{"id":40782,"date":"2017-11-19T22:34:52","date_gmt":"2017-11-19T22:34:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/19\/veterans-court-helps-vets-get-their-lives-back-on-track\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:49:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:49:43","slug":"veterans-court-helps-vets-get-their-lives-back-on-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2017\/11\/19\/veterans-court-helps-vets-get-their-lives-back-on-track\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans Court helps vets get their lives back on track"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BECKLEY, W.Va. \u2014 In an office outside Judge Andrew Dimlich\u2019s chambers on the bottom floor of the Raleigh County Judicial Annex, nine men and women in professional attire sit at a boardroom table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the center of the table, among their legal pads and coffee cups, is a landline telephone dialed into the Martinsburg VA Medical Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the call on speakerphone, Judge Dimlich asks, \u201cHow have you been?\u201d A veteran on the other line responds, \u201cI\u2019ve been doing great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He shares an update about his health and some exciting news about an invitation to a speaking event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The judge offers congratulations, and asks if there are any issues or problems he or other members at the table need to address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The man says no, and the judge adds, \u201cAll right, well, you keep up the good work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another veteran, this one much more soft spoken than the last, picks up the line. He, too, shares an update with the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A woman at the left side of the boardroom table smiles broadly and says to the man, \u201cYou\u2019re doing everything we\u2019re asking of you. We\u2019re really proud of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These men, along with two others, are the first participants of the Raleigh County Veterans Court \u2014 a specialty court offering veterans who have committed a nonviolent crime in Raleigh County a chance to get their lives back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To qualify for the program, their crime must in some way be attributable to their military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Judge Dimlich said the issue does not have to be combat-related for a veteran to be approved. For example, one veteran in the program was tasked with delivering the news to families that their loved one had died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou can look at a guy\u2019s service and what he\u2019s been through,\u201d said Brandon Steele, Raleigh County assistant prosecuting attorney. \u201cWe have to ask ourselves, \u2018Is this person ready to face the problem head on? Or are they looking for a free pass?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dimlich emphasizes that Veterans Court is not a free pass: \u201cIt takes a lot more time getting through the process than just dealing with criminal charges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Raleigh County Magistrate Steve Massie said the U.S. wouldn\u2019t be the country it is today without the service of veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we can attribute their problems to what they did for us, we owe them the opportunity for this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Getting started<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When someone is arrested, one of the first questions a defense attorney will ask is, \u201cAre you a veteran?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the answer is yes, and the individual was honorably discharged, that person may be a candidate for Veterans Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their service will be confirmed by the VA, and the Veterans Court team will assemble, every other Thursday at 3 p.m., to review the standing of current participants and consider new applicants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Applicants are asked, \u201cHow did you get from honorably discharged to here? Tell us what\u2019s going on in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If veterans are accepted into the program, their criminal charges are placed on hold while the court helps them address underlying issues \u2014 everything from housing and employment to substance abuse and PTSD treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steele said the program varies in duration based on the needs of the individual. If veterans successfully complete the program, charges can be completely dismissed or dropped to a misdemeanor, at the discretion of the prosecutor. If they do not complete the program, they go back to square one, with charges still pending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve found these veterans are not just receptive to the program because of the reduced charges,\u201d Steele said. \u201cThey don\u2019t want to be the person they\u2019ve become and they\u2019re asking for help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said the program\u2019s administrators want to help the veterans meet their personal, career and family goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first Veterans Court in the U.S. was established in 2008 in Buffalo, N.Y. Since then, programs have followed suit across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aside from Raleigh County, three other programs are available in West Virginia \u2014 in Putnam, Wayne and Kanawha counties. Mercer County is in the early stages of creating a program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of the Raleigh County cases have involved drug use, Steele said, which requires long-term rehabilitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the Beckley VA Medical Center does not offer long-term rehabilitation for substance use, facilities in Martinsburg and Salem, Virginia, do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steele said some veterans simply do not know what services are available to them through the VA. But Veterans Court works with participants to match them with the appropriate tools and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Coordinating benefits<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jackie Hartsog, Veterans Justice Outreach coordinator, is the Veterans Court go-to for all things benefits-related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, she helps determine whether applicants qualify for VA health care benefits. If they do, she shares with them what services are available and makes recommendations based on her initial assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VA has a tremendous number of services, she said, including residential and out-patient mental health services. Some diagnoses treated include PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and substance use disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oftentimes, mental health issues will manifest themselves through the commission of crimes or illegal activities, Hartsog said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also said mental health is sometimes associated with homelessness. She and a team at the VA help connect veterans who qualify with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development\u2019s VA Supportive Housing voucher program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If approved, the veterans not only get a housing voucher, but also a case manager who works with them in all aspects of their care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey make sure they\u2019re making all their appointments, getting their medications and the utilities are staying on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hartsog said once mental health and housing are addressed, employment is needed to help veterans support themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VA offers employment specialists to help veterans locate jobs. Supported employment and compensated work therapy programs are also available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through supported employment, an advocate for the veteran goes to his or her job site and works with the employer to discuss the veteran\u2019s limitations, and to ensure the work schedule isn\u2019t overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through the transitional work therapy program, veterans are hired for jobs within the VA with the goal of moving into stable employment. This program is especially conducive for the scheduling of other needed appointments at the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat\u2019s so great about my job is having all of these resources I can connect people with,\u201d Hartsog said. \u201cEvery piece of the puzzle can come together for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if a veteran isn\u2019t accepted into Veterans Court, the services at the VA are still available to them, Hartsog noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m going to be working with them, either way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Accountability<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans Court team members say the program is intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOnly the people who truly desire to change their lives are going to be successful in it,\u201d Steele said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every two weeks, the participants have to answer to the court for everything they\u2019ve been doing \u2014 getting treatment for substance use disorder, taking care of their families, managing their therapy, going to work, checking in at Day Report and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey get a touch from the state, the VA or a mentor every day,\u201d Steele said. \u201cWe talk to them on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times per day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, the program welcomes veterans to volunteer as mentors for the program, but as the program progresses, graduates will be asked to become mentors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hartsog said working with veterans, she hears a lot about the camaraderie veterans share and the support they receive from one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey can\u2019t get that same connection with their loved ones, but in Veterans Court, they\u2019re together and able to support each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Magistrate Massie, too, said the transition from military life to civilian life can be difficult. So when they get a piece of that brotherhood back, they appreciate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steele agreed that\u2019s sometimes the missing link \u2014 \u201cThey need to know somebody is there to help me out, that I\u2019m not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All Veterans Court team members are volunteers \u2014 the judge, defense attorneys, prosecutors, mentors and others \u2014 and many of them are veterans themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s veterans taking care of veterans,\u201d Massie said. \u201cThis is us guys taking care of our men. And those who aren\u2019t veterans, they\u2019re patriots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Love of country<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Raleigh County Veterans Court participants are also part of a special demographic, as West Virginia has the highest number of veterans per capita in the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re a very patriotic people,\u201d Steele said. \u201cWe believe in America and in serving our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continued, \u201cAt some point in this participant\u2019s life, for nothing in return, they have been willing to give up their life for their country. That\u2019s a special moment for a guy, when he has said, \u2018My country is greater than me.\u2019 That takes a lot of courage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Implementing Veterans Court was one of the first tasks Judge Dimlich set off to accomplish when he took office Jan. 1, 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey fought for our country. They fought for our freedoms,\u201d Dimlich said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a break. They deserve our help. It\u2019s an easy call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information about Veterans Court, call 304-252-2417.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Massie also invites veterans to Bible Baptist Church, at 2071 Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley, at 7 p.m. Wednesdays for a program called Discipled Veterans. He said veterans of all ages gather to talk about transitioning into civilian life and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Information from: The Register-Herald, http:\/\/www.register-herald.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Raleigh County Veterans Court is a specialty court offering veterans who have committed a nonviolent crime in Raleigh County a chance to get their lives back on track.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":46134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":25,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["veterans","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"5":{"categories":["veterans","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"6":{"categories":["veterans","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"7":{"categories":["veterans","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"}}},"categories":[15,35,25,146],"tags":[],"coauthors":[6171],"class_list":["post-40782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-newsletters","category-veterans","category-retirement-e-report"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"HO35KZ43ABADVO7XCM3PVLZRBI","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2017\/11\/19\/veterans-court-helps-vets-get-their-lives-back-on-track\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Veterans Court helps vets get their lives back on track - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Raleigh County Veterans Court is a specialty court offering veterans who have committed a nonviolent crime in Raleigh County a chance to get their lives back on track.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Veterans Court helps vets get their lives back on track\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Raleigh County Veterans Court is a specialty court offering veterans who have committed a nonviolent crime in Raleigh County a chance to get their lives back on track.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2017\/11\/19\/veterans-court-helps-vets-get-their-lives-back-on-track\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Military Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-11-19T22:34:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T05:49:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Wendy Holdren, The (Beckly, W.Va.) Register-Herald via AP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Wendy Holdren, The (Beckly, W.Va.) 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