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

“Sharing Information to Benefit All Veterans”

MARCH 26, 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

4,753 providers of veterans’ services just like you, nationwide & internationally, receive this free

newsletter every week. Another 13,000+ can see it on 5 social media sites. Over 5,300 people in 57 countries have viewed my blog over 10,000 times. Thank you for sharing!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE TOPIC PAGE

FEATURED STORIES 1 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 30

OPPORTUNITIES 2 GENERAL NEWS 38

GOVERNMENT 4 "VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LINKEDIN GROUP 40

OHIO 7 OTHER LINKEDIN GROUPS 40

STEPPING UP INITIATIVE 10 VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG 40

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS 15 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 41

PTS/TBI/MST 24 HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER 41

SUICIDE 27

FEATURED STORIES

VA Secretary tells the House Committee that he wants Veterans to be treated sooner and closer to home http://bit.ly/2nMXQYN

The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing titled “Shaping The Future:

Consolidating And Improving VA Community Care,” where VA Secretary David Shulkin

spoke about his vision for the future of VA Community Care, including the Veterans Choice

Program.

“Our overarching concern is that Veterans have access to high quality care when they need

it—regardless of whether in a VA facility or in their communities. Our goal for VA

Community Care is to deliver a program that is easy to understand, simple to administer

and meets Veterans’ needs,” Shulkin said.

Since the start of the program, more than 1.2 million Veterans have received community

care. A million appointments in FY 2015 has now increased to 5.5 million in FY 2016. While

highlighting these improvements, the secretary also laid out a plan to modernize and

consolidate community care which included seven key elements.

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1. Maintain a high-performing, integrated network that includes VA, other federal

partners, academic affiliates and community providers;

2. Increase Choice for all Veterans, starting with those who have service-connected

conditions;

3. Ensure enrolled Veterans get the care they need closer to home when appropriate;

4. Optimize coordination of VA health care benefits with the private health insurance

that an enrolled Veteran may already have;

5. Maintain affordability of health care options for the lowest income Veterans;

6. Assist in coordination of care for Veterans served by multiple providers and;

7. Apply industry standards for performance, quality, patient satisfaction, payment

models and health outcomes.

“We know our number one priority is to provide Veterans access to the high quality care

they have earned—in a VA facility or as close to their homes as possible, in the communities

where they and their families live,” he said.

VA, DOD study a major breakthrough for understanding PTSD http://bit.ly/2nQQqUp Researchers from VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) recently released findings of a

new study called Prospective Post-Traumatic Stress disorder Symptom Trajectories in Active

Duty and Separated Military Personnel, which examines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD) symptoms in Veterans, compared with active-duty populations.

This is the first known study comparing PTSD symptom trajectories of current service

members with those of Veterans, and is the product of a collaborative effort from VA and

DOD researchers analyzing data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), the largest

prospective health study of military service members.

According to VA’s National Center for PTSD, the PTSD rate among Vietnam Veterans was

30.9 percent for men and 26.9 percent for women. For Gulf War Veterans, the PTSD rate

was 12.1 percent. Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans had a

PTSD rate of 13.8 percent.

“Knowing there are similarities in how PTSD affects service members and Veterans makes it

easier to pinpoint which treatments are the best to control the condition,” said Dr. Edward

Boyko, an epidemiologist and internist at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in

Washington state, and VA’s lead researcher on the Millennium Cohort Study.

Officials involved with the project said they are hoping the collaboration will improve the

understanding of Veterans’ health needs, relative to their experiences in service.

“The data that MCS researchers have been collecting since 2001 is incredibly valuable for

both the DOD and VA,” said Dr. Dennis Faix, director of the Millennium Cohort Study and

preventive medicine physician. “Going forward, working with VA will allow both agencies to

make sure we are getting the best information to develop a comprehensive understanding

of the continuum of health in current and former service members.”

The results of the joint VA DOD study will appear in the Journal of Psychiatric

Research’s June 2017 issue. It is the first of many joint future publications expected to

result from the collaboration between VA and MCS.

You can learn more about the study here: http://millenniumcohort.org/.

OPPORTUNITIES

NIH Funding Opportunity: Alcohol-PTSD Comorbidity: Preclinical Studies of Models and Mechanisms (R01), Application Due Date May 17th http://bit.ly/2nNs0eB

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This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Institute on Alcohol

Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and with possible collaboration with Cohen Veterans

Bioscience, encourages Research Project Grant (R01) applications that will further the

development, validation and/or application of animal models for mechanistic studies on the

comorbidity of PTSD and alcohol use disorders. Grants: Application Information for 2017 NIDUS Pilot Grants, Applications due August 15, 2017 http://bit.ly/2nKis4d

Click here to view these instructions as a PDF

NIDUS (Network for Investigation of Delirium across the U.S.) will be offering monetary

pilot awards for new research projects related to delirium.

The purpose of these awards will be to support pilot studies to encourage innovative

research targeting priority areas of delirium investigation.

Two grants of $50,000 each (total direct costs) will be awarded in 2017. Indirect costs are

supported. Awardees will be notified October 31, 2017. Two application tracks are available:

junior investigator track and established investigator track. Job: Social Worker Out Patient Mental Health and Military Sexual Trauma Job in LONG BEACH, CA, Closing Date: April 11th http://bit.ly/2nKdTGN

This position is open to current permanent VA employees in VISN 22 only.

SAMHSA Headlines, March 23rd (Funding & Training Opportunities) http://bit.ly/2nNH5g6 Up to $142.9 Million Available for the Targeted Capacity Expansion-HIV Program: Substance

Use Disorder Treatment for Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations at High Risk for HIV/AIDS

Up to $10 Million in Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma Grants

Trauma-Informed Response Trainer Listing

Webcast Series: The Power of Language and Portrayals: What We Hear, What We See

Webinar: How To Get Your Electronic Health Record To Match Reality for Uniform Data

System Measures on Depression

Webinar Series: Relationships Matter!

Conference Calls: SOARing Over Lunch

Training Opportunity: Assisted Outpatient Treatment Programs

Call for Abstracts – DCoE 2017 Summit, Deadline April 14th http://bit.ly/2mgc3wI The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury

(DCoE) welcomes the submission of research poster abstracts and education session

abstracts about advances in the state of the science and best practices in

psychological health and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Abstracts must have relevance to

the military health community.

The 2017 DCoE Summit will be an online virtual event. Health care professionals,

researchers and academicians from around the world will interact live via the Adobe

Connect web conferencing platform.

Women Veterans Survey: Women Veterans and Housing Instability IIA http://bit.ly/2nV0Zpt

My name is Lily Casura and I am conducting an independent research project (this survey)

into the housing difficulties U.S. women veterans may experience after completing their

military service.

This survey has been reviewed by and has received university Institutional Review Board

(IRB) approval.

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The goal of my research is to attempt to fill a gap in knowledge about how and why women

veterans may experience periods of housing instability and what accommodations they

make during these periods of precarious housing.

This survey was designed with the cooperation and input of women veterans who have been

or are currently experiencing homelessness and are advocates for the women veterans

community.

My goal is to highlight issues that some but not all women veterans experience with housing

instability after military service.

GOVERNMENT VA: Secretary of VA on how budget increase would be used (Fox News Video) http://bit.ly/2nGNVE8

Mar. 19, 2017 - 4:56 - Sec. David Shulkin discusses his plans on 'Sunday Morning Futures'

VA Community Training 101 http://www.butler.va.gov/ Editor’s Note: Butler, PA VA notified us of this training that they play to give to their local

community partners. We are not sure if this is a national VA program, but thought it was

significant to notify you of its existence.

Dear Veterans Advocate,

We would like to invite you to partake in our first VA Community 101 Training on April

12th from 8:30 am to 11:30 am in the auditorium at VA Butler Healthcare.

This training is meant for professionals who work with Veterans such as college

administrators, non-profits, Veteran Service Organization, healthcare professionals, and

other various professionals interested in learning about VA and the benefits it provides for

Veterans.

The purpose of this training is to provide community p artners who work with Veterans a

baseline level of information across all the Administrations and for the major services

offered by the VA. Furthermore, information will be provided on the local VA, important

points of contact, and important forms utilized by the VA and Veterans to facilitate care and

benefits.

We hope that you will join us and help strengthen the local Veterans community by

becoming a well-informed asset for Veterans.

We would ask that you forward this information to your professional contacts who work with

or have an interest in working with Veterans.

If you are interested in in this training, RSVP to Dwight.Boddorf@va.gov no later than April

10, 2017. You may bring up to one guest or colleague, but please include their name on the

RSVP. If you have specific questions, you can contact our Outreach Coordinator at 724-285-

2778.

VA New Moving Forward App http://bit.ly/2nXnkTm With the Moving Forward mobile application (App) you can access on-the-go tools and learn

problem solving skills to overcome obstacles and deal with stress.

The App is designed for Veterans and Servicemembers, but is useful for anyone with

stressful problems.

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It is especially helpful in managing challenges such as: returning to civilian life, balancing

school and family life, financial difficulties, relationship problems, difficult career decisions,

and coping with physical injuries.

It may be used alone or in combination with the free Moving Forward online course

(www.veterantraining.va.gov/movingforward/).

The Moving Forward mobile App and online course were developed by Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) and mental health subject matter

experts across the country.

Features:

Learn about effective problem solving and stress management

Take assessments to learn about problem solving styles and stress level

Track stress level over time

Access tools to reduce stress immediately or to calm you mind and body in

preparation for problem solving

State Governments

Governor Bentley Announces Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Recognized for

Innovation Award

Congress Headlines

Bill aims to support female veterans; Boozman co-sponsor of measure on VA medical

funding

Bill to fill vital VA jobs clears House

TESTER UNVEILS BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO CHANGE VA CULTURE, HONOR WOMEN

VETERANS

Bill introduced in House of Representatives to help veterans exposed to burn pits

DoD Headlines

DHCC Psych Health Evidence Briefs: Providers’ One-Stop-Shop for Treatment

Information

The State of Air Force Medicine

Veteran Helps Others Find Peace Through Horses

VHA: Bill introduced to offer female veterans more VA services

Animal activists push back against VA animal research

House passes bill to streamline punishment for VA workers

Second Lady Honors Military Women

Military dentists do much more than ‘drill and fill’

Top 10 Concussion Research Articles of 2016

Army Researcher: Sleep, Readiness Go Hand in Hand

DoD campaign guides military community on use of supplements

Video: Trauma Innovations

Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) released its annual

report on matters relating to women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States

for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016.

Lawmakers want more help for 440,000-plus veterans caught in paperwork mistakes

Psych Health Evidence Briefs: Providers’ One-Stop-Shop for Treatment Information

Air National Guard vet fights for women's rights in U.S. military after heroics in

Afghanistan

Coping with Flashbacks

Support program assists service members with traumatic brain injuries

NIH Headlines

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An Experimental Therapeutic Approach to Psychosocial Interventions

NIH achieves milestone to accelerate multisite clinical studies

AMSUS SmartBrief (The Society of Federal Health Professionals) 99% of suicide hotline calls are now answered by specialists, VA says

MHA: DOD found lagging on implementing administrative spending efficiencies

Judges rule for veterans in 2 Agent Orange cases

Marine Corps develops mobile hospital system

DOD taps Hitachi unit for $162.8M radiology systems, training contract

BD wins $100M medication dispensing tech contract from DOD

Shulkin pushes redesign of VA's Choice program

VA OIG finds longer-than-reported waits for care in N.C., Va.

DOD funds creation of lifelike mannequins for medical training

SAMHSA Headlines

SAMHDA Launches Improvements to Public-use Data Analysis System

VA Local Events & Other News Tomah VAMC Resource Fair & Town Hall, March 29th

Minneapolis VA Town Hall, March 29th

Roseburg VA Medical Center (RVAMC) Career Fair in Eugene, OR, March 30th

Portland VA HCS Women’s Health Fair, March 31st

VA Hudson Valley HCS Information Fair in Goshen April 1

VA Minneapolis Medical Support Asst & Unit Coordinator Recruitment! April 5th

VA Hudson Valley to Hold Town Hall Listening Session, Montrose, NY, April 6th

VA Palo Alto HCS Annual Veterans Resource Fair, Santa Clara, April 8th

Bay Pines VA HCS Town Hall, April 12th

VA Butler VA Community 101 Training, April 12th, May 11th, June 14th

VA Altoona VAMC Town Hall, April 18th

Battle Creek VAMC Town Hall, April 19th

VA NorthCal HCS State of California's Job and Resource Fair at McClellan, April 20th

Cincinnati VAMC Town Hall, May 17th

Los Angeles VA partners with non-profits to take Veterans fishing

VA Join us in serving as we expand our mental health offerings into telehealth

VA San Diego Nurse Researcher, Jill Bormann, Ph.D., RN, FAAN received two prestigious

nursing awards for her extensive body of research on the use of a Mantram Repetition

Program Statement of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on Senior

Personnel

Statement of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on Acting Deputy

Secretary

VA Patient Centered Care A Whole Health System Serving Veterans

Springfield's Mobile Patient Aligned Care Team

VA’s modernization of the claims process continues

VA hits milestone with Electronic Claims Processing Program

VA and GAO Agree: Appeals Reform Needed

VA urges 'hiring surge' to reduce veterans' appeals backlog

VA program highlighted as a model of excellence in caring for homeless Veterans

Atlanta-area community effort puts formerly homeless Veterans on the fast track to

employment

VISN4 Annual Report

New VA Salt Lake City Tele-Mental Health Hub

NEW: VA Primary Care Newsletter

Mental health services help homeless Veterans sustain permanent housing

Wordcommandos: Encouraging Veterans to write and submit their works

Huston VAMC New Interactive Campus Map

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VA’s National Cemetery Administration pays tribute to women Veterans interred at its

135 cemeteries

Celebrating 100 years of enlisted military service for women

Report: Calls to Vets' Suicide Hotline Still Sent to Backup Centers

VA fixes Veterans Crisis Line

VA Research: Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study

VHA Research: Can Spiritual Therapy Ease Your PTSD Symptoms?

Postoperative Outcomes in VA Improved

First woman national director of VA Chaplain Services

VA now providing online daily burial schedules for its national cemeteries

Veterans interview Phoenix VA director for Front and Center USA podcast

St. Cloud VA HCS seeking young people for Summer Youth Volunteer Program

Disabled Veterans to attend annual Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass, Colorado

VA: PTSD: National Center for PTSD: Military Sexual Trauma

Veteran’s Choice Program helpful for some in seeking alternative health care procedures

Disabled Veterans to attend annual Winter Sports Clinic hosted by VA and DAV

VA OIG Reports

VA Office of Inspector General Releases Evaluation of the Veterans Crisis Line

Healthcare Inspection - Evaluation of the Veterans Health Administration Veterans Crisis

Line

Statement of Michael J. Missal, Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs,

Before The Subcommittee On Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, And Related

Agencies Committee On Appropriations, United States House Of Representatives,

Oversight Hearing On The Department Of Veterans Affairs Office Of Inspector General

March 22, 2017

Additional resources from my blog LIST OF VA TOWN HALLS & OTHER MEETINGS NATIONWIDE: http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6

OHIO

EVENT: March 2017 Mental Health Open House by The Columbus Division of Police, Columbus Police Academy, March 30th https://is.gd/31fIPZ

The Columbus Division of Police is partnering with ADAMH, Nationwide Children's Hospital

and Ohio State University's Nisonger Ceter to host our second mental health open house.

Come join us for a night of discussion about youth mental health, youth and adult

developmental disabilities and law enforcement.

This event is open to consumers, their family members and all area mental health and

developmental disability providers.

Doors open at 6pm. Presentations start at 630pm. Refreshments and round table

discussions with CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) Officers and Dispatchers to follow

presentations in the cafeteria.

Presentations By:

Columbus Police Crisis Intervention Team

Columbus Police 911 Dispatchers

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Ohio State University Nisonger Center

Space is limited so please RSVP to ensure your spot.

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Case Western Reserve offering military ethics graduate degree http://bit.ly/2nNKRGs

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Columbus, Ohio-native Kayla Williams, director of VA’s Center for

Women Veterans, for posting this article on Facebook.

CLEVELAND — Officials with Case Western Reserve University say the Ohio school's new

graduate program in military ethics is the first of its kind in the country.

Cleveland.com reports the Master of Arts in Military Ethics program allows students to earn

a specialized degree that would prepare them for careers in military ethics, law, foreign

affairs and veterans affairs.

Topics of study include emerging areas of ethical consideration such as cyberwarfare,

human enhancement and the use of new weaponry. The program is focused on how

advancing military technologies relate to the common humanity of both enemy and ally.

The degree is designed to be completed in one year, although the university will allow

students to finish at their own pace.

Applications are being accepted for the program's debut this fall. Columbus: Local group working to end suicide among veterans, service members http://bit.ly/2nGRZUQ

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Around 8,000 military veterans and service members commit suicide

every year according to the VA, including 300 on active duty. One local group is working to

reduce those alarming numbers.

NBC4 spoke with veterans and their families attending an awards ceremony for Summit for

Soldiers on the steps of the statehouse.

Their co-founder Mike Fairman said their number one goal is to eradicate military and

veteran suicides.

. . . Members of Summit for Soldiers also hope to equip the next generation of military men

and women to move beyond the stigma of mental illness and reach out for help by

promoting early detection.

NAMI Ohio: In the News: Adam-Amanda Mental Health Rehabilitation Center http://bit.ly/2nQIFxY

Terry Russell the Executive Director of NAMI Ohio had the opportunity to speak with Kevin

Landers of 10TV regarding the Adam-Amanda Mental Health Rehabilitation Center. Also

included in the interview were NAMI Ohio Board members and parents of individuals

diagnosed with mental illness.

This news story is another important reminder of the need for this center and of the

strength of families during and after a crisis. It is our hope that the Adam-Amanda Mental

Health Rehabilitation Center will serve as a model of care for the rest of the country.

NAMI Ohio would like to thank Anne and Tom Walker, Greg and Janet Polzer, and Dan and

Marcia Knapp for your participation in this story and for your continuous commitment to the

NAMI mission.

Click here to view the news story from 10TV and the Skype interview with Marcia Knapp.

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EVENT: Cincinnati VAMC Town Hall, May 17th http://bit.ly/2nGI7ul The next Cincinnati VAMC Veteran’s Town Hall Meeting will be Wednesday May 17, 2017

time TBD

Calling all Veterans! Mark your calendars for the Cincinnati VA Medical Center Town Hall on

Wednesday May 17, 2017 time TBD in the auditorium at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center

(3200 Vine Street).

VISN4 2016 Annual Report https://t.co/KLPxTQxgx3 Editor’s Note: Many veterans in eastern Ohio are served by VISN4 VA facilities

Since 2011, the Department of Veterans Affairs' core values have defined who we are: our

culture, our character, and how we serve Veterans. These core values are: integrity,

commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence. Together, their initials spell out "I CARE."

. . . As you click through the pages of this annual report, you will see how 2016 was filled

with important accomplishments and significant achievements throughout our network – all

inspired by our I CARE values.

Pickaway County: Jail program helps addicts get clean https://is.gd/m1rjcW . . . Once past the violent drug withdrawal, he asked for help.

Sheriff’s Lt. Gabe Carpenter promised to get it for him.

As administrator of the Pickaway County Jail, Carpenter oversees a program started last

year that gets inmates into a medication-assisted treatment program for opiate addiction

immediately upon release.

Carpenter and his team ensure the inmates’ state-funded Medicaid or private insurance is in

order and that a post-release sobriety plan is in place.

On the day of release, corrections officers take the drug users to a clinic — a judge signs

the order to actually release the inmates from custody at that location — where they receive

their first dose of Vivitrol, a medication that blocks the craving for opiates.

Sometimes, Carpenter even drives them there himself.

The goal is to give the inmates their best chance at sobriety, but also to keep them from

returning to jail. So far, Sheriff Robert Radcliff is pleased. Of 25 inmates released through

the program since it began in March 2016, 12 have returned.

That might not sound like much, Radcliff said, but because it’s common for addicted inmates

to return to jail within days or weeks of release, the Vivitrol program is clearly making a

difference. Of the 12 who returned, only one returned to jail within a month, and several

were out for nearly six months or longer.

“We know relapse happens,” Carpenter said. “But the longer we can keep them out and

clean, the better off their chances are the next time they try. It’s a process.” 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

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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.

CO: Colorado Bill expands mental health support for rural communities http://on9news.tv/2nR0VqX

KUSA - Mental illness is not a crime, yet Coloradans who suffer a mental health crisis can

still find themselves in a jail cell for up to 24 hours.

A bill introduced into the Colorado Senate last week would do away with the practice that

happens mostly in rural counties along the western slope that have limited access to mental

health resources.

“We’re only one of six states left in the country that allows this practice,” Moe Keller said,

vice president of public policy for Mental Health Colorado.

CO: Mental Health Colorado: Mental health holds in jails have to go https://is.gd/1qKZLd One of the biggest mental health issues the Colorado General Assembly will address this

session is the placement of individuals on involuntary mental health holds in jails.

Current law allows law enforcement to put a person having a mental health crisis in jail,

without charges, if they are a danger to themselves or others. Colorado is one of only six

states where this practice is still legal.

The bill known as SB17-207 (Senate Bill 207) would stop this practice and improve the

system of care set up to help people in crisis.

A hearing was held on the bill on Wednesday. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate

Judiciary committee with a 5 to zero vote. Senator Daniel Kagan (D) and Senator John

Cooke (R) sponsored the bill.

"To jail someone is only cruel and inhumane ... please support this bill," said Senator

Kagan.

LA: Louisiana senators reject budget cuts to youth mental health services https://is.gd/2DpA0C

Louisiana senators Wednesday told state health officials to go back to the drawing board

and find other money for budget cuts rather than eliminating a program that helps

thousands of children and teenagers with mental health issues.

In order to balance this year's state budget, the Edwards administration began the process

of closing the Medicaid program that helps children learn to deal with anger management

issues and other mental health issues. About 47,000 children were served in 2016.

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Closing the Psychosocial Rehabilitation program for youth would have saved about $2.2

million. The federal government sent an additional $3.6 million to help pay the psychologists

and other care providers in the program.

MA: In Massachusetts’ failing mental health care system, even the lucky ones aren’t so lucky http://bit.ly/2nUZ7gt

. . . While thousands with serious mental illness struggle to get any help, the roughly

21,000 Department of Mental Health clients are promised treatment at state-run facilities

and state-funded programs in the community that are operated by private vendors. Having

successfully completed an onerous application process, they’re supposed to have access to

the best care the state has to offer.

But the string of incidents raises questions about whether the department is doing enough

to ensure the safety of its clients and the public.

One state client on a watch list for sexual misconduct was found hiding in a Brookline

family’s home. Another allegedly stabbed a stranger as the victim left a movie theater,

while a third, known to have violent tendencies, allegedly assaulted a stranger with a brick.

Still another client who was supposed to be monitored for suicidal behavior fell or jumped

out of a group home window, broke his neck, and was not found until the following morning.

Current and former Department of Mental Health employees, along with clinicians who work

closely with the department, say the chronically underfunded agency too often fails to

properly manage those in its care.

Community treatment has been outsourced to private vendors, whose staff are often

underpaid and have limited training.

State budget cuts have decimated the ranks of case managers, who oversee treatment for

individual clients.

MD: School program helps get students access to mental health treatment https://is.gd/XM6rPW

A group of Frederick County school employees is exploring new ways for adolescents to

cope with academic and social pressures.

Teenagers and pre-teens have many demands placed on them, from sports and academics

to community service projects and dealing with social media, said Kristen Spear, one of the

four social workers in Frederick County Public Schools’ Community Agency School Services

program.

“They don’t have a lot of down time,” she said.

The CASS program is a group of social workers who focus on helping students with mental

health problems that have been identified.

The pressure to keep up can lead to depression, anxiety or other mental problems, Spear

said.

Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics show that 1 in 5 children has a diagnosable

mental health condition, she said.

The social workers mainly work out of the county’s middle schools, although they can also

help coordinate services for elementary or high school students.

SC: Reducing return visits to jail starts with behavioral health care http://bit.ly/2nQHI8M

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Spartanburg County’s former jail director said Thursday he hopes a planned 24/7 mental

health crisis center for adults will eventually be able to divert people from jail and get them

the help they need.

Neal Urch, who retired from his position at the jail at the end of 2016, said currently,

officers who arrest someone suspected of having a mental health crisis can either take the

person to the jail or the hospital emergency department.

“It would be great to give that officer another choice,” he said. “Hopefully (the crisis

stabilization unit) will be able to develop the needed security.”

The $1.1M crisis center is expected to open by September and be staffed by 13 health care

professionals. Organizers say the center should help reduce visits to the hospital

emergency department. But initially it will not be able to accept transfers from the jail due

to the costs of providing security.

TN: Washington County, TN mental health court reaches milestone http://bit.ly/2nR2hlo WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. - A unique program in Washington County, Tennessee is

keeping families together and saving tax-payer dollars. The mental health court, an

alternative to criminal prosecution, is now in its tenth year and going strong.

Judges Robert Lincoln, James Nidiffer, and Don Arnold oversee the program. They said it

separates criminals from people who just aren't getting the help they need.

For ten years now, the court has selected offenders who may be better served with mental

health treatment. Those who participate spend a year in treatment and working with the

three lawyers involved. If they graduate, their charges are dropped and their record

expunged.

The program a volunteer effort on everyone's part so it comes at no cost. With 56 graduates

already, the judges said it also saves tax-payer dollars by keeping the participants out of

prison and home with their families.

UT: Mental Health Court: Changing one defendant's life at a time https://is.gd/D4j2ai . . . Fifth District Court Judge John Walton saw there was a problem. Throughout his years

as both a prosecutor and then a judge, he saw the same individuals with mental health

issues revolving in and out of court.

"You see people in court all the time who have probably been found competent in criminal

court, but yet everyone would recognize the substantial, real and very serious mental health

problems that complicate their ability to live their life, be productive and stay out of the

criminal system," Walton said.

Walton traveled to Salt Lake City to observe the first Mental Health Court following its

launch in 2001. While the idea of this alternative court was still a relatively new at the time,

Walton felt it might be the answer to the lingering question of how to help those in the

criminal justice system suffering from mental health problems in southern Utah.

WA: Leaders looking to Benton County Jail to learn ways to improve mental health care http://bit.ly/2nH7tYW

. . . Benton County has created a multi-disciplinary team of medical professionals,

psychiatric prescribers, mental health professionals, mental health advocates (NAMI), case

managers and chaplains that meets weekly to discuss and plan individual treatment for

inmates.

Benton County corrections staff now receives mental health training to help officers better

understand mental illness, symptoms to look for, and effective skills to cope with mental

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health emergencies. They’ve partnered with professionals at Lourdes Counseling Center,

and the 4-day training takes place once, and sometimes twice a year.

Benton County’s also developed a mental health court for low-level offenders in the April of

2016.

Lourdes Transitions program works with nine local law enforcement groups, including

Benton County. They provide a Transitions Jail Diversion program that focuses on those who

are mentally ill and have committed a low-level misdemeanor. The program allows people

who are acutely mentally ill to receive treatment rather than go to jail.

Why we can’t ignore the silent epidemic of traumatic brain injury in prisons http://bit.ly/2nKhlkV

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a huge “hidden disability” within prison populations in the US

and the UK.

Despite evidence that TBI can lead sufferers to be more violent and reoffend, there is a

worrying lack of information about the extent of the problem and there is no standard

screening process.

At a time when there is huge concern about escalating prison population rates, is it not time

this issue was addressed?

Prisoners who have had head injuries are more likely to experience a variety of mental

health problems including severe depression and anxiety, substance use disorders, anger

and suicidal thoughts.

Surprisingly, it is only relatively recently that researchers have started investigating brain

injury within the criminal justice context. But those studies show higher rates of TBI within

incarcerated populations compared to the rate found in the general population.

Despite studies highlighting the significant prevalence of TBI in inmates, there has been

little consideration of this in the development of policies and procedures. An important

review conducted in the UK and published in 2009 exploring the mental health needs of

prisoners made no reference to brain injury at all.

Creating a Re-Entry Court by wagging the probation tail http://bit.ly/2nMMp3C

Guest bloggers Professor David B. Wexler & Judge Michael D. Jones (Retired) talk about

how to improve people’s chances of successful transition from prison to community through

a therapeutic application of existing law…

A recent Mainstream TJ blog explored the “exportable elements” of the Louisiana Reentry

Court spearheaded by Judge William (“Rusty”) Knight that could be explored in other

jurisdictions.

That invitation led us consider how the Arizona device known as a “probation tail” could be

tweaked in a way that would enable an interested judge to create his or her own reentry

court, one case at a time.

Here’s our tweak…

Use probation post release

Re-focus on responding to risks and needs through therapeutic interventions

Add judicial monitoring

Use Early Termination as an incentive

Treatment Advocacy Center News & Commentary, March 20th – 24th

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There's an App to Prevent Tragedies (RideAlong by Seattle Police)

A Marathon Journey with a Cause

TAC: Our Priorities for 2017

RESEARCH WEEKLY: In Search of Positive Treatment for Negative Symptoms

IAFF opens mental health treatment center for firefighters, paramedics http://bit.ly/2mAgsv7

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — The International Association of Fire Fighters opened its

mental health treatment facility center this weekend.

Although the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery has been

in the works for months, it formally opened its doors Sunday.

The facility will treat responders who suffer from PTSD and other work-related mental

health issues.

“We want it to be a place where people can relax,” Abby Morris, the center’s medical

director, told WTSP. “We also want people to feel as if they are away from a lot of the stress

and tension. We really want them to focus on themselves for a change.”

The center also aims to reduce the stigma some responders feel when asking for help.

“That mentality has to go away,” IAFF member Patrick Morrison said. “And it’s going to take

years for us to realize that the stigma about mental health doesn’t help anybody.”

UK: The Duchess of Cambridge Gives Emotional Speech on Motherhood and Mental Health https://is.gd/QrWASC

The Duchess of Cambridge gave an emotional and impassioned speech at the Royal College

of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London this morning that has resonated with new

mothers everywhere. Speaking to a packed room of doctors and parents, the mother of two

opened up about the challenges new mothers face and the importance of treating mental

health struggles the same way you would treat any other ailment.

The Duchess was on hand to introduce Out of the Blue, a film series created by Best

Beginnings, part of the royal family’s Heads Together campaign that focuses on mental

health issues (like depression and anxiety) that many new mothers face. It is the goal of

Heads Together — with the support of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince

Harry — to both raise awareness around these issues as well as remove the stigma

associated with them.

UK: End humiliating restraint of mentally ill people, say charities https://is.gd/gae1JC Mental health charities have called for an immediate end to the face-down restraint of

patients, which is being used disproportionately on women and girls.

Organisations including Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, YoungMinds and Agenda say the

practice is “frightening and humiliating” and “re-traumatises” female victims of violence and

sexual abuse.

In an open letter to Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, the charities point to evidence

provided by Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, revealing that patients are

regularly restrained in some mental health units but others deploy non-physical means of

calming patients or stopping acts of self-harm.

Neurobiology of Stress Journal https://is.gd/b7Ww4D Neurobiology of Stress is a multidisciplinary journal for the publication of original research

and review articles on basic, translational and clinical research into stress and related

disorders.

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It will focus on the impact of stress on the brain from cellular to behavioral functions and

stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders (such as depression, trauma and anxiety).

The translation of basic research findings into real-world applications will be a key aim of

the journal.

Basic, translational and clinical research on the following topics as they relate to stress will

be covered:

Molecular substrates and cell signaling

Genetics and epigenetics

Stress circuitry

Structural and physiological plasticity

Developmental Aspects

Laboratory models of stress

Neuroinflammation and pathology

Memory and Cognition

Motivational Processes

Fear and Anxiety

Stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders (including depression, PTSD, substance

abuse)

Neuropsychopharmacology

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS

AL: New Veterans Treatment Court http://bit.ly/2nKcNep . . . 12th Circuit Court Judge Jeff Kelley thought having a veterans treatment court serving

Coffee and Pike County soldiers would be beneficial because there are many military bases

in the Wiregrass.

"Try to see if there is some kind of service connection issues with the offense such as

substance abuse such as PTSD mental health issues," said Judge Jeff Kelley.

A large number of veterans are arrested for crimes directly related to trauma, addiction,

and mental illness. This new system is based on treatment not punishment.

"Acknowledge sign a form admitting that you committed the alleged criminal offense and

you'd plead guilty," said Judge Jeff Kelley. "The court with holds the jurisdiction that means

you have no conviction and we will allow you to go to this program."

. . . Nationally this program has a 98 percent success rate; however, some do not finish.

"They can actually be terminated and if they are terminated they have to come back before

the court and they are jurisdiction guilty and convicted," said Judge Jeff Kelley. " If they

complete the program their case is either dismissed or however the district attorney does it.

We've had one went from a felony to a misdemeanor."

The success of this strategy is the structure which is similar to what veterans are accustom

too

"They are use to discipline they've gone through the military and they thrive better when

they are accountable," said Judge Jeff Kelley.

The court system can be a revolving door for many and this has already helped keep 11,000

veterans nationwide to stay out of jail or prison.

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"The program not only helps the veterans helps the quality of their lives and their families

involved," said Judge Jeff Kelley. "It increases public safety if they aren't re-offending."

Over the last two years veterans treatment court has help 26 people in our area allowing

soldiers to return to the family they fought to protect.

CA: 5 veterans see Solano cases dismissed upon program completion http://bit.ly/2nXyKGY

FAIRFIELD — Five military veterans, each facing felony charges with the possibility of prison

looming over their heads, had their cases thrown out of court Friday.

The veterans had faced charges as serious as vehicular manslaughter and assault with a

deadly weapon. Instead of facing the wrath of prosecutors and the coercive power of the

court, each of the veterans received frequent applause and many hugs and compliments.

The Veterans Treatment Court honored its five most-recent graduates in a court hearing

presided over by Judge E. Bradley Nelson.

. . . The Veterans Treatment Program is funded in large part by the U.S. Department of

Justice and enables as many as 40 Solano County resident veterans, active duty service

members, reservists or members of the National Guard to receive an alternative to the

typical steps and consequences of the traditional criminal justice system.

The program, established in 2014, is a collaborative effort among the courts, the county,

the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and local service and treatment providers.

CA: Service members honored, celebrated at Welcome Home barbecue http://bit.ly/2nXqA1j

Service members from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard all packed

the courtyard and Veterans Memorial Hall on Saturday afternoon to be honored and

celebrated at the Welcome Home For Our Veterans event and barbecue, hosted by the Mid-

Coast Veterans Alliance.

. . . Guest speakers included 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, Mayor Alice Patino,

Judge Rogelio Flores and Santa Maria Veterans Treatment Court Foundation board

member Amy Lopez, who also serves on the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District

board.

. . . Flores, who helped organize the first Veterans Treatment Court in Santa Barbara

County, also noted how important it is to help veterans suffering from substance addiction -

- treatment in lieu of incarceration.

. . . Lopez, in her speech, also spoke about the nonstop efforts made at the Veterans

Treatment Court in Santa Maria and in Lompoc every day, and how important it is for the

community to fight for those who fought for our freedom.

DE: Veteran's court judge nominated again http://delonline.us/2nRafv4 A long-serving judge from Kent County has been nominated for re-appointment to the

Delaware Superior Court.

Gov. John Carney announced Saturday his nomination of Judge William L. Witham Jr. to

continue as resident judge for Kent County.

The Delaware Senate is expected to consider the nomination in the future.

"Judge Witham has served the State of Delaware with distinction," Carney said. "I am

pleased he has agreed to continue his service, and look forward to the Delaware Senate

considering his nomination."

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Witham became an associate judge of the Superior Court in February 1999. He was

appointed Kent County resident judge in January 2005.

He also oversaw the implementation of the state's Veterans Court and has served as the

judge for that court since its inception in 2011.

FL: Veterans Court gives many a second chance http://bit.ly/2nR5qBI

PORT ST. LUCIE — Back in 2014, I wrote the article "Justice for Veterans,” which outlined a

unique approach to the legal system for veterans.

St. Lucie County’s Veterans Court is an extension of this approach. Veterans Court

represents a nontraditional approach to criminal offenders who have served both during

peace and wartime.

Since its inception, Circuit Judge Robert E. Belanger has helped to reduce criminal

recidivism and lower incarceration costs by keeping veterans who have committed

nonviolent crimes out of jail. Rather than focusing only on the crimes they commit and the

punishments they receive, Veterans Court also attempts to solve some of the participants'

underlying health, substance abuse and psychosocial problems.

The Veterans Court is eligible to anyone who served honorably in the U.S. armed forces, has

been charged with a crime appropriate to the court, and resides in the 19th Judicial Circuit.

Admission to Veterans Court is not automatic. Veterans must seek entry into the program.

Veterans Court is also dependent on a nonadversarial courtroom atmosphere where a single

judge, dedicated court staff, the treatment team, and the mentors work together toward the

common goals of breaking the cycle of substance abuse and criminal behavior, and

addressing mental and physical health issues. An environment with clear and certain rules is

created, and each participant's compliance is within his or her own control.

Many former service members have a hard time re-entering the civilian population. Multiple

deployments, post-traumatic stress disorder, disability and substance abuse, compounded

by the lack of jobs, family, housing, and other social obstacles have taken their toll on

veterans.

Combat veterans who have had “run-ins” with the law or are struggling with addiction don’t

need to end up in jail; they need counseling and assistance.

The key to success in the Veterans Court program is the mentor. Each veteran in the

program is assigned a mentor, another veteran, who is most of the time from the same

branch of service or wartime era. That way the veteran is not alone. His or her mentor is

there for them every step of the way. A strong bond is forged between the mentor and the

veteran. Working together, nearly all veterans are able to successfully complete the

mandated program and go back to their lives.

HI: Lack of state funds threaten to discontinue Veterans Treatment Court http://bit.ly/2nXt5k7

Newspaper’s Editor’s note: This is part one in a two-part series looking at Big Island

Veterans Treatment Court, its successes and financial uncertainty. One graduate talks about

his journey from addiction and PTSD to a sober, healthy life. Part two Monday will detail one

man’s graduation from the program.

. . . The Big Island Veterans Treatment Court is now facing an unknown future as funding to

continue the program has not yet been determined.

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The program started in 2014 with a federal grant of $310,000. That money ends Sept. 30

and those who run the program are currently looking to the Legislature to keep the court

running for Hawaii Island’s veterans.

The veterans are keenly aware of the financial situation the court faces.

“The court is doing great now but what about the other vets after us?” Schoeppner asked.

Grayson Hashida, Drug Court Coordinator, said they are looking for the state to fund three

full-time positions: a supervisor, a Kona probation officer and a Hilo probation officer. Those

monies would also the cover the costs of drug testing and evaluating the program.

It would cost about $255,000 per year.

“What’s the old way — incarceration? That has proven ineffective,” Ibarra said. IA: Hogg, Hall cheer Woodbury County Veterans Court in the midst of state cuts http://bit.ly/2nKd1lG

SIOUX CITY | Iowa Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg and Rep. Chris Hall said they sat in on

a Veterans Treatment Court proceeding Friday to push the vitality of the Woodbury County

public service in the midst of statewide reductions.

“There are so many things that can be passed up to the legislators in the form of phone

calls or emails," Hall, D-Sioux City, told reporters after the meeting at the Woodbury County

Courthouse.

"But it has a completely different point when you actually can see the human value of these

veterans stepping into the courtroom, seeing the structure and the support that they get

from working with other veterans and having a support system that is geared to their needs

and circumstances.”

Woodbury is the only Iowa county to have a Veterans Treatment Court . . .

. . . Spurred by lower-than-expected revenues, the state needs to cut nearly $118 million

from the state budget. The lurking deficit has forced the state's court system to shave $3

million from operational spending.

IL: Wauconda man pleads guilty to bomb possession http://bit.ly/2nXkxd8 A Wauconda man who authorities said threatened to blow up police offices pleaded guilty to

a bomb possession charge in Lake County court Friday.

Andreas Stachel, 50, of the 400 block of Lake Shore Boulevard, was sentenced to 24

months of probation, 90 days in Lake County jail, 180 days in work release jail, after

pleading guilty in front of Judge Christopher Stride.

Stachel also has been assigned to the Lake County Veterans Court, was ordered to perform

100 hours of community service, and must remain drug and alcohol free while out on

probation, Assistant Lake County State's Attorney Jason Grindel said.

. . . He is due to appear April 7 in Veterans Court.

IN: We Salute You: Veterans Treatment Court (Video) http://bit.ly/2nMycnc A local Veterans Treatment Court is helping veterans in the community get back on their

feet. One in five veterans has symptoms of a mental health disorder or cognitive

impairment. One in six veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation

Iraqi Freedom suffer from a substance abuse issue.

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Research continues to draw a link between substance abuse and combat–related mental

illness. Unfortunately, left untreated mental health disorders can lead veterans to the

criminal justice system.

Judge Wayne Trockman came on the “We Salute You” segment with 44News Morning

Anchor Melissa Schroeder Thursday. He explained how the local Veterans Treatment Court

is making a difference in the Tri-State. If you would like more information, call 812-421-

6330.

MI: Limited state funding forces Kent Co. vets court to rely on charity http://bit.ly/2nGZ5sr

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — They are programs that are proven to work: special courts for

veterans whose scars from their service lead to legal troubles at home.

But limited state funding has forced these courts to turn to charity to keep their doors open.

. . . When 24 Hour News 8 followed Kent County veterans going through the court last

summer, it was in the process of applying for another grant from the State Court

Administrative Office in Lansing.

The state had $750,000 to distribute among 23 courts in November. The Wyoming court

asked for $177,000 but received $44,000.

“It’s not that the state was not trying to give us money, but they only had so much money

in the pot and they had to split it up among different courts, so we got what we got. But it

just wasn’t enough,” said Cortes.

The funding problem is taking its toll. Cortes said the program started with 13 Kent County

veterans and now serves far fewer.

“As people graduated and as our funding issues cropped up, we weren’t sure we would have

money, so we stopped accepting people. We got down to about six (veterans).”

With more competition among courts across the state, Wyoming and other veteran’s

treatment courts have been forced to turn to donors to keep operating.

“We decided that we needed to step up for such a good cause and we unanimously voted to

donate $12,000 to the court,” said Mark Moyer, commander of American Legion Post 311 in

Grand Rapids.

His group is one of many that have donated to the Friends of Kent County Veteran’s

Treatment Court.

MT: Editorial: MSU, city commended for work with vets; Bozman Veterans Court in the works http://bit.ly/2nRr2yb

Our veterans deserve the very best we have to offer, and Montana State University and now

the Bozeman Municipal Court are saluted for their efforts helping those vets reintegrate into

our culture and communities.

MSU has been singled out in more than one national ranking for its treatment of war vets

and efforts to make them successful in the pursuit of higher education.

Now the Bozeman Municipal Court has joined the effort by seeking grant money for

alternative treatment to jail for war vets with substance abuse issues and other mental

health issues.

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The Bozeman City Commission voted last week to apply for a $400,000 grant from

the Bureau of Justice Assistance for a Bozeman Veterans Treatment Court to help

veterans overcome so many of the issues they face in the wake of their service.

The program would be aimed at veterans who are convicted of crimes and have an

identifiable mental health or substance abuse.

MT: Judge Doles Out Sweet Justice To Burglar Who Lied About Being A Battle-Hardened Combat Vet http://bit.ly/2nRjQ57

I’m no expert in criminal justice, but chances are people who steal valor are also the sort of

people who steal other stuff, too.

Case in point: Ryan Patrick Morris of Great Falls, Montana received a beefed-up sentence for

felony burglary last week after authorities discovered he lied about being a battle-hardened

combat veteran in hopes of garnering sympathy from a local judge.

NC: Tribe steps up for vets http://bit.ly/2nH5YtP PEMBROKE — The director of the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Fayetteville

urged veterans Saturday to join in her efforts to establish a veterans treatment court in

Robeson County.

Elizabeth Goolsby was a keynote speaker at a Lumbee Tribe-sponsored veterans stand

down held at the Pembroke Boys and Girls Club. The stand down provided all veterans with

access to information about benefits they may be eligible to receive, as well as the process

for obtaining benefits. It also provided special services — including haircuts and confidential

counseling — for any veteran who identified themselves as being homeless.

Goolsby said that veterans treatment courts operating in Cumberland and Harnett counties

are successfully helping address social, legal, and medical issues that have landed veterans

in the court system.

NJ: Proposed 'veterans court' may not reach those who need it most http://bit.ly/2nRobFm

. . . A bill being voted on next week by the state Senate will create a "Veteran's Treatment

Court Pilot Program." The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1stDistrict) and Sen.

Diane Allen (R-7th District) will help troubled veterans who are arrested for minor offenses

skirt the regular judicial system and instead get the counseling, healthcare and other

assistance they need.

An Assembly bill, which was passed a month ago and had six bi-partisan sponsors, shares

the exact language as the Senate bill.

"We can't have these people who served and sacrificed for us sitting in jail cells," Van Drew

said. "Their problems are a cry for help. We want to get them the proper care and

counseling and get them on the right track."

The bill establishes a three-year program to divert "nonviolent offenders" who served in

wars "away from the criminal justice system and into appropriate treatment" for drugs and

alcohol abuse and mental health issues.

Under that language, however, veterans such as Smith and Bowles would not be eligible.

"While I applaud the effort, which is long overdue, the bill leaves too many veterans out,"

said Thomas Roughneen, the leading attorney at Citizen Soldier Law, a Chatham practice

that specializes in helping veterans and military personnel.

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"The awful truth is that many of these people have offenses that are violent or serious, and

they are the ones who need help the most," said Roughneen, who is a lieutenant colonel in

the New Jersey Army National Guard and an Iraq War veteran.

"Domestic violence is more prevalent than we think among these veterans and it is the start

of their downward spiral," he said.

NY: PBS: Veterans Courts (Video) http://bit.ly/2nKl0Pv

Veterans Courts are a new approach to mentoring our returning soldiers who run into legal

problems.

At this location in Essex County, New York, vets from previous generations serve as

mentors with insights from the past to help treat needs that focus on the individual not the

incident.

An older generations of veterans seek to prevent a new generation from failing through the

cracks.

PA: Judge: Treatment courts are seeing success http://bit.ly/2nXrniA LOCK HAVEN — It used to be in Clinton County that the courts dealt with drug offenders

mostly by locking them up in prison. And while that is still an option being used, the court

here has come a long way in just a few years in providing treatment options.

Thus was born the county Treatment Court, expanded more recently to include a Veterans

Court.

“At the start of 2014, when I first came on to the bench, I came from a career of

prosecutor, and I truly, honestly, believed that it was possible to incarcerate (to stop)

drugs. I no longer believe that,” Judge Michael Salisbury said, offering a candid reflection

upon his time in the justice system, especially with regard to drug abuse cases.

“I am now absolutely convinced that the way to address recidivism is through a combination

of justice and treatment,” he told a crowd of almost 100 people who attended Thursday

night’s Town Hall meeting sponsored by Advocates for a Drug Free Tomorrow and held at

the Masonic Temple in downtown Lock Haven.

Salisbury, one of five panelists who spoke, credited much of the progress in the area to

Judge Craig Miller, who had a vision for a specialized treatment court modeled somewhat

after the first such court started in 1989 in Miami, Fla., amid the cocaine epidemic.

Now, half of Pennsylvania counties have treatment courts, with those people admitted to

them showing a consistent 80 percent success rate.

PA: Army vet battled post-deployment demons until childhood friend became casualty of his personal war http://bit.ly/2nXgrBM

. . . Gajdys entered the Lackawanna County Veterans Court after his release from jail. He

was ordered to find a home group and sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous. The court paired

him with his veteran mentor, Victor Ortalano, a former Marine who served in Vietnam.

The court and Ortalano, who battled his own addiction, helped, Gajdys said.

Started in 2009, the first veterans court in the state found success in helping arrested

former soldiers turn around their lives. While Lackawanna County Prison has a recidivism

rate of more than 50 percent, graduates of the veterans court have reoffended at a rate of

about 18 percent, said Barbara Durkin, the court’s coordinator.

The county’s treatment courts offer a potential expunging of charges or shortened

sentences if participants complete counseling and treatment for things like addiction and

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mental health disorders. They also must stay out of trouble. Jail looms for those who get

arrested again or fail to meet the program’s stringent requirements.

Gajdys credits the court and mentorship program with saving his life.

“It’s a soldier opening up to another soldier,” he said. “You can relate back and forth. I

wasn’t in Vietnam and he wasn’t in Iraq, but we both fought in war. We know what it’s like

to be shot at, and have friends die, and the heartache and the stuff that you go through.”

TX: Dallas American Legion members learn about Veterans Court http://bit.ly/2nGLS38 Attorney Gary Michak recently spoke about “Veterans Court,” which was recently

implemented in Luzerne County, at the Daddow-Isaac Post 674 American Legion.

Veterans Court is designed to assist veterans charged with nonviolent crimes who struggle

with addiction or mental illness related to PTSD or other disorders.

This gives the veteran an alternative disposition as opposed to incarceration. In addition,

the program seeks out veterans to serve as mentors to assist in the aid and transition of the

veteran within the program.

TX: Veterans treatment court (Feature Story) http://bit.ly/2nH1u6w

. . . Veterans Treatment Court offers a diversion program to honorably discharged veterans

who have gotten on the wrong side of the law, providing those who have served their

country an alternative to prosecution and a second chance.

“If you commit capital murder, we can’t help you,” Jefferson County District Attorney Bob

Wortham described. “But, for lesser offenses, drug charges and many other charges, which

could be the result of mental illness, like PTSD, veterans may qualify for Veterans

Treatment Court. We’re here to see that justice is done. We are doing veterans justice by

helping them overcome their demons.”

Veterans who participate in the program must sign a contract with the court and then follow

certain steps and treatment guidelines in order to satisfy their agreement, including going to

counseling for mental or behavioral issues.

Judge Kent Walston of the 58th District Court presides over Veterans Treatment Court in

Jefferson County. A Naval veteran who served actively for six years, Judge Walston says he

is proud to be in a position to assist the nation’s defenders, who deserve some special

consideration for their innumerable sacrifices.

“We don’t give veterans special treatment,” Walston remarked. “We give them special help.”

TX: Travis Co. veterans court running out of cash fast http://bit.ly/2nKgukd Travis County's Veterans Treatment Court is scrambling for funding after it was caught in

the crosshairs of the sanctuary city fight between Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Travis

County Sheriff Sally Hernandez.

Gov. Abbott cut off state grant funding to several county programs last month when Sheriff

Hernandez wouldn't back off of her immigration policy not to cooperate with ICE in the

county jail.

TX: This North Texas Judge Is Taking His Veterans Court On The Road (News Interview Audio) http://bit.ly/2nMRmtg

Returning to civilian live is no easy task for members of the military; a difficult transition

can land a veteran in trouble. North Texas Judge John Roach has come up with a one-of-a-

kind way to reach those vets: He’s taking his court on the road.

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Interview Highlights:

what veterans courts are for:

the difference between a veterans court and the standard system

why Judge Roach created the new system

the response to the traveling veterans court

TX: 17TH VETERANS TREATMENT COURT GRADUATION CEREMONY https://is.gd/1tjXWF

On Wednesday March 22, 2017, the 430th Judicial District Court held the 17th Veterans

Treatment Court Graduation ceremony.

The Mission of the Hidalgo County Veterans Treatment Court Program is to help Veterans

who are on probation for non-violent offenses, by providing intensive treatment and

supervision to promote public safety and reduce recidivism.

Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra was a special guest speaker at the ceremony and spoke to the

Veterans about second chances. Sheriff Guerra congratulated the Veterans for completing

the program, and for making a decision to continue forward in a positive direction. He also

asked them to help other Veterans that may be struggling.

. . . The Hidalgo County Veterans Treatment Court Program is a collaboration between

several county departments, including

the 430th District Judicial Court/Veterans Treatment Court,

Hidalgo County Community Supervision & Corrections Department (CSCD),

the McAllen Veterans Center,

Family Endeavors Supportive Services for Veterans Families,

Veterans Court Program Mentor Program Coordinator,

Hidalgo County Veterans Services,

Hidalgo County Public Defenders Office, Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office,

The University of Texas – RGV, and

The South Texas Civil Rights Project.

UT: A court of redemption for vets http://bit.ly/2nGY3wG SALT LAKE CITY — It’s not every day in 3rd District Court that you see defendants rise up

and hug the judge.

Then again, every day isn’t graduation day in Judge Royal Hansen’s Veterans Court.

It’s been two years now since Hansen, who’s been on the state bench since being appointed

in 2003 by then-Gov. Michael Leavitt, launched a specialty court open exclusively to

veterans of the armed forces who find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Believing the vets' problems are almost universally the result of addictions or mental health

issues — and usually a combination of both — the judge felt the best way to help them, and

still satisfy the demands of justice, was to show them a way out of the hole they’d dug

themselves into, not a way further in.

His plan: offer the veterans an alternative to incarceration that involves a court-monitored

commitment to report to the judge every week, stay clean and sober, see their therapists

without fail, interact with mentors and course managers and regularly provide community

service.

WI: DA concerned about meth makers in drug court (and veterans court) http://bit.ly/2nH7a0D

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ELKHORN—The Walworth County District Attorney is cautious about letting

methamphetamine manufacturers into Drug Treatment Court because making meth poses a

greater danger to the community, he said.

“Meth poses a greater risk to the community than heroin does in the sense that, not only is

it dangerous when someone uses the illegal substance, but meth--the process of creating it-

-puts the general public at risk as well,” District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld said. “I think we

have to (look at meth differently than heroin).”

. . . One method Walworth County legal officials have used to handle heroin-addicted

criminal offenders is Drug Treatment Court, "where participants actively engage in

treatment, are highly monitored through drug testing and are held accountable through

frequent court appearances," said Treatment Court Coordinator Katie Behl.

But as meth—a cheap and easy-to-make stimulant that can explode during its making—is

becoming more prevalent in Walworth County, Wiefenfeld said his office has to consider the

extra damage meth poses to the community before allowing manufacturers to enter drug

court.

Additional resources from my blog

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

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

PTS/TBI/MST

VA Research in the area of traumatic brain injury is leading to new discoveries, treatment http://bit.ly/2lYg5dm

National Brain Injury Awareness Month, observed in March, is an appropriate time to

remember our Veterans, particularly the wounds they have sustained—both visible and

invisible—through their service.

Nearly 1 in 5 among the 2.5 million service members and Veterans who have served in Iraq

or Afghanistan since 2003 have sustained at least one traumatic brain injury. The

overwhelming majority of these are classified as mild.

VA stands committed to improve the lives and long-term health of Veterans with TBI, using

a multipronged approach.

The effort involves preclinical (lab) research; the development of appropriate therapies;

treatment of symptoms such as pain, anxiety, sensory impairment, and memory loss;

reintegration back into the community; and caregiver support.

This work involves extensive partnerships between VA and both governmental and

nongovernmental agencies, and the results can be expected to help not only Veterans, but

all Americans affected by this condition. FL: House bill advances to allow alternative treatments for Florida veterans suffering brain injuries, PTSD http://bit.ly/2nGZkDQ

A Florida House committee unanimously advanced a first-of-its-kind bill Monday to allow

alternative treatments for veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-

traumatic stress disorder (PSTD).

Treatments to be considered include music, art, horses, dogs, acupuncture, yoga and more.

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HB 55, sponsored by both Rep. Daniel Burgess and Rep. Frank White, looks to expand

beyond the scope of simply prescribing drugs to vets suffering from the serious diagnoses of

TBI and PTSD.

The legislation would authorize the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs to contract with

certain licensed individuals andJared businesses offering such service options, as long as

they are recognized medically, scientifically or psychologically to have the benefits they

claim, and are evidenced-based in nature.

OR: Group-think can be a powerful part of brain-injury recovery http://bit.ly/2nXA1h0 . . . Traumatic brain injury can leave you feeling like a stranger in your own body. And it is

not understood or recognized by many. Since a lot of us look normal, it shouldn't be too

surprising that many assume we're fine after our life-changing, sometimes near-fatal

events.

Some tell us to "move on" or that we should have already overcome hardships related to

our injuries. Even well-meaning people unknowingly minimize the injury's lingering effects.

They compare forgetting the name of someone at a dinner party to our memory struggles.

But some of us forget, regularly, why we went into another room. We forget if we've eaten

lunch or why we're in a car and where we're going. Brain injury can be confusing, time

consuming, tiring and anxiety causing.

In a society where people thoughtfully accommodate others' gluten allergies and rightly

celebrate breast-cancer survivors with fun runs and pink ribbons adorning athletic wear, the

way brain injury is treated is curious. You don't typically hear people suggest that cancer

survivors "move on" or are milking their misfortune, but brain-injury survivors often receive

doubt, annoyance or impatience.

That's one reason TBI support groups are refreshing. No one doubts you when you say your

new normal is hard. Instead, you get jazz hands. Being understood -- and feeling you

belong -- ranks up there with gratitude and laughter as some of the best medicine available.

"Oregon has more TBI support groups per capita than any other state," Sherry Stock,

executive director of the Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon, told me. Joan Miller, a brain-injury

survivor herself, co-founded this particular Portland group in 2003. She says she wanted

survivors to have "a safe place to fall." SC: We need to talk about military mental health by Sgt. Jared Evans, president of My Carolina Veterans Alumni Council http://bit.ly/2nGQKVP

COLUMBIA, SC With Fort Jackson’s upcoming centennial celebration, South Carolina is

paying special tribute to the state’s military community for its incredible service to our

country. A line-up of events throughout the year will honor our servicemen and women and

bring attention to our strong community.

One aspect of military life that deserves attention from both loved ones and the larger

community is the mental health of our service members and veterans, more than one in

five of whom suffer emotionally.

Many organizations in South Carolina have made it their mission to provide help for the

military members who exhibit the five signs. From transitional assistance to activity-based

therapy, these organizations provide diverse methods for maintaining or improving

emotional well-being.

The S.C. Coalition of Military Mental Health Awareness provides a central space where

military members and their loved ones can search for the specific resource that will best fit

their needs and introduce them to organizations that they otherwise would not know.

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Most importantly, the coalition has fostered an open dialogue about mental health issues

among our troops.

Working with the Campaign to Change Direction, the coalition is encouraging organizations

and individuals to make a pledge to know the five signs of emotional suffering and to

change the culture surrounding military mental illness, and wellness.

. . . In this year of celebration for the men and women of Fort Jackson who serve our

country, it is important to recognize that their job is not an easy one. It takes a physical toll

on their bodies and a psychological toll on their minds. As we spend afternoons at parades,

let us also take time to learn about the mental health of our military community and try to

recognize a hero who could use a concerned friend.

MHA Launches First-Ever National Peer Specialist Certification http://bit.ly/2nH34FM After years of development, Mental Health America (MHA) is proud to announce the creation

of the MHA National Certified Peer Specialist (NCPS) credential.

This groundbreaking national advanced certification lets peers – individuals who share the

experience of living with a psychiatric disorder and/or addiction – show they have the

highest levels of knowledge and experience to create new opportunities in public and private

settings.

Peer-initiated and conceived, the MHA NCPS credential recognizes peers with the lived

experience, training, and job experience to work alongside healthcare teams. The expansion

of peer support into the private sector will open new career paths and opportunities, which

have been previously unexplored, for thousands of peer supporters.

Cohen Veterans Bioscience Newsletter March 2017 http://bit.ly/2nNEAKY March is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Translational Toolbox: TBI Imaging Reference Library

Translational Toolbox: Cohen Brain Collection

Cognitive Network™

The PTSD KnowledgeMap™

Cohen Veterans Bioscience Webinar Series (Rewind): The “Tau Biology Project”

EVENT: VA Second Annual Brain Trust: Pathways to InnoVAtion, Boston, May 17th –

19th

NIH Funding Opportunity: Alcohol-PTSD Comorbidity: Preclinical Studies of Models

and Mechanisms (R01), Application Due Date May 17th

Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers battling dementia http://bit.ly/2nGVCuc

Relatives of Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers say the Chicago Bears legend has been

diagnosed with dementia.

His wife, Ardythe Sayers, tells The Kansas City Star that her 73-year-old husband was

diagnosed four years ago and she blames Sayers' football career. He played for the Bears

from seven seasons starting in 1965 after setting records at the University of Kansas.

"Like the doctor at the Mayo Clinic said, 'Yes, a part of this has to be on football,'" Ardie

Sayers said at their home in Wakarusa, Indiana. "It wasn't so much getting hit in the head .

It's just the shaking of the brain when they took him down with the force they play the

game in."

Ardie Sayers and the rest of the family had made no secret of his condition, but hadn't

shared it publicly. In 2013, he asked to withdraw a lawsuit filed against the National

Football League and a helmet maker that claimed they failed to prevent repeated head

injuries. The lawsuit contended that Sayers claimed he suffers headaches, occasional short-

term memory loss and other cognitive deficits because of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

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Plight of Gale Sayers, Dwight Clark should scare football parents

Canada: CTE: The facts about chronic traumatic encephalopathy https://is.gd/qOq4g2 . . . What athletes have had CTE?

The disease isn’t limited to professionals; it has been found in people who didn’t play sports

since college or high school, according to the CTE Centre.

That said, CTE has been confirmed in several high profile athletes, most recently former

NHL defenceman Steve Montador. Former WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife

and son before hanging himself in 2007, was shown to have tau tangles in his brain. So did

NHLer Bob Probert, who died of a heart attack five years ago, and Dave Duerson, a member

of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.

Boston University and the Krembil Neuroscience Centre in Toronto are accepting brain

donations from deceased athletes to advance CTE research.

These teenagers built their own mental health app http://bbc.in/2nGXW4u These four students have created an app to help teenagers talk about being bullied and get

access to counselling.

For Me was originally a school project but the NSPCC's Childline has turned it into reality.

"I hope that young people now realise they have somewhere to go," one of the creators,

Laura Hindle, tells Newsbeat.

The app features a private "locker" area where users get a daily mood tracker and can write

down their thoughts.

It also lets users chat with a counsellor.

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 Organizational Self-Study and Zero Suicide Workforce Survey are now available in electronic format http://bit.ly/2nGVF9c

We are pleased to announce that the Zero Suicide Organizational Self-Study and Zero

Suicide Workforce Survey are now available in electronic format. Links to both of these

resources are found in the top right area of the Zero Suicide website home page (see screen

shot below).

The link for the Zero Suicide Organizational Self-Study will direct you to an online portal

in which to enter your responses, as well as to a PDF version of the Self-Study and

recommendations for completing the Self-Study. As a reminder, the Organizational Self-

Study is designed to assess what components of the comprehensive Zero Suicide approach

are currently in place and the degree to which the components are embedded within key

clinical areas. The Organizational Self-Study also helps to assess both organizational- and

clinical-specific strengths and opportunities for development across each of the seven

dimensions of Zero Suicide. We recommend taking the Self-Study annually. Once your

organization enters data in to the online portal, you will receive an annual email reminding

you to retake the Self-Study.

The link for the Zero Suicide Workforce Survey will direct you to a web page with a link

to the Online Workforce Survey Request Form and other materials intended to support

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administration of the updated Workforce Survey. The Request Form should be completed by

individuals who are ready to enter into the final stages of planning to make the survey

available to their organization. Once the Request Form is submitted the individual

requesting the survey for their organization will receive additional information, including a

survey link to distribute to staff, in 7 – 10 business days. The Zero Suicide Workforce

Survey has been updated to provide more detailed information, and is one tool your

organization can use to assess staff self-perception of their knowledge, comfort, and

confidence in interacting with patients who may be at risk for suicide. It can also assist your

implementation team in designing and prioritizing training needs.

National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Responds to New Data Showing Trends in Suicide Rates in Urban and Rural Areas http://bit.ly/2nGU1o7

A statement prepared by The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action

Alliance)

Washington, D.C. – Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Injury

Center released new data in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) showing an

increasing trend in suicide which has been steadily rising since 1999—especially among

rural communities.

In a new report, Trends in Suicide by Level of Urbanization—United States, 1999-2015,

using data from National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and annual county-level population

data from the U.S. Census Bureau, key findings show:

o higher rates of suicide in areas with lower levels of urbanization (i.e. more rural

areas).

o a growing disparity in suicide rates between less urban and more urban areas of

the U.S.

o annual suicide rates increased across all levels of urbanization (large metro

areas, medium metro areas, small metro areas, and non-metro areas).

o at the beginning of the study, suicide rates were lowest for more urban counties

and highest for less urban (more rural) counties, a gap that continued to widen

over time and began to accelerate beginning in 2007-2008.

. . . The report underscores the importance of looking at geographic areas to identify

highest risk – and ultimately need for coordinated and comprehensive prevention efforts.

. . . The data remind us about the important role communities play in preventing suicide

and the need for increased attention to suicide prevention in all settings and systems to

help reach people where they live, work and receive treatment—

Number of military suicides still high, but help is on the rise at Maxwell AFB http://on.mgmadv.com/2nKiEA7

Maj. Elisha Parkhill is a dreamer. As the mental health flight commander at Maxwell Air

Force Base, she believes in erasing the stigma of mental illness and providing the help

needed for people in an Air Force community who fall into depression and who attempt or

consider suicide.

A 10-day Intensive Outpatient Program she implemented, and which started Monday, is

working to do just that, as it is designed for those at a higher risk of suicide or who need

more intensive care. Through this, Parkhill works to assure people that their careers will not

be in jeopardy if they seek help for mental health issues.

It's just the opposite. "We're really doing our best to educate people to come and take care

of themselves," Parkhill said. "If you're depressed or anxious, why don't you go and see

your doctor? We're really trying to drive that home. I think there is a comfort in our

community to receive care from each other.

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"We've seen great improvement with just that because we're taking care of our own, which

is very important."

VETERANS GATHERED TO SUPPORT BILL THAT WILL TRACK VETERAN SUICIDE IN CALIFORNIA http://abc30.tv/2nKc7FV

. . . Because of that, Lara is a supporter of this new bill-- AB 242. The bill will require the

State Department of Public Health to collect data on veteran suicides and report it to the

legislature and the Department of Veteran Affairs each year.

Assemblyman Jim Patterson and Dr. Joaquin Arambula proposed it together.

"Getting ahead of the suicide, getting help when it's needed, not after it's too late, and I

think this is a good first step," said Patterson.

Virginia Beauty queen bringing awareness to veteran suicides http://bit.ly/2nRoxLY Cars honked, pictures were taken and pedestrians waved at the patriotically-clad cadre of

people who walked 10 miles up and down U.S. 29 on Monday morning, but few may have

understood why the tiara-clad Miss Albemarle 2016 and her cohorts were making the trek.

But that’s OK for Abigail Forsyth, the 19-year-old crowned Miss Albemarle in last year’s

Charlottesville Dogwood Festival — she figures a little digging might point people to a big

issue.

“I think that it’s so important that we draw attention to the people who fight the battle

abroad, and then come fight the silent battle at home,” Forsyth said.

Home for spring break from James Madison University, Forsyth decided to organize a walk

to raise awareness about the staggering statistic that 22 or more veterans commit suicide

every day in the United States.

Veteran Terry Sharpe, better known as “The Walking Marine,” walks 15 miles per day from

North Carolina to Washington, D.C., for that same reason.

After Forsyth joined his walk for a stint last year, she was inspired to do a walk of her own,

even if just for a fraction of Sharpe’s distance.

Canada: Veterans advisory group to hold meeting on suicide prevention https://tgam.ca/2nH7f4f

An expert group advising Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr on mental health is focusing

on suicide prevention at a meeting this week – a long overdue step, say some vet advocates

who sit on the committee.

It’s the first time an entire day-long meeting of the group, which includes retired soldiers

and mental-health specialists, will be dedicated to the issue of suicide. In the fall, several

veterans on the committee vented frustration with the advisory group’s direction and the

government’s pace of action on the growing suicide problem, after a continuing Globe and

Mail investigation revealed that at least 70 soldiers and vets who served on the Afghanistan

mission have taken their own lives after returning to Canada.

India: Over 100 military personnel commit suicide every year http://bit.ly/2nKixod NEW DELHI: The armed forces continue to lose around 100 personnel to suicides every year

despite successive governments holding that several measures have been taken to reduce

the stress among soldiers. As many as 125 military personnel took the extreme step to end

their lives in 2016.

Replying to question in Lok Sabha on Friday, minister of state for defence Subhash

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Bhamre said 101 soldiers, 19 airmen and five sailors committed suicide last year, with

another three cases of fratricide (to kill a fellow soldier or superior) being reported from the

three Services.

SPRC: Surveillance Success Stories – Montana http://bit.ly/2nNzdLN

Editor’s Note: A useful tool for those who specialize in suicide research and care is the Zero

Suicide Listserv http://bit.ly/2nNyom4

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is pleased to announce the release of its

latest Surveillance Success Story, which comes from the state of Montana. This story details

how the Montana Suicide Mortality Review Team accesses and analyzes data on suicide

deaths in the state, and uses that data to make recommendations about prevention

efforts. Please share this resource with your staff and colleagues, including the following

suggested social media posts:

Check out SPRC's latest #suicide Surveillance Success Story about the state of

Montana! https://go.edc.org/survmontana

SPRC's latest Surveillance Success Story describes how the state of Montana

accesses and analyzes #suicide data: https://go.edc.org/survmontana

The Surveillance Success Story Series describes how states, tribes, and health systems

access and analyze data on suicide deaths and attempts, and use data to inform evaluation

and program planning. Look for more success stories in the coming months!

SPRC: States http://bit.ly/2nGRYAv

Suicide prevention efforts can have greater power when they move beyond a single

organization to reach a whole community. Find out what’s going on in your state and

consider ways to join with partners to have a greater impact. Find your state below for

information and resources, including:

Contact information

Suicide prevention plans

State and community organizations involved in suicide prevention

Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Act and National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

(NSSP) grantees

Current legislation and news updates

SPRC: The Weekly Spark

Surveillance Success Stories: Montana

Creating Linguistically and Culturally Competent Suicide Prevention Materials

Parental Psychiatric Disease and Risk of Suicide Attempts in Offspring

AI Figured out the Word People Text When Their Suicide Risk Is High

MICHIGAN: CAPS Expands Program, Releases New Suicide Prevention Videos

Arctic States Join Forces for Suicide Prevention

Zero Suicide Organizational Self-Study and Workforce Survey Now Available Online

Webinar: Use of Technology in Crisis and Behavioral Health Care

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH & SUICIDE NEWS IS POSTED IN THE SECTIONS BELOW.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Boston University Research: CTE: The facts about chronic traumatic encephalopathy https://is.gd/qOq4g2 (Same article reported above by Canadian newspaper.)

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What is CTE?

The verbose way to say it is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. It is defined by experts at

Boston University, home of the CTE Centre research facility, as a “progressive degenerative

disease” that is found in people who’ve suffered repeated head trauma. Researchers say it

can stem from major, debilitating concussions as well as repeated hits to the head that

don’t result in noticeable symptoms.

The condition is known to affect contact sports athletes, primarily boxers and football

players, though it has been linked to professional wrestling, soccer and horseback riding as

well. People who hit their head repeatedly during epileptic seizures and victims of domestic

abuse can also develop CTE, according to a review of confirmed CTE cases published by the

Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology in 2009.

. . . What athletes have had CTE?

The disease isn’t limited to professionals; it has been found in people who didn’t play sports

since college or high school, according to the CTE Centre.

That said, CTE has been confirmed in several high profile athletes, most recently former

NHL defenceman Steve Montador. Former WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife

and son before hanging himself in 2007, was shown to have tau tangles in his brain. So did

NHLer Bob Probert, who died of a heart attack five years ago, and Dave Duerson, a member

of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.

Boston University and the Krembil Neuroscience Centre in Toronto are accepting brain

donations from deceased athletes to advance CTE research.

Case Western Reserve University offering military ethics graduate degree http://bit.ly/2nNKRGs

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Columbus, Ohio-native Kayla Williams, director of VA’s Center for

Women Veterans, for posting this article on Facebook.

CLEVELAND — Officials with Case Western Reserve University say the Ohio school's new

graduate program in military ethics is the first of its kind in the country.

Cleveland.com reports the Master of Arts in Military Ethics program allows students to earn

a specialized degree that would prepare them for careers in military ethics, law, foreign

affairs and veterans affairs.

Topics of study include emerging areas of ethical consideration such as cyberwarfare,

human enhancement and the use of new weaponry. The program is focused on how

advancing military technologies relate to the common humanity of both enemy and ally.

The degree is designed to be completed in one year, although the university will allow

students to finish at their own pace.

Applications are being accepted for the program's debut this fall. University of California, San Francisco - San Francisco VA Medical Center Research: http://bit.ly/2nH2QhT

Clinicians, researchers, and patients have long recognized the link between psychological

stress and physical health.

In their classic article on the physiological impact of stress, McEwen and Stellar (1993) used

PTSD as an example to describe how psychological trauma and subsequent, repeated

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reminders of traumatic events trigger a cascade of neuronal, hormonal, and immunologic

effects that damage the body over time.

Though studies have found patients with psychological trauma and PTSD are at greater risk

of a variety of chronic physical ailments, associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are

particularly concerning.

Despite advances in prevention and treatment, CVD remains the leading cause of death

worldwide and accounts for over $316 billion dollars annually in healthcare costs and lost

productivity in the United States (Mozaffarian et al., 2016). Emory University: Emory Healthcare No Cost Veterans Healthcare Program http://bit.ly/2nQGhHs

Editor’s Note: Feel free to contact Jason. Emory Healthcare is located in Atlanta, GA.

My name is Jason Dodge and I am a Veteran Outreach Coordinator for the Emory

Healthcare Veterans Program. I am connecting with veteran organizations and advocates in

order to help provide additional resources to veterans and their families. We are very

interested in collaborating with you and learning more about how we can join forces to

ensure that "No veteran is ever left behind!”

Emory’s Veterans Program offers Post-9/11 veterans expert and collaborative care to help

heal the invisible wounds of war, at no cost. Our comprehensive approach combines

behavioral health care, including psychiatry and neurology, rehabilitative medicine,

recreation and wellness, and family support to help them reintegrate and reclaim their life.

What We Treat…

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual

Trauma (MST), anxiety and depression.

Click on the link below to learn more about our program.

http://emoryhealthcare.org/veterans-program/index.html

Thank you for your time and attention.

Regards,

Jason W. Dodge

Emory Healthcare Veterans Program

Veterans Outreach Coordinator, Recreation Lead

Army and Air Force Veteran

12 Executive Park Drive NE, Suite 300

Atlanta, GA 30329-2206

(O) 404-712-9746

jason.dodge@emoryhealthcare.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonwdodge

http://emoryhealthcare.org/veterans-program

Florida International University: Florida International University Helps Military Veterans Prepare for Future as Nursing Professionals https://is.gd/L3fNt7

Florida International University (FIU) is helping recent veterans, current reservists, and

national guard members prepare for a future as nursing professionals.

Their Veterans Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program was founded in 2013 and

opened to service members who trained or served in select military classifications and were

discharged in the past two years, or five years for veterans who were employed in civilian

healthcare roles as a combat medic, flight medic, or hospital corpsmen.

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Harvard University Research: How blind people's brains rewire to improve other senses http://bit.ly/2nNBuX7

A new study delves into the neurological changes in people with blindness. It demonstrates

that losing one's sight before the age of 3 causes long-term alterations and subsequent

enhancements to the other senses.

. . . A recent study set out to chart these brain changes in more detail. The study was led by

Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers and is published today in PLOS One. For the first

time, the team combines structural, functional, and anatomical brain changes and compares

blind people's brains with those of people with normal sight.

To develop a picture of the brain changes that occur, the team used both diffusion-based

and resting state MRI. In all, 28 participants took part in the study: 12 were either blind

from birth or had become blind before the age of 3, and 16 participants had normal sight.

The scans of individuals with early blindness showed clear differences from the control scans

of normally sighted participants, so changes in structural and functional connectivity could

be measured.

Enhanced connections between specific parts of the brain were seen in the blind people that

were not present in the control group. These observed differences surprised researchers:

Harvard University: Feel Good Society Looks to Increase Mental Health Awareness https://is.gd/lzvwqy

A student run-health group dubbed the “Feel Good Society” has begun hosting weekly

meetings in an effort to improve mental health for students at the College.

Co-founder Alec S. Bowman ’17 began planning the group last semester when he reached

out to other co-founders Emily A. Johansen ’17 and Melanie M. Slone ’17 about fostering

more open discussions about mental health on campus.

The meetings, which started this semester, typically begin with an icebreaker before moving

to self-help topics ranging from meditation to dorm room cleanliness.

Bowman said he hopes meetings’ casual environment will encourage students to be more

open about their mental health. He added that he struggled with his own mental health

while at Harvard, and noted that the College’s existing resources were more “private and

individual.”

“It still felt like even when I went to use these resources to help myself, I was still somehow

isolating myself,” Bowman said.

Rather than focusing on specific individual experiences, the group aims to provide a set of

tips for participants in addressing their own mental health concerns.

University of Maine at Presque Isle: Veterans Program for UMPI students (Video) http://bit.ly/2nK9jIS

. . . The group is in its early stages, but so far around a half a dozen students have come

together.

“I think the main benefit is information because everybody has a different story, everybody

has a different experience and that information we can give to each other is just so helpful.”

The goal of the group is to connect student veterans and family members with resources in

the community and help them successfully integrate back into society – all while supporting

one another.

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University of Memphis: University of Memphis creating Veterans Care Center http://bit.ly/2nKarvS

The University of Memphis has announced plans for a new Veterans Care Center (VCC)

outpatient facility within its Psychological Services Center.

On March 7, the university announced the center, which will be made possible through a gift

in honor of President M. David Rudd. The center will offer veterans treatment and

assessment based on the most up-to-date research and will include a research clinic where

new therapies are developed.

The university said the VCC will address the mental health needs of veterans "regardless of

era, gender, discharge status or service connection," offer services to military and veteran

families and provide assessments and treatment for issues such as post-traumatic stress

disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

"The U of M is taking great strides toward providing a campus community that is inclusive

and welcoming for our military veterans from the general Memphis community," said

Dr. Jim Whelan, director of the Psychological Services Center, in a release. "This facility is

another crucial step toward ensuring that we are equipped to meet the needs of our

servicemen and women."

The VCC will collaborate with the Shelby County Veterans Court to provide assessment

and treatment services and the U of M's Veterans Resource Center for consultation.

The VCC will also offer student veterans services for coping with challenges related to the

management of PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other symptoms within the academic

environment.

University of Michigan Health Laboratory: Drug and Alcohol Problems Linked to Vet Suicides, Especially in Women http://bit.ly/2nGLTnx

Veterans already have an increased risk of suicide. Those with substance use disorders or

mental health conditions are in particular need of help, a new study asserts.

Veterans who have drug or alcohol problems are more than twice as likely to die by suicide

as their comrades, a new study finds. And women veterans with substance use disorders

have an even higher rate of suicide — more than five times that of their veteran peers, the

research shows.

The risk of suicide differs depending on the type of substance the veteran has problems

with, according to the study.

The highest suicide risks are among those who misuse prescription sedative medicines, such

as tranquilizers. Female veterans who misuse opioid drugs also have an especially high risk

of suicide, according to the study.

The research, published in the journal Addiction by a team from the University of Michigan

and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, finds that much of the difference in suicide risk

lies with veterans who have both mental health conditions and substance use issues.

Montana State University: Editorial: MSU, city commended for work with vets http://bit.ly/2nRr2yb

Our veterans deserve the very best we have to offer, and Montana State University and now

the Bozeman Municipal Court are saluted for their efforts helping those vets reintegrate into

our culture and communities.

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MSU has been singled out in more than one national ranking for its treatment of war vets

and efforts to make them successful in the pursuit of higher education.

Now the Bozeman Municipal Court has joined the effort by seeking grant money for

alternative treatment to jail for war vets with substance abuse issues and other mental

health issues.

The Bozeman City Commission voted last week to apply for a $400,000 grant from

the Bureau of Justice Assistance for a Bozeman Veterans Treatment Court to help

veterans overcome so many of the issues they face in the wake of their service.

The program would be aimed at veterans who are convicted of crimes and have an

identifiable mental health or substance abuse.

New York University (NYU): Time to Innovate Mental Health Services http://bit.ly/2nXBIeG

. . . There are already a great deal of mental health resources available to students at NYU

— as outlined in NYU’s Student Health Insurance Guide — though the current system does

leave some gaps. Under the university plan, health services will provide students in need

with up to ten short-term counseling sessions and semester-long group psychotherapy.

Once these 10 sessions have been used up, however, the university re-directs students to

affiliate counselors and clinicians that can charge students — depending on their health

insurance — up to $240 per session.

Although this policy provides an important resource for students with mental illnesses, it

cuts students off in the middle of treatment if they are unable to afford outside therapy.

. . . NYU has proven that it is committed to helping students affected by mental illness

through the resources it provides and the efforts it makes to raise awareness.

But to truly give students the full treatment they need, the administration must innovate its

programs and find a way to accommodate those students who can’t afford their own.

University of Pennsylvania Research: Researchers, including Penn Law’s Stephen Morse, show brain scanning can predict legal mental state https://is.gd/h0BHyS

According to the influential Model Penal Code (MPC), a person’s mental state (mens rea)

when he or she commits a crime determines that person’s culpability. For example, it’s

worse to commit an act knowingly (with practical certainty about some legally relevant

circumstance) than recklessly (with conscious awareness of a substantial risk that the

circumstance exists or will occur).

Recent scholarship, however, has shown that people have difficulty distinguishing between

the legally defined knowing and reckless states. This has serious implications because the

differences in punishment depending on the defendant’s mental state can be substantial.

And it has led some to question whether there is a genuine difference between these two

mental states as the MPC defines them. Most criminal law theorists believe there is a

difference, but the recent scholarship called this distinction into question.

Could neuroscientific technology help determine if knowledge and recklessness are discrete

mental states? A new study co-authored by Penn Law professor Stephen J. Morse and a

number of other researchers from neuroscience, law, and philosophy, led by neuroscientist

Read Montague and law professor Gideon Yaffe, shows that brain imaging data can be used,

with high accuracy, to predict a participant’s mental state.

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Penn State University: Patrick and Amy Kennedy Discuss Mental Health Advocacy at Penn State http://bit.ly/2nQM67N

Former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy and his wife Amy Kennedy, a Penn

State alumna, took part in a discussion on mental health advocacy Wednesday night at

Penn State.

Moderated by Dr. Erika Saunders, chair of Penn State's Department of Psychiatry, and Dr.

Dennis Heisman, the Senior Director and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student

Affairs, the discussion hosted by Counseling and Psychological Services and the Student

Programming Association, revolved around the work both of the Kennedys have done

through The Kennedy Forum and touched on Patrick Kennedy’s public struggle with

addiction as told by his 2015 New York Times best-selling book "A Common Struggle."

. . . Their goal is to get insurance providers to give evidence-based care, integrate mental

health and addiction care into the rest of medicine, leverage technology to track and

monitor health, and eventually move toward complete prevention.

. . . “I think there cannot be any education that doesn’t include social emotion learning,

probing mechanisms, the things that we don’t learn in school, but we’re supposedly

supposed to get somewhere,” Patrick said.

“If you’re trying to prepare the next generation for the real world, the real world is stressful

and unmanageable just like in life in general, and not allowing people to know how to cope

is really like tying an arm behind their back.

“The fact that you also are really appreciating how vital this is to the quality of life for the

student body – it is so amazing that the last class gift was to fund an endowment for a

counseling center. These are really incredible steps.”

University of Southern California (USC): Next Generation of Providers: USC Social Work Students Visit DCoE http://bit.ly/2nNFSWj

For the fourth consecutive year, students from the University of Southern California (USC)

Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work learned how social workers help the military

community during a visit to the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and

Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE).

Fred Stone, a clinical associate professor at USC, says the annual visits are a chance for

students to understand some of the many ways that social workers play a vital role in the

military.

Stetson University: Leaders Sign Monumental Agreement Ushering in New Legal Service for Veterans - Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (Video) http://bit.ly/2nNHyil

With a stroke of pen the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and several local law partners

ushered in a new legal program for Veterans during an agreement signing ceremony on

February 15 at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center.

During the event, dozens of leaders from the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Stetson

University Veterans Law Institute, Bay Area Legal Services, and Gulf Coast Legal Services

gathered to recognize the start of the new Medical-Legal Partnership program – an

achievement many months in the making.

Texas A&M University: How Texas A&M is helping veterans and families adjust to campus life http://bit.ly/2nKdHr6

Last summer, Texas A&M’s San Antonio campus became the first university in the country

to require all faculty and staff to take a military competency course to help make this

transition easier. About 20 percent of the campus’ students are connected to the military,

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either as vets, active duty or family members; 15 percent are active duty and 3 percent are

dependents.

K.C. Kalmbach, a psychology professor at Texas A&M San Antonio, led the creation of the

Military Cultural Competency training program. She the university’s president, Cynthia

Teniente-Matson made the training mandatory because she wanted to reflect the school’s

military-embracing culture.

University of Texas Health Science Center Research: Groundbreaking Fort Hood Study On PTSD Gives Hope For A Permanent Cure http://bit.ly/2nQShsz

Retired sergeant first class Sean Brack - who - with several symptoms of the stress, knew

he needed help. Soon afterwards, Mr. Brack heard of an experimental therapy happening on

post done by the STRONG STAR consortium and the University of Texas Health Science

Center at San Antonio.

. . .Enter Dr. Alan Peterson, the director of the STRONG STAR Consortium and professor of

psychiatry.

The groundbreaking study Sean took part in, is an historic one – conducted on Fort Hood

and featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association - Psychiatry (JAMA).

Peterson says, “it's a very big deal. it's arguably the most important treatment study that's

ever been published related to P.T.S.D. in active duty military population.

It involves cognitive processing therapy - a type of talk-based treatment.

It has a track record of successfully treating post-traumatic stress disorder among civilians,

but it hadn't yet been studied among active-duty combat veterans.

The method essentially desensitizes the person to an event - things like loud noises that

sound like explosions, or a helicopter flying over takes someone back to the war instantly.

“Right now the most evidence we have is that this therapy works and it works well,” Peterson says.

Trident University: Trident University Adds Experienced Army Veteran To Lead Military and Veteran Affairs http://bit.ly/2nXi6aq

Mark A. Weedon has joined Trident University International’s (Trident) Outreach &

Partnerships team as Senior Director of Military and Veteran Affairs. Weedon is a 29-year

veteran of the United States Army, serving in many capacities while in the military.

In his new role, Weedon will directly oversee and manage Trident’s geographically dispersed

Regional Managers, as well as lead the continued growth and development of the Trident

Military Assistance Center, which launched in June 2015.

Weedon believes that Trident fulfills an important role in supporting the military community

with their higher education needs. “Higher education has opened numerous doors for me

and gives me a competitive advantage in the workforce,” stated Weedon. “Education is a

great equalizer, and to truly thrive in life, one must seek out learning opportunities

everyday.”

Trov University: Trov students walking 123 miles to benefit wounded veterans https://is.gd/S28zpR

For 37 Troy University students, writing a check to a charity wasn’t enough. That’s why

they’re walking from Troy to Panama City Beach, Florida to raise funds for a charity that

provides hunting, fishing and socialization opportunities to wounded veterans.

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Members of Alpha Tau Omega left Troy on Friday on the seventh annual “Walk Hard for

Heroes” benefit. The 123-mile walk is intended to raise funds for Jeep Sullivan Wounded

Warrior Outdoor Adventures, an organization in Florida.

Operated by Jeep Sullivan, the organization is a non-profit ministry that offers wounded

veterans and their families opportunities to enjoy the outdoors at no cost to them.

GENERAL NEWS

U.S. Xpress offers apprenticeship program for vets to fill truck driver jobs https://is.gd/qzOMmI

Don Davis and his wife, Rebekah nearly doubled their combined income when the two

military veterans became commercial truck drivers and started making long-haul trips

between Chicago and the East Coast for the Chattanooga-based U.S. Xpress Enterprises.

"We're used to being away from home in the military," said Dan Davis, a 33-year-old

veteran of the Army and Navy who twice served in Iraq. "Truck driving is definitely a great

career if you don't mind spending time by yourself, which a lot of us did in the military."

Davis used his GI bill to get his commercial drivers license through a truck driving school

and continues to receive GI benefits to supplement his income through a veterans

apprenticeship program that U.S. Xpress joined last month.

As part of the Post 9/11 GI Bill Apprenticeship Program, veterans may receive tax-free

educational benefits while training with U.S. Xpress to become truck drivers or diesel

technicians.

Participants can receive up to $25,700 from the Veterans Administration over a two-year

period, depending on their years of military service, on top of their salary from U.S. Xpress.

Veteran Market: New online marketplace to feature wares from veterans, military spouses http://bit.ly/2nQvXPM

A new website will serve as a “one-stop shop” for those seeking to buy goods and services

from veterans and military spouses.

The Veteran Market is an e-commerce platform where verified veterans, military spouses

and businesses can sell their products online. Co-founders Mike Phipps and Scott Davidson

said the site grew from the notion that there was not a centralized, verified marketplace for

veterans and military spouses to sell their wares.

“The idea developed that we would create a market online, tailored to the general public,

where they can go buy from verified veterans and military spouses online,” said Phipps,

managing director of The Millennium Group Int’l and a founding member of The American

Legion Business Task Force.

While sites such as Etsy give military spouses an online forum to sell their wares, the

founders of The Veteran Market say their site will provide a centralized online location for

selling products while ensuring that sellers don’t need to understand technology to set up

their own business sites. The Veteran Market can be used by all types of businesses,

ranging from home-based entrepreneurs to established businesses.

Sellers can also use the website to cultivate partnerships with other veteran-owned

businesses. For example, Ranger Up currently stocks several products that are outsourced

to other veteran-owned small businesses such as Liquid Metal Signs. The Veteran Market

will establish a forum for business owners like these to collaborate.

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Once sellers have created their space on the Veteran Market, they also can connect their

social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram) to promote themselves.

Florida group helps veterans start businesses http://bit.ly/2nXRaHs

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A Florida business group is helping veterans start businesses.

The group, Veterans Florida, started this year after receiving $1 million in funding from the

state.

It offers veterans starting a business seven bi-weekly meetings followed by a continuing

mentorship.

Homer Boone, a veterans outreach manager for CareerSource Central Florida, says veterans

have a camaraderie that translates into easy communication with each other.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Small Business Administration data shows veterans’

share of new businesses has been decreasing in recent years.

It was more than a third of all new businesses in 2007, but only a fifth of new businesses in

2013.

Veterans Florida hopes to fill the gap with mentorships and other programs.

Ex-NFL player Drayton Florence develops app to help military veterans http://on.si.com/2nGNABw

AUSTIN, Texas – Drayton Florence grew up in a military household and went on to have an

11-year NFL career. When he got into tech after his playing career, he decided to use his

skills to help military veterans.

Florence helped develop the Vets 22 app, which aims to give veterans easy access to

resources including housing solutions, employment opportunities, discounts, chat features

and crisis hotlines.

Missouri Patriot Paws Holds First Graduation at Petco Store http://bit.ly/2nReJBY Missouri Patriot Paws (MPP) held its first graduation of St. Louis area veterans at the Petco

store in Washington.

In conjunction with the graduation, MPP was presented with a check, signifying the award of

a $5,000 grant from the Petco Foundation.

MPP is a nonprofit organization based in Rolla. It was established in 2013 to help train and

certify service dogs for Missouri veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder/traumatic

brain injury (PTSD/TBI).

How online counseling is reshaping company wellness plans http://bit.ly/2nXAv6O Virtual healthcare is moving beyond checking in with a doctor or nurse practitioner to

diagnose fevers, aches and rashes.

Employees of small businesses can now access virtual mental health professionals for issues

such as their depression, addiction and stress from divorce and money woes without leaving

their homes or missing time at work.

Virtual wellness provider MDLive recently announced MDLive Prime, a virtual health and

wellness benefit that now gives patients access to mental healthcare in all 50 states. The

program features licensed therapists and psychiatrists who reside in the same state as the

employee. While they cannot prescribe medications yet, they can offer patients counseling

and recommendations for increased care.

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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

"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 - 1,346 Professionals in VIJ Group

Active Topics

ADDRESSING THE FLOW OF VETERANS INTO PRISON

Adding a sincere Letter of Explanation to your job applications can help you make a

positive impression on employers.

Abuse of Judicial Power in Family Court Against a Navy Veteran

Tips for discussing one's conviction record in a way that makes a positive impression on

employers

More . . .

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.

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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 http://bit.ly/19ovER5

2015 Newsletters http://bit.ly/1FKASAC

Ohio Resources For Veterans 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:

USMC 1stLt Andrew T. Bolla, PIO at the USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment, publisher of WWR In the News, DoD Morning News of Note

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)

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, Director of Media Relations at the Department of Veterans Affairs. 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

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

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. EDITOR/CONTACT

Pete Miller, cruzzen@gmail.com, @OHCircuitRider

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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