probation officers, treatment providers, social workers, and any other professionals working with veterans or military personnel in the justice system.

Cost: This training is being offered free of charge due to the generous support of our partners at the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Ohio, the Veterans Courts & Military Affairs Sub-committee of the Ohio Attorney General’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness and Hocking College.

Ohio Opportunity to participate in videotaped focus groups about a suicide prevention campaign engaging families and friends to get involved (“step up”) for active & returning family members (Veteran/National Guard) who may be struggling to re-adjust to civilian life. http://bit.ly/2yGRxLk

Columbus Ohio Family and Friends of Service Members/Veterans GET PAID $80 TO GIVE YOUR OPINION!

MEE Productions / REACH Communications is working with Ohio MHAS to recruit Ohio Family Members and Friends of Veterans/National Guard Service Members to participate in videotaped focus groups about a suicide prevention campaign engaging families and friends to get involved (“step up”) for active & returning family members (Veteran/National Guard) who may be struggling to re-adjust to civilian life. We need feedback and opinions on messages for a campaign that will increase families and friends’ awareness about and the prevention of suicides among veterans, as well as build capacity of military families to support each other and their loved ones in times of need. A group will be held on Friday, October 20th from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm, near the Columbus International Airport. If you are a family member or close friend of a veteran or service member, you could be eligible to participate.

Each group will last about 2 hours. If you complete the group, you will receive $80 as compensation for your time/travel and for being videotaped. Space is limited, so call our toll-free number (1-877-633-7763) now to be screened for eligibility! (You must be screened in order to participate.) The specific address for the group will be provided during the screening and registration process.

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Career & Training Opportunities for Florida Veterans http://bit.ly/2yHikaj

CareerSource Pinellas is a driving force in delivering workforce solutions that support economic development in Pinellas County. CareerSource Pinellas offers a full range of career planning services for professional and entry level candidates, including career orientation; resource centers that assist in the

candidate’s job search; career fairs; interviewing techniques; labor market information specific to occupations and industries in demand as well as resume building tips, salary and wage information and more; and professional networking. . . . CareerSource Pinellas' has locations in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Tarpon Springs. The centers offer services for employers and employment candidates, including turnkey business centers for copying, faxing, and internet access. There is no fee charged for any of CareerSource Pinellas’ services for employers or job seekers.

NY Veterans Research Study Participation: Columbia University Teacher’s College ProVetus Mentorship Research Project http://bit.ly/2yHCjW5

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a trained, peer-mentor program (Pro Vetus) enhanced by the services of the NYC Department of Veterans' Services to successfully transition military service members from the military to the civilian sector so that they can reach their full potential as the next generation of business and community leaders.

Opportunities for New York City area veterans http://bit.ly/2yGOuk5 & http://bit.ly/2yImXyH

Marco A. Bongioanni, LMHC, Readjustment Counseling Therapist, U.S. Army Veteran, at the Bronx, NY Vet Center has sent us flyers on opportunities for veterans in the NYC area. These opportunities include

Veterans Day Event in Brooklyn Postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University/NYS Psychiatric Institute Military Resilience Project U./S. Secret Service recruitment

We are honored to be able to share these events with you. Please share them with your networks. For ease of sharing, we have combined all the flyers into one PDF file at the link above. Thank you. The world is a smaller place every day.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AMSUS

EVENT: Register for 126 Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, November 27th – December 1st

U.S. Medicine

GAO: Applications for VHA Healthcare Benefits Frequently Mishandled MHS Providers Lack Time, Travel Funding for PTSD, MDD Training VA End-of-Life Care Push Increases Hospice Use Among Veterans California Statistics Indicate Kidney Cancer Rates Might Be Declining Overall Device Developers ‘Kicked a Hornet’s Nest’ in Hemorrhage, Shock Treatment

DoD Sleepy teen? Military sleep specialist says help is available

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Midwives expand women's options DHA symposium brings together minds to get the most out of research dollars Medical residents aboard USNS Comfort help Puerto Rico recover Addressing Peripartum Depression in Military Service Members: The Role of Internal

Behavioral Health Consultants VETERAN WHO SUSTAINED TBI HELPS FELLOW SERVICE MEMBERS WITH BRAIN INJURY

CARE DoD College of Allied Health Sciences Awards First Undergraduate Degree What parental suicide means for children Depression: Myths, Facts Backed Up By Numbers

VA Programs VA seeks partnerships to build and improve health-care facilities 2017 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival

Veterans with 'bad paper' won't get new VA ID cards

VA Research It’s not a rat's race for human stem cells grafted to repair spinal cord injuries Dr. Rory Cooper — adaptive technology pioneer Paralyzed Veterans use robotic device to assist walking Lower-extremity neuroprostheses continue to function in the long term Drug-resistant bacteria on the rise in patients with spinal cord injury Study suggests biomarkers could help ward off pressure ulcers for spinal cord injury

patients

VA Facilities

Southern Nevada VAHCS Town Hall and Information Fair, October 25th West Palm Beach Breast Cancer Awareness Health Fair , October 25th New Orleans VA Stand Down, October 28th

Ann Arbor VA MI Vet hiring event on November 7th Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, with the Pinellas County MyVA Community Engagement

Board, Veterans’ Expo & Town Hall held at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, November 9th

Bay Pines VAHCS Town Hall, November 12th Shreveport VAMC Town Hall, November 15th Veterans Showcase Talents at National Creative Arts Festival in Buffalo, N.Y.: Exhibit, Stage

Show Open to Public and Media Charleston VAMC 200 Lowcountry Veterans found help at the 18th Annual Stand Down Mobile medical unit brings much needed care to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico Palo Alto VAHCS Partnering with Patients for Patients NFL star, former Olympian shares struggle with mental illness with Phoenix Veterans

Women Veterans seek their own medical care at Reno VA Hospital Women’s Health Clinic Opportunity: Pittsburgh VAHCS Nursing Jobs RN-Patient Care Coordinator for Pittsburgh

#Veterans, Apply by Oct. 25 Caribbean VAHCS Arecibo Vet Center comes back from disaster Caribbean VAHCS Deployed VA employees help local colleagues Plan for Closure of Surgeries at Brooklyn VA Hospital is abandoned.

VA OIG Reports

Healthcare Inspection – Opioid Agonist Treatment Program Concerns VA Maryland Health Care System Baltimore, Maryland

VA OIG Podcasts Additional resources from my blog

LIST OF VA TOWN HALLS & OTHER MEETINGS NATIONWIDE: http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6

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OHIO

Licking County Municipal Court Judge conditionally promises veterans treatment court if re-elected http://ohne.ws/2yJoRkH

Judge David Stansbury: . . . If re-elected, I intend to continue to preside over the drug

court. I have been monitoring the number of veterans under court supervision and hope to start a Veteran’s Treatment Court if the veteran population continues to increase.

FREE Training: Hocking College Training: Issues & Resources for Justice-Involved Veterans, November 15th http://bit.ly/2ilJXQ2

Course Description: This training is targeted to justice system professionals and will identify and provide an in-depth understanding of the specific issues facing and resources available

for veterans and military service members in the justice system. Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to identify health-related issues specific to military and Veteran culture and ascertain, analyze, and make appropriate referrals to available resources and supportive services to improve outcomes for justice-involved veterans. Registration Process: To register complete the attached form and e-mail to Carrie Arnold at cassadyc@hocking.edu by November 13, 2017. Who Should Attend: Judges, lawyers, probation officers, treatment providers, social workers, and any other professionals working with veterans or military personnel in the justice system.

Cost: This training is being offered free of charge due to the generous support of our partners at the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Ohio, the Veterans Courts & Military Affairs Sub-committee of the Ohio Attorney General’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness and Hocking College.

Operation Legal Help Ohio: Jasmine Hurley: Volunteer attorney and Army Veteran - Thank you for going above and beyond. http://mvlap.org/

Jasmine Hurley helps Veterans through Operation Legal Help Ohio to give back. She is an associate attorney in the Columbus office of Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter and centers her practice on business transactions. As a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, she served as an Army Military Police Officer for six years during which time she

received a Bronze Star. Last Fall, Hurley accepted a case for a disabled Montgomery County

Veteran who was struggling with poor housing conditions - including a gas leak - and an inattentive landlord. In response to the condition of

the home, the client had on her own attempted to withhold rent for almost a year. She faced a potential retaliatory eviction. The case was further

complicated by a fixed income and the disabilities of other family members. Attorney Hurley stepped in and counseled the client, accompanied her to home inspections, and negotiated a moveout and settlement with the landlord’s attorneys. Thanks to Hurley's diligence and compassion, the client avoided an eviction and moved with her children to a safer home on a reasonable timeline.

Thank you for going above and beyond in a very challenging case helping a Veteran avoid homelessness and protecting her physical, mental and financial health.

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Ohio Opportunity to participate in videotaped focus groups about a suicide prevention campaign engaging families and friends to get involved (“step up”) for active & returning family members (Veteran/National Guard) who may be struggling to re-adjust to civilian life. http://bit.ly/2yGRxLk

Columbus Ohio Family and Friends of Service Members/Veterans

GET PAID $80 TO GIVE YOUR OPINION! MEE Productions / REACH Communications is working with Ohio MHAS to recruit Ohio Family Members and Friends of Veterans/National Guard Service Members to participate in videotaped focus groups about a suicide prevention campaign engaging families and friends to get involved (“step up”) for active & returning family members (Veteran/National Guard) who may be struggling to re-adjust to civilian life. We need feedback and opinions on messages for a campaign that will increase families and friends’ awareness about and the prevention of suicides among veterans, as well as build capacity of military families to support each other and their loved ones in times of need. A group will be held on Friday, October 20th from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm, near the Columbus

International Airport. If you are a family member or close friend of a veteran or service member, you could be eligible to participate. Each group will last about 2 hours. If you complete the group, you will receive $80 as compensation for your time/travel and for being videotaped. Space is limited, so call our toll-free number (1-877-633-7763) now to be screened for eligibility! (You must be screened in order to participate.) The specific address for the group will be provided during the screening and registration process.

Miami Valley veterans chosen for Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame http://bit.ly/2irvLoM

Three Miami Valley veterans are among 20 statewide chosen as the newest inductees into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. The two Air Force veterans and a former Marine include:

* Blanche Aviles Casey, 73, of Beavercreek, a veteran of both the Vietnam War and Persian Gulf War era who became a federal servant after serving 30 years in the Air Force . . . * William E. DeFries, 57, of Clayton, a Marine Corps veteran who is a small business owner, philanthropist, and mentor, among other roles.

. . . * Richard V. Reynolds, 68, of Beavercreek, a retired three-star Air Force general, was a past chairman, president and CEO of the Air Force Museum Foundation Inc. He led a nearly $41 million fund raising campaign to add a fourth hangar at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force that opened last year and is part of the fund

raising effort to build a $6.5 million Fisher House at the Dayton VA Medical Center campus. Among other post military work, Reynolds co-founded Air Camp Inc., for Dayton elementary and middle school students in the region.

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame will induct its newest members Nov. 9 in Dublin, Ohio.

The Ohio State University: Ohio State College Of Social Work Wins Grant To Fight Opioid Abuse http://bit.ly/2yIQwlX

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Ohio State’s College of Social Work announced that it has received a $3 million grant to fight substance abuse in the state. The grant, which comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will support drug intervention activities in Fairfield and Pickaway counties. Their aim is to reduce child abuse and neglect among families who have substance abuse problems. As part of the grant, College of Social Work faculty will collaborate with family service agencies to work on three strategies. Those include family drug-treatment court and medication-assisted treatment, peer recovery supporters, and parenting and support for kinship providers. The goal is to holistically provide supports to families involved in the child welfare system due to substance abuse in order to get parents into treatment and increase permanency and

well-being for children.

Additional resources from my blog OPERATION LEGAL HELP OHIO http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK

RESOURCES FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH

OHIO JOBS FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1CL3Ay0

RESURRECTING LIVES FOUNDATION http://bit.ly/1R9toOV

EVENTS FOR OHIO VETERANS http://bit.ly/1Tx7tix

EVENTS FOR LAWYERS & OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR OHIO VETERANS http://bit.ly/2fQHYN7

RESOURCES FOR OHIO VETERANS http://bit.ly/2fQNEql

STEPPING UP INITIATIVE Editor’s Note: Closely associated with Veterans Treatment Courts and other specialty docket courts dealing with mental illness is the new STEEPING UP INITIATIVE. Stepping Up is a national initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illness

in Jails.

Stepping Up and similar initiatives are an important evolution in the treatment of veterans and others incarcerated with mental illness.

Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundeberg Stratton (Retired) is the Director of Stepping Up Ohio. We have

decided to create this new section of Retired Justice Stratton’s News Clips, rather than bury the stories somewhere else.

We particularly wish to thank County Court Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren in The Criminal Division of the 17th Judicial Circuit, Broward County of Florida, a Pioneer and Creator of America's first mental health court dedicated to the

decriminalization of people with mental illness, for sending us news articles to share with you.

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NIMH Josh Gordon, new director of the National Institute of Mental Health, weighs its future

The Washington Post Top Mental Health Researcher Suggests Link Between Opioid Overdoses and Suicides

Huffington Post

SAMHSA

New Report Focuses on Single State Agencies for Substance Abuse Services and State

Mental Health Agencies GAINS Center October 2017 Newsletter

Treatment Advocacy Center Multi-System Failure in Texas Leaves Individuals with Mental Illness Behind Bars AOT Practioners Provide Useful Input #WebsiteWednesdays Mental Illness Costs Affect Everyone #WebsiteWednesdays

RESEARCH WEEKLY: Forensic Assertive Community Treatment and Criminal Justice Involvement

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RESEARCH WEEKLY: Psychiatric Bed Registries in the United States

CSG Justice Center

Rhode Island Governor Signs Bills to Increase Public Safety, Promote Rehabilitation and Treatment

Second Presentation to the Missouri State Justice Reinvestment Task Force Focuses on Supervision Policies and Practices

JRI Maximizing State Reforms Grantees Announced New FBI Crime Data Takes Search for Solution to State, Local Levels

IN: Conference Topic Focuses On Traumatic Brain Injury, Incarceration http://bit.ly/2yIWqTW

An estimated 60 percent of people in the prison system have suffered some type of traumatic brain injury or TBI. A conference Tuesday in Indianapolis for those who work in the re-entry system addressed that widespread issue. During a series of sessions at the Marion County Conference On Re-entry a number of speakers focused on how traumatic brain injuries impair re-entry and possible solutions. Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana executive director Dr. Lance Trexler says failure to address the issue has far reaching societal impacts.

“In terms of mental health issues, substance abuse issues, reoffending, our court systems, our families, impact of state agencies,” says Trexler. Trexler says a number of studies point to the link between TBI and increased criminal behavior. He says there needs to be better identification and treatment before a crime is committed. “Better access to services and supports to address their behavioral impairments that area associated with the brain injury so they don’t commit the crime in the first place,” says Trexler. Community Solutions president Lena Hackett says a diagnosis can be life-changing for people with TBI.

“Because now they know what that thing is that been going on with them that causes them to make these bad decisions over and over again and it’s not that they are just messed up people,” says Hackett. She says the Marion County Re-entry Coalition is working to implement better screening for such injuries before prison. “One of the things we want to do right from the beginning is anyone walking into the criminal justice system, walking into jail gets a series a screenings automatically,” says Hackett. She says that would help address issues during incarceration and re-entry.

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS

Research: Professor to explore lives of vets caught up in justice system http://bit.ly/2yGj6Eh

Illinois State researcher Philip Mulvey has received $95,831 from the National Institute of

Justice (NIJ) to explore the daily lives of veterans who enter the criminal justice system.

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Research has shown that military veterans reintegrating into civilian society are at increased risk for relationship troubles, mental health crises, and substance abuse as well as an increased propensity for violence. Those factors may lead to minor brushes with the law due to various anti-social behaviors, or to imprisonment for serious crimes. Mulvey, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences, is working to find out how day-to-day life experiences can impact anti-social or criminal behavior in veterans. He hopes his research will help lead to improved treatment and corrections services. The two-year study is supported by the NIJ’s Early Career Scholar program. Mulvey’s study will include veterans in the criminal justice system in counties across Illinois. He will conduct face-to-face interviews with up to 50 veterans on probation, and some will be asked to complete surveys to record daily activities, emotions, and general state of mind.

The information gathered during the study could eventually help to shape policies and practices for dealing with veterans in the criminal justice system.

DE: Veterans Treatment Court offers support, mentoring (Lengthy article) http://bit.ly/2yHrP9g

Last month, Sussex County Superior Courts took the time to recognize and honor active-duty military service personnel, veterans and their mentors who participate in the Veterans Treatment Court program. “Mentors — the strength of the court here is in large measure due to you,” said Delaware Superior Court Judge Richard F. Stokes, who served as a U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer during the Vietnam War.

“The people who have served, the people that have seen things and understand that when veterans who have served our country come back, they have special problems, because they took the oath and served our country.” The Veterans Treatment Court’s mission is to divert veterans who meet strict requirements from the traditional criminal justice system and provide them with the tools to lead a productive and law-abiding life. On Sept. 28, Brig. Gen. Mike Berry, land component commander of the Delaware National Guard, who also serves as deputy commander of Troop 4 for the Delaware State Police, attended the event to show his support of the Court and its veterans. “Circumstances are what they are. Certainly, the veteran population is a little different than

the general population out there. I think that we, the veterans, all deserve an opportunity, and that’s what the mentors are doing.”

MO: FACT CHECK: Greitens is mostly right on Veterans Treatment Court graduation rates http://bit.ly/2yGJVZ6

“Seventy-three percent of our veterans are graduating from drug courts. By contrast, I think most of the people in the very good drug court program — the graduation rate’s like 53, 55 percent. The point of that is that drug courts are working for veterans.”

PA: Butler Eagle: Our Veterans Courts need your help (Subscription) http://bit.ly/2yHdidL

As Americans, we owe a debt of gratitude to our military veterans. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is committed to doing everything we can to ...

TN: District could be getting veterans court http://bit.ly/2yInpPI

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Tenth District Criminal Court Judge Judge Sandra Donaghy said Bradley and the surrounding district counties appear to be in line to have a veterans court. Donaghy made her comments during an address to the Bradley County Republican Women on Thursday afternoon. "I am working hard as I see a whole bunch of federal grant dollars to fund veterans courts," she said. "We have National Guard and Reserve units in all of the counties in our district that have been activated a number of times." "Those people go to war and they see horrible things, then they come back and they just have trouble fitting back in," Donaghy said. "They try to self-medicate and they get addicted to whatever — then, all of a sudden, we have good people in our criminal justice system who are there in part because of the service they gave to America."

The judge said an application has been made for a veterans court grant. "We have been selected to go through the training, so I am thinking sometime in January or February, we will have a team of trainers come and train what I will call 'my team' on how to do this form of a recovery court," Donaghy said.

She said the training is a mandatory 2-1/2 day session, then they are sent to "watch how a good one operates."

VA: Veterans to get more help in Prince William Co. http://bit.ly/2yJQXvY

WASHINGTON — The Veterans Treatment Docket, a drug and mental health treatment program that helps veterans stay out of jail, will expand to Prince William County, Virginia,

next month. The program will start on Nov. 1, according to Virginia Del. Rich Anderson, who is from Prince William County. It aims to keep veterans who are suffering from mental health issues and addiction out of the justice system. The main goal is to connect veterans with treatment as soon as possible and “hopefully help that person be rehabilitated,” said Brad Marshall, the Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County.

WA: Combat veteran accused of mass shooting threat, I-5 high-speed chase faces judge http://bit.ly/2yGTRlp

COWLITZ COUNTY, WA (KPTV) - A combat veteran accused of leading police on a long, high-speed chase down Interstate 5 earlier this month pleaded not guilty in a Cowlitz County courtroom Tuesday morning. Christopher James Bleavins, 35, is accused of first threatening a Las Vegas-style shooting at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma and then leading law enforcement in several counties on an 80-mile-long chase, sometimes reaching speeds greater than 120 mph.

. . . Authorities say Bleavins suffers from PTSD and suffered both mental and physical injuries in service to his country. He has been given a psychological evaluation. Bleavins is a husband and father and has no prior criminal history, according to court records.

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His attorney asked that bail be set at $5,000, but the judge sided with the prosecution and set bail at $100,000, saying he feared Bleavins could still be a danger to the community, especially since his defense had not arranged a treatment plan for the veteran. Bleavins' attorney said he hopes to move this case from superior court to a veterans treatment court, where his client could get treatment for PTSD. In the meantime, Bleavins remains in the Cowlitz County Jail on charges of reckless endangerment, assault, eluding police and hit and run.

Additional resources from my blog

1. LIST OF NATIONAL AND STATE LEGAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/19DC5zu

2. U.S. VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS LOCATIONS http://bit.ly/1Lf1VX5

PTS/TBI/MST

Research: International Stem Cell Corporation to Move Forward with Traumatic Brain Injury Phase II Clinical Trial http://read.bi/2yId4Tw

CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB:ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com) ("ISCO" or "the Company"), a California-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products, announced today that the completion of its preclinical studies in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program will position it to commence a Phase II clinical trial in Australia under the Clinical Trial Notification scheme.

. . . "We are very impressed by the results of our TBI preclinical studies. Both motor and cognitive functions improved with neural stem cells ISC-hpNSC® transplantation without any safety issues,” commented Russell Kern, PhD., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of ISCO. “With the clinical safety data collected in our Parkinson’s disease program, we are now ready to submit our regulatory application for a new clinical trial in another neurological indication. We are planning to evaluate the efficacy ISC-hpNSC® in a Phase II clinical study in patients with TBI and we will file a Clinical Trial Notification with the Australian TGA,” he continued.

LSU Research: HBOT Therapy Shows Significant Reduction in PTSD Symptoms http://bit.ly/2yJ0oMk

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) demonstrated a significant drop in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and suicidal ideation in a new study of military personnel, according to a study published in Medical Gas Research. Researchers enrolled 29 active-duty or retired military personnel (aged 18–65 years) with ≥1 mild-to-moderate blast traumatic brain injury (TBI) that was at minimum 1 year old. All participants had persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS) with or without PTSD and they were matched to a control group.

A Marine Attacked an Iraqi Restaurant. But Was It a Hate Crime or PTSD? (NYT) http://nyti.ms/2yFR0Jw

Portland has been on edge over a sharp increase in hate crimes this year. Swastikas showed up on school walls; a mosque received a threatening letter that read “I will enjoy the sight

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of the blood of you and your fellow vermin running into the streets.” Two men were killed in an attack by an avowed white supremacist on a commuter train. Determined to take a stand, the authorities came down hard on the restaurant attacker, a 40-year-old California man named Damien Rodriguez. Though similar crimes typically merit misdemeanor charges, lawyers said, prosecutors charged him with felony-level hate crime and assault charges that carry a mandatory prison sentence. That is where people who know Mr. Rodriguez say the case took a wrong turn. Mr. Rodriguez was a decorated Marine sergeant major who was forced to retire after his arrest. He had spent years in combat. Friends and family say his actions were not provoked by hate but by post-traumatic stress disorder for which, despite repeated efforts, he never received effective treatment.

As the case unfolded over the summer, it raised questions about what constitutes a hate crime and how effectively the legal system treats combat veterans who suffer from PTSD. Hundreds of cities across the country have set up special veterans courts devised to offer therapy instead of jail time to wounded veterans, recognizing that treating trauma can be the best way to avoid more crime. But there is a catch: Most courts bar veterans who have committed a violent crime. That is the case in Portland. Because Mr. Rodriguez was

charged with felony assault, he cannot appear in the veterans court that might offer supervised treatment. Instead, he faces years in prison.

MST: Colorado Homeless Female Veterans Undercounted, Underserved http://bit.ly/2yFScwm

. . . Sanchez is one of the 628 veteran women in Colorado who are homeless or at-risk of

being homeless so far this year, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Despite successful efforts by the agency to reduce the overall homeless population by nearly half in the last decade, the national number of female veterans who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless is increasing. It’s projected to jump 9 percent, from 36,443 in 2015 to 39,686 by 2025. Homeless female veterans face unique challenges that differ from their male counterparts. For example, one in four women report experiencing sexual harassment or assault while in service, according to VA. These incidents, known as military sexual trauma, has been linked to mental health conditions, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Both MST and PTSD are known risk-factors for homelessness.

Additional resources from my blog

RESURRECTING LIVES FOUNDATION http://bit.ly/1R9toOV

EVENTS FOR VETERANS & VETERAN SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi

SUICIDE Zero Suicide Program

Safety Planning Intervention for Suicide Prevention We released the 2nd trilogy on Zero Suicide earlier this week. It is from recorded

sessions at the Bridging the Divide conference last May here in Denver.

o Why and How Now Matters Now with Ursula Whiteside PhD

At the Bridging the Divide Conference we chatted with Ursula Whiteside (apologies to Ursula on my little faux pas) and she told us why Now Matters

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Now and how caring messages can go such a long, long way. http://traffic.libsyn.com/denvermirecc/podcast_ursala_whiteside.mp3

o An Agency's Approach to Zero Suicide with Richard T. McKeon PhD, MPH From the 2017 Bridging the Divide Conference we had a short conversation with Richard T. McKeon, Ph.D., M.P.H., Chief of the Suicide Prevention Branch

for SAMHSA. http://traffic.libsyn.com/denvermirecc/podcast_richard_mckeon.mp3

o A State's Approach to Zero Suicide with Sarah Brummett MA, JD Sarah Brummett is the Director of the Office of Suicide Prevention for the

State of Colorado. Sarah discusses how the Zero Suicide system approach looks when applied to a whole state. It is amazing. http://traffic.libsyn.com/denvermirecc/podcast_sarah_brummett.mp3

Media & Mental Health Tool Kit

SPRC: The Weekly Spark http://bit.ly/29EvMvH Developing a Successful Suicide Prevention Research Project Screening Young People for Suicide Risk Americans Living in Rural Areas More Likely to Die by Suicide MONTANA: Governor and Tribal Governments Uniting to Reduce and Prevent American

Indian Youth Suicide CANADA: Ottawa, Military in Joint Offensive to Save Soldiers from Suicide

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day Active Minds Healthy Campus Award Call for Applications EVENT: International Summit on Suicide Research, Henderson, NV, November 5th –

8th Youth Bullying and Suicide: The Reality for Schools Today

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH NEWS MAY BE POSTED IN THE SECTIONS BELOW.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Columbia University Teacher’s College ProVetus Mentorship Research Project http://bit.ly/2yHCjW5

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a trained, peer-mentor program (Pro Vetus) enhanced by the services of the NYC Department of Veterans' Services to successfully transition military service members from the military to the civilian sector so that they can reach their full potential as the next generation of business and community leaders.

DoD College of Allied Health Sciences Awards First Undergraduate Degree http://bit.ly/2yIPy9j

Army Staff Sergeant Robert Eccles, 38, from Holladay, Utah, is the first recipient of an undergraduate degree awarded by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). Eccles, who serves as a medical laboratory technology instructor at the DoD’s joint Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) in San Antonio, Texas, received the Associate of

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Science degree in Health Sciences from USU’s new College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) in a ceremony at the Army Medical Department Museum on Oct. 11, 2017. . . . “You are a symbol,” USU President Dr. Richard W. Thomas said to Eccles. “You symbolize a new standard of excellence in enlisted medical education and training, and you are a symbol for those yet to come.” “To be the first CAHS graduate still feels a bit surreal,” Eccles continued. “I look at this program and what it will offer to all the service members coming through the Medical Laboratory Program and other programs, and it fills me with happiness to know that these Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen won't have to struggle as much as I did to earn their degrees. I already have been telling my peers and students, this is the best opportunity available to service members, and the most painless way to earn our degrees.”

For more information on the USU College of Allied Health Sciences, visit www.usuhs.edu/cahs.

Illinois State University Research: Professor to explore lives of vets caught up in justice system http://bit.ly/2yGj6Eh

Illinois State researcher Philip Mulvey has received $95,831 from the National Institute of

Justice (NIJ) to explore the daily lives of veterans who enter the criminal justice system. Research has shown that military veterans reintegrating into civilian society are at increased risk for relationship troubles, mental health crises, and substance abuse as well as an increased propensity for violence. Those factors may lead to minor brushes with the law due to various anti-social behaviors, or to imprisonment for serious crimes.

Mulvey, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences, is working to find out how day-to-day life experiences can impact anti-social or criminal behavior in veterans. He hopes his research will help lead to improved treatment and corrections services. The two-year study is supported by the NIJ’s Early Career Scholar program. Mulvey’s study will include veterans in the criminal justice system in counties across Illinois. He will conduct face-to-face interviews with up to 50 veterans on probation, and some will

be asked to complete surveys to record daily activities, emotions, and general state of mind. The information gathered during the study could eventually help to shape policies and practices for dealing with veterans in the criminal justice system.

Louisiana State University Research: Veterans Study Reports Reduction in Suicide Ideation after HBOT http://bit.ly/2yIsTtK

A pilot case control study of veterans of the US armed forces with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) or persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS), with or without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has found significant improvements in persistent post-concussion syndrome and PTSD symptoms, neurological exam, memory, intelligence quotient, attention, cognition, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and brain blood flow following hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Compared to controls, the patients’ brain scans were significantly abnormal before treatment and became statistically indistinguishable from controls in 75% of abnormal areas after treatment.

University of New Mexico: UNM veteran students now have a place of their own (Video) http://bit.ly/2yYkiE3

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – For veterans, transitioning from the military to civilian life isn’t always easy. Now, student veterans at the University of New Mexico have a place of their own, to escape daily struggles with other vets. . . . He said sometimes the veteran students just need a place to get away, and now, they have one. “What we’re trying to create is like a second home environment,” said Calderon. The group was once in a tiny room in the Student Union Building, but they just moved into the old LGBTQ building. It’s fully equipped with a kitchen, living room, computer, study rooms, and even a lactation room. “If we have some place to come to let it all go and relax around buddies that have been the

same place, the same training, same conflicts, you’re at home,” said Garcia. The Veterans Resource Center is located on the corner of Central and University. Although it’s not fully set up yet, the students are happy to call the space their own. “Veterans are loving the idea of having our own facility and being able to develop it ourselves,” said Calderon.

Use of the building is free to all veterans. The association is hoping to hold a grand opening once it’s fully furnished, which they hope will be by Veterans Day.

The Ohio State University: Ohio State College Of Social Work Wins Grant To Fight Opioid Abuse http://bit.ly/2yIQwlX

Ohio State’s College of Social Work announced that it has received a $3 million grant to fight substance abuse in the state. The grant, which comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will support drug intervention activities in Fairfield and Pickaway counties. Their aim is to reduce child abuse and neglect among families who have substance abuse problems. As part of the grant, College of Social Work faculty will collaborate with family service agencies to work on three strategies. Those include family drug-treatment court and medication-assisted treatment, peer recovery supporters, and parenting and support for kinship providers. The goal is to holistically provide supports to families involved in the child welfare system due to substance abuse in order to get parents into treatment and increase permanency and

well-being for children.

GENERAL NEWS

Buffalo’s Opioid Court Hopes to Show New Path in Addiction Fight (NBC Nightly News Video) http://nbcnews.to/2yKaDAd

The court is the nation’s first opioid crisis intervention court. Unlike typical drug courts, the program gets users into treatment within hours — not weeks — of their arrest.

Additional resources from my blog ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH

EVENTS FOR VETERANS & VETERANS SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi

VETERANS JOB LISTINGS AND HIRING FAIRS WEBSITES http://bit.ly/19Dz2ay

NEWSLETTERS & BLOG FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1GQzKjf

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"VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LinkedIn Professional Group (VIJ)

Please join us on LinkedIn or Facebook for networking and discussions on the issues regarding

veterans in the criminal justice system. This group's mission is to connect professionals and advocates who work with and for justice-involved veterans and to share ideas and practices for assisting those veterans -- from the conditions that lead to justice involvement, through initial police contact, arrest, criminal case processing, conviction, sentencing, incarceration, and release. Access our group at http://linkd.in/1947vfS Facebook: www.facebook.com/veteransinjustice

Join The National Discussion - 1,348 Professionals in VIJ Group

Active Topics Dear Friends, Next Sunday! One week from now in the gorgeous Marin headlands will be

our first time adding yoga to our free veteran and service member Horse Activity Day! New online tool helps veterans identify legal issues and take action to resolve them California bill would allow troops and vets to avoid conviction on DUI offenses

Pain Management and Opioid Use with Veterans and Service Members PTSD/TBI and Discharges Sexual Assaults in Military Drop, Reporting Goes Up, Annual Report Reveals ADDRESSING THE FLOW OF VETERANS INTO PRISON

LINKEDIN GROUPS

Military and Veteran Benefit Forum

Veteran Mentor Network http://linkd.in/1fOlgOt 28,933 members Institute for Veteran Cultural Studies http://linkd.in/1cz3gq1

NAMI http://linkd.in/1cz3Gg7 BI-IFEA (Brain injury-Ideas for Education & Advocacy) http://linkd.in/1cz4e5V

Military-Civilian: Hot Jobs and Careers for Veterans and Their Families http://linkd.in/1c59DkM VETERANS IN JUSTICE GROUP http://linkd.in/12APdMS

Cuyahoga County Ohio Veterans and Supporters (Bryan A. McGown "Gunny") http://linkd.in/Zxwx1f Veteran Employment Representatives http://linkd.in/ZxwUcc

MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://bit.ly/1RVPLFl

Midwest Military Outreach, Inc. http://linkd.in/1eiMTkJ Military Veteran Job Fairs & Hiring Conferences http://linkd.in/Zxx4jS

Wounded Warrior Resources http://linkd.in/17TMNhJ The Value of a Veteran http://linkd.in/15vD7H4

MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://linkd.in/1fkQLA8

(Please email us other groups that you find and think would be informative and useful for our audience)

VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG estrattonconsulting.wordpress.com

To focus this newsletter on veterans-related criminal justice and mental illness issues and to shorten it to a more

manageable size, we have moved our tables & lists of reference materials and other longer term information to retired Justice Stratton's blog. Please follow the links below for that information.

Operation Legal Help Ohio http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK

National Legal Assistance http://bit.ly/19DC5zu

VA Town Halls & Events http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6

Jobs & Hiring Fairs Listings http://bit.ly/19Dz2ay

Events: Conferences, Webinars, etc.

http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi

Additional Resources http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH

Current Newsletter 2015 Newsletters Ohio Resources For Veterans

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http://bit.ly/19ovER5 http://bit.ly/1FKASAC http://bit.ly/19ouWn0

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Editor's Note: Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations that provide articles for these news clips every week. I would especially like to thank and urge you to follow:

Marco Bongioanni, MSE Readjustment Counseling Therapist, U.S. Army Veteran,Bronx Vet Center, Bronx, NY

Lily Casura, journalist, author and founder of Healing Combat Trauma - the award-winning, first website to

address the issue of combat veterans and PTSD (established February 2006). Lily is also apublic policy grad student, IWMF grantee and NASW award winner.

U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) Wayne Gatewood, of Quality Support Inc. Wayne disseminates a daily Veterans News e-mail to an international audience

Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee, Project Manager, Military Spouse Mental Health Pipeline, National Military Family Association. Dr. Herrera-Yee is currently a Board Member for the Association of the United States Army

(AUSA), Military Spouses of Strength, Military Mental Health Project and the National Guard Suicide and Resiliency Council among others. She has also been a special contributor to NBC News, Military Times, Air

Force Times, Military Spouse Magazine and BuzzFeed. She spends her free time mentoring spouses through eMentor and Joining Forces. Dr. Herrera-Yee received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and was a Clinical Fellow

at Harvard University. U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) James Hutton, Dep Assistant Secretary (Acting), U.S. Department of Veterans

Affairs, Col. US Army (Ret) - Iraq War Veteran. Justice for Vets, Justice For Vets is a professional services division of the National Association of Drug Court

professionals, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Alexandria, VA. Justice for Vets believes that no veteran or military service member should suffer from gaps in service, or the judicial system when they return

to their communities. As the stewards of the Veterans Treatment Court movement Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, Pioneer, America's first mental health court dedicated to the decriminalization of

people with mental illness Kathy Platoni, Psy.D., DAAPM, FAIS, Clinical Psychologist, COL (RET), US Army, COL. Ohio Militia,

www.drplatoni.com, Veteran ~ Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, (Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan), Co-Author and Co-Editor, Fort Hood Massacre

Survivor, National Combat Trauma Expert

Mary Ellen Salzano, founder facilitator of the CA Statewide Collaborative for our Military and Families Patrick W. Welch, PhD, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret), Veterans Advocate & Educator, Buffalo Veterans Treatment

Court - Senior Mentor, Higher Ground New York - Director of Military Programs

HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER There are three ways to join my newsletter:

Join my Veterans In The Courts Initiative Google Group at http://bit.ly/1DZ3esD or,

Subscribe to my Veterans In The Courts Initiative Blog for immediate news and for my weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/1DP1TCi or,

Please contact my editor Pete Miller at cruzzen@gmail.com and request to be added.

1. Please send us a little info about yourselves as we like to introduce our new sign-ups to others for networking purposes.

(See our transmittal email page for examples.) If you do NOT wish to be recognized, please let Pete know, otherwise we will

list you.

2. We provide these news clips summaries as a way to share information of a general nature and it is not intended as a

substitute for professional consultation and advice in a particular matter. The opinions and interpretations expressed within are those of the author of the individual news stories only and may not reflect those of other identified parties.

3. We do not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of these news clips, nor do we endorse or make any

representations about their content. We only pass them through to our readers and rely on you to check out their content. We don't intend to make any editorial judgment about their content or politics.

4. In no event will I, EStratton Consulting, or my Editor Pete Miller, be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of the

use of or reliance on the contents of this news clips summary. How you chose to use them is strictly up to you.

5. Please feel free to pass the news clips on to any of your networks, so that we may get the word out as far as possible.

You may also send in information similar in content to what we pass on. While we may occasionally pass on such information, we don't intend to promote commercial or for profit products nor be a substitute for your own efforts to

promote your own entity or website. We especially welcome information about national funding or training opportunities.

6. If you pass on our clips, please also pass on our Disclaimer.

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EDITOR/CONTACT

Pete Miller, cruzzen@gmail.com, @OHCircuitRider

Ohio Attorney General's Task Force on Criminal Justice & Mental Illness

Veterans In The Courts Initiative

Editor/Publisher - Veterans Treatment Court News Daily

Editor/Publisher - Traumatic Brain Injury News Daily