Veterans Treatment Court research: Participant characteristics, outcomes, and gaps in the literature

Noble Intent Is Not Enough To Run Veterans Court Mentoring Programs: A Qualitative Study of Mentors’ Role Orientation and Responsibilities

“…While VTC process and outcome evaluations are beginning to demonstrate their success, albeit with mixed results (Hartley & Baldwin, 2019;Holbrook & Anderson, 2011;McCall et al, 2018), a search of the literature revealed a paucity of evaluations of the mentoring component within VTCs. Indeed, scholarly research is just beginning to describe the structure of mentoring programs (Jalain & Grossi, 2020) and mentors' experiences and expectations within VTCs (Lucas, 2018).…”

“…Mentoring among veterans very well may be a critical component of the VTC experience, but until recently, there was only anecdotal evidence of how VTC mentoring programs operate. Recent scholarship suggests that VTC mentoring programs are popular and positively influence veteran mentees (Druzin, 2015;Jalain & Grossi, 2020;Moore, 2012). However, there is little data on how mentors perceive their place in the VTC experience (but see Jalain & Grossi, 2020;Lucas, 2018).…”

Take a Load off Fanny: Peer Mentors in Veterans Treatment Courts

“…Anecdotal and scant empirical research has emerged to provide limited support for VTCs while statewide and national surveys continue to fill more than a decade-old gap in practice and policy (Baldwin, 2013; Baldwin & Rukus, 2015; Cavanaugh, 2010; Erickson, 2016; Frederick, 2014; Hartley & Baldwin, 2019; Holbrook & Anderson, 2011; Johnson et al, 2017; Lucas, 2017; McCormick-Goodhart, 2013; Russell, 2018; Slattery et al, 2013). McCall and colleagues (2018) found that while case management is a prominent feature of most VTCs, there is little known about the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions or recidivism rates beyond program participants demographics. In this regard, based on their review of 15 participant studies and 11 outcome studies, McCall and colleagues (2018) found tremendous variation across VTCs with recidivism rates ranging from 2.5% to 56%.…”

“…McCall and colleagues (2018) found that while case management is a prominent feature of most VTCs, there is little known about the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions or recidivism rates beyond program participants demographics. In this regard, based on their review of 15 participant studies and 11 outcome studies, McCall and colleagues (2018) found tremendous variation across VTCs with recidivism rates ranging from 2.5% to 56%. However, as noted by several VTC scholars, defining and measuring recidivism varies greatly across studies and should be interpreted with caution (Baldwin et al, 2018; Belenko, Fabrikant, & Wolff, 2011).…”

“…Frederick (2014) noted that by the end of 2012 (just 4 years after the establishment of the first VTC), more than 168 VTCs were operating in the United States serving more than 7,700 veterans. As of 2017, the number of VTCs skyrocketed to more than 300 across the United States (Justice for Vets, 2015): Baldwin (2017) reported 114 VTCs in 32 states since 2012, and McCall, Tsai, and Gordon (2018) reported 461 VTCs across the United States. Most recently, Douds and Ahlin (2019) identified between 350 and 385 veteran problem-solving courts (e.g., VTCs) operating in the United States since 2015.…”