Thousands of veterans experience homelessness each year; many hundreds also find themselves in the justice system. Veterans’ treatment courts provide participants substance use treatment in lieu of jail and also provide support with obtaining benefits, employment, and housing. A key partner in their work is the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which created the Veterans Justice Outreach Program with a goal to end homelessness among veterans. In 2016, specialists with the Veterans Justice Outreach Program worked with 461 veterans’ treatment courts; by 2019, that number had grown to 601. On this episode of the Center for Justice Innovation’s podcast In Practice, our guests discuss the challenges some veterans face, including housing insecurity, and how their programs work together to address homelessness.
Listen to the podcast.
Panel Members
Hon. Marcia P. Hirsch
Presiding Judge of the Queens Veterans Court and the Drug Diversion Court
Sean Clark
National Director of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Robert V. Wolf
Director of Communications, Center for Justice Innovation
Resources
- 5 Key Facts about Homeless Veterans (National Alliance to End Homelessness)
- Veterans Treatment Courts and other Veteran-focused courts served by VA Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
- National Association of Homeless Veterans
- New York City Veterans Court
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Programs
- View full video transcript for Module 6b