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

“Sharing Information to Benefit All Veterans”

JUNE 18, 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

5,000 providers of veterans’ services just like you, nationwide & internationally, receive this free

newsletter every week. Another 18,000+ can see it on 5 social media sites. Over 5,900 people in 61 countries have viewed my blog over 11,000 times. Thank you for sharing!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE TOPIC PAGE

FEATURED STORIES 1 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 22

OPPORTUNITIES 2 GENERAL NEWS 26

GOVERNMENT 4 "VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LINKEDIN GROUP 27

OHIO 5 OTHER LINKEDIN GROUPS 27

STEPPING UP INITIATIVE 10 VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG 28

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS 16 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 28

PTS/TBI/MST 19 HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER 28

SUICIDE 20

FEATURED STORIES

Conference to help troubled veterans and the criminal justice system set for Birmingham, AL on June 23rd http://bit.ly/2rCsqH7

The U.S. Attorney's Office, Samford University's Cumberland School of Law, and the

University of Alabama's School of Social Work will present a conference aimed at helping

veterans in the court system later this month.

The June 23 conference at Cumberland School of Law on Samford's campus, will address

"issues of military veterans who either have been incarcerated or faced diversionary courts,"

Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey announced earlier this week.

The daylong meeting, called "Justice Involved Veterans: From Arrest to Successful Reentry"

will look at veterans following their discharge from the military to help determine what

stages they are the most vulnerable to committing a crime.

The conference also will explore how to improve the chances that a veteran will successfully

integrate back into society if they are jailed, and will examine veterans' alternatives to

prison.

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Ohio University: The Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Photography & Video Project http://bit.ly/2rEZKNu

Editor’s Note: Retired Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Hocking College’s

Melissa Knopp provide support for this project. Thank you.

The VTC Photography & Video Project is a partnership between the Department of Sociology

and Anthropology (DAS) and the School of Visual Communications (Vis Com) at Ohio

University.

Ursula Castellano began Volume 01 / June 2017 a pilot photography study on VTCs by

giving cameras to court participants and asking them to document their lives. Her original

study has since evolved into a multi-media project on veterans and the courts.

OUR GOALS:

Give veterans a voice to tell who they are and what they experienced. Raise awareness that justice-involved veterans face unique challenges after discharge Promote Veterans Treatment Courts.

OPPORTUNITIES Research Study Participants Needed: Military, Wounded Warriors, To Study Whether Nature Truly Has A Healing Effect http://cbsloc.al/2rszoOA

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is recruiting participants for a

clinical trial at Naval Support Activity Bethesda to investigate whether exposure to nature

benefits health.

The trial is part of the Green Road Project, which has been underway at six sites in the US,

and is recruiting service members as well as their families and caregivers.

Veterans Entrepreneurial Jumpstart program is now enrolling http://bit.ly/2seihxl Cohort III of the Veterans Entrepreneurial Jumpstart (VEJ) program is now scheduled

for October 14-22, 2017. It will be held on the Saint Joseph’s University campus in

Philadelphia, PA.

VEJ is designed to provide our Veterans with the training, skills and services necessary to

start their own small business.

This program is provided at No Charge to all Honorably Discharged Veterans,

regardless of disability status. We accept veterans from all over the country.

Also eligible are Active Duty personnel, as well as members of the National Guard and

Reserves.

Seeking Test Sites: [zerosuicide] Suicide Prevention Clinical Quality Measure Pilot Testing

Thank you to everyone who has shown interest in partnering with SAMHSA and Battelle to

pilot test a clinical quality measure within your clinic. We are still looking for

additional pilot sites.

As you may recall from the Data-Driven Quality Improvement in Zero Suicide webinar,

SAMHSA has partnered with Battelle to develop a suicide prevention clinical quality

measure. Our research has shown that clinical quality measures could play a large role in

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spreading awareness of the impact clinicians can have in reducing the number of attempted

and completed suicides each year.

We are looking for healthcare systems, clinics, and clinicians, who currently conduct and

document suicide risk assessments, who would also be interested in working with Battelle

and SAMHSA to pilot test a clinical quality measure focused on collaborative safety

planning. Clinicians would be asked to pilot the data collection tool for just a couple of

weeks.

If you are interested in learning more about the our pilot study and the work we are doing,

please contact me directly at brennan@battelle.org.

Sincerely,

Nicole Brennan

Nicole Brennan, MPH, DrPH

Manager | Advanced Analytics and Health Research

Senior Research Scientist | Public Health Policy

Office: 614.424.3590

brennan@battelle.org

Battelle

505 King Ave

Columbus, OH 43201-2693

http://www.battelle.org

SAMHSA Grant Opportunity: Office of Minority Health Accepting Applications for Up to $5 Million in Grants To Reduce Health Disparities http://bit.ly/2rFY6ev

The Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

is accepting applications for a cooperative agreement for the Empowered Communities for a

Healthier Nation Initiative.

This program seeks to reduce the impact of significant health disparities among racial and

ethnic minorities and/or disadvantaged populations by implementing evidence-based

strategies.

The program aims to serve residents in communities disproportionately impacted by the

opioid epidemic, childhood/adolescent obesity, and serious mental health disorders.

Additional SAMHSA Grants http://bit.ly/2sq5B6x Over $70 Million Available in Grants To Address the Opioid Crisis

Over $70 million is available in grants over multiple years to help communities and health

care providers prevent opioid overdose deaths and provide treatment for opioid use

disorder.

Administered through SAMHSA, these funds will be made available through the following

three grants:

• Medication-Assisted Treatment and Prescription Drugs—Opioid Addiction: Up to $28

million to five grantees to increase access of medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

for opioid use disorder. MAT combines behavioral therapy and U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA)-approved medication.

• First Responders: Up to $41.7 million over 4 years to approximately 30 grantees to

train and provide resources for first responders and members of other key

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community sectors on carrying and administering an FDA-approved product for

emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose.

• Improving Access to Overdose Treatment: Up to $1 million over 5 years to one

grantee to expand availability to overdose reversal medications in health care

settings and to establish protocols to connect patients who have experienced a drug

overdose with appropriate treatment.

Applications Available for Up to $39.5 Million in Grants To Prevent Suicide

The purpose of these cooperative agreements is to implement suicide prevention and

intervention programs for individuals who are age 25 or older, that are designed to raise

awareness of suicide, establish referral processes, and improve care and outcomes for such

individuals who are at risk for suicide.

Ohio: Nominations Solicited for Statewide Pro Bono Award http://bit.ly/2sfha0f

Each year, the Ohio State Bar Association presents the John and Ginny Elam Pro Bono

Award at its annual meeting.

The award recognizes a lawyer’s exceptional pro bono legal work in Ohio, which may consist

of “pro bono representation necessary to make the system of justice available to all, support

to organizations that provide pro bono representation to indigent clients, or time and skills

donated to community, governmental, and other activities that promote the common good.”

In addition to the public announcement at the meeting in August, the recipient will receive

media recognition and be able to designate a 501(c)(3) organization to receive a $5,000

grant from the Columbus Bar Foundation award fund.

To nominate an individual, send a letter to the Award Selection Committee Chair, Honorable

Jeffrey E. Froelich, Second District Court of Appeals of Ohio, 41 N. Perry St., P.O. Box 972,

Dayton, Ohio 45422-2170 or an email to froelichj@mcohio.org. Nominations are due July 21

and should include a brief description of the nominee’s qualifications and contact

information for the nominee and nominator.

SPRC Job Opening: Training and Technical Assistance Specialist II http://bit.ly/2rCSMJ4 SPRC has an opening for a full-time Prevention Specialist (Training and Technical Assistance

Specialist II), located within the Center for the Study and Prevention of Injury, Violence and

Suicide at EDC.

The Prevention Specialist will work collaboratively as part of the 10-person Grantee and

State Initiatives Team that provides capacity-building technical assistance to Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-funded Garrett Lee Smith and

National Strategy for Suicide Prevention grantees, and state suicide prevention

coordinators.

The position will be based in Waltham, Mass., or Washington, D.C. For more information,

please see the job posting.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Congress

House Sends VA Accountability Bill to President Trump

Secretary of Veterans Affairs David J. Shulkin statement on passage of accountability bill

The Society of Federal Health Professionals (AMSUS) http://bit.ly/2rsHkiW House allocates $65M for VA EHR system, but with conditions

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Military studying potential healing effect of nature

VA official critical about claims of Agent Orange risks

Epic retains VA contract for medical scheduling system

Congress again seeks IHS reform

Study zeroes in on sex-dependent differences in TBI response

Avatars prepare health care providers for real-life conversations

2017 AMSUS Awards Nominations Open Through June 30th

AMSUS Annual Meeting, Nov 28th – Dec. 1st

Judges for AMSUS Annual Awards

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

An Overview of the Nation’s Behavioral Health

Pain Management and Opioid Use with Veterans and Service Members

TAC: Teaming with SAMHSA on Assisted Outpatient Treatment

Department of Defense (DoD) DoD Launches Online Learning Program to Help Military Survivors of Sexual Assault

VETERAN WHO SUSTAINED TBI HELPS FELLOW SERVICE MEMBERS WITH BRAIN INJURY

CARE

Army supporting clinical trial testing hemorrhage control foam

EVENT Webinar: Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain: Understanding Updated Guidelines, June

22nd

VA/NIH Research

Large study assessing needs, experiences of pregnant and postpartum Veterans

The Impact of Trauma Type or Number of Traumatic Events on PTSD Diagnosis and

Symptom Severity in Treatment Seeking Veterans.

Engaging multilevel stakeholders in an implementation trial of evidence-based quality

improvement in VA women's health primary care.

Sexual Assault Victimization and Mental Health Treatment, Suicide Attempts, and Career

Outcomes Among Women in the US Army.

Trends in hysterectomy rates among women veterans in the United States Department of

Veterans Affairs.

Experiences with VHA care: a qualitative study of U.S. women veterans with self-reported

trauma histories.

Leukopenia Associated with Risperidone Treatment.

VA Programs Shulkin: 1% of veteran crisis calls go to backup centers, down from 30%

Fox News Video: Secretary Shulkin on the VA modernizing its medical records

Shulkin offers first glimpse at new VA Choice plan

Red Cross partners with VA to host baby shower for expectant women veterans

EVENT: VA PTSD Consultation Program Lecture: Measurement-Based Care for

PTSD, June 21st

VA Resource Locator

o No matter what you may be experiencing, there is support for getting your life on a

better track. Many, many Veterans have found the strength to reach out and make

the connection. To find the Veteran resources most helpful for you, fill in your ZIP

code or state below and then check the boxes to indicate the programs or topics you

are interested in learning more about.

Houston to Host National VA Women Veterans Summit, August 25th – 26th

VA Facilities

VA Ann Arbor Town Hall, June 19th

Pittsburgh VAHCS Town Hall, June 20th

Milwaukee VA Town Hall, June 21st

Iowa City VAHCS Town Hall Event in Cedar Rapids, June 21st

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Minneapolis VA Town Hall, June 21st

Billings VA Town Hall, June 22nd

Northern Indiana HCS Goshen Town Hall, June 28th

Fargo VA Town Hall in Williston June 29th

Parma VA Outpatient Clinic for our Relaxation, Coping & Mindfulness class each Tuesday, from 9-10 a.m.

State of the VA-Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center

Therapy dogs comfort patients at Tuscaloosa VAMC. West Palm Beach VA hospital hosts drill to train hundreds in event of hurricane disaster

Tuscaloosa VA Med Center working to reach veterans with PTSD

Montana VA answers veterans’ questions at Helena health fair

The State of the VA Maryland Health Care System

Maryland’s Veterans Affairs chief responds to U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs assessment

on the ‘State of the VA’

New McCurtain County Clinic Coming Soon

VA Pittsburgh Treatment Offers Hope for PTSD

VA OIG Reports

Healthcare Inspection Sterile Compounding Environment and Practices, Overton Brooks VA

Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana

Healthcare Inspection – Alleged Misdiagnosis and Delay in Treatment, Providence VA

Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island

VAOIG – (Background) Administrative Summaries of Investigation Regarding Wait Times -

Alabama and Arizona

VA OIG Administrative Summary of (Wait Times) Investigation at the Montgomery,

Alabama VA Medical Center (15-00986-130)

VA OIG Administrative Summary of (Wait Times) Investigation at the Phoenix,

Arizona VA Medical Center (14-02890-99)

Additional resources from my blog

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

OHIO

Ohio University: The Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Photography & Video Project http://bit.ly/2rEZKNu

Editor’s Note: Retired Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Hocking College’s

Melissa Knopp provide support for this project. Thank you.

The VTC Photography & Video Project is a partnership between the Department of Sociology

and Anthropology (DAS) and the School of Visual Communications (Vis Com) at Ohio

University.

Ursula Castellano began Volume 01 / June 2017 a pilot photography study on VTCs by

giving cameras to court participants and asking them to document their lives. Her original

study has since evolved into a multi-media project on veterans and the courts.

OUR GOALS:

Give veterans a voice to tell who they are and what they experienced. Raise awareness that justice-involved veterans face unique challenges after discharge Promote Veterans Treatment Courts.

Ohio-based Non-Profit: The Overwatch Partnership http://bit.ly/2rF1NB9

Editor’s Note. Please watch their introductory video on the home page. Thank you.

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Mission: The Overwatch Partnership is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides

mentoring and career development support to the veteran community, while supporting

local veteran hiring advocacy efforts.

We support the transition to civilian employment for veterans by providing a network of

mentors and human resource professionals to enable an improved career transition, while

enhancing veteran hiring efforts for organizations in the community and creating a social

network of veterans and non-veterans alike.

How are we different? There are hundreds of veteran nonprofit organizations providing

outstanding services to veterans across the country. We see ourselves as teammates with

these organizations, yet we provide value that is unique to the veteran nonprofit landscape,

including the following:

We are locally focused. As with other services, we think local is always better, and

face-to- face mentoring is powerful and effective for successful networking and

career development.

Community invested. Empowering veterans to a successful career is mutually

beneficial for the veteran AND the organizations within our community that can hire

veterans.

We foster social and business networking. As most careers are found and enhanced

through networking, we combine the enormous power of networking with a pool of

successful professionals to mentor veterans, while creating a social network of

veterans and non-veterans alike through various events and activities.

The Supreme Court of Ohio Specialized Dockets News Letter, June 9, 2017 http://bit.ly/2spPaHg

SAVE THE DATES! Conference Date: October 23-24, 2017, Location: The Ohio State

University, Ohio Union.

An excellent list and information about webinars, Ohio & national trainings and new

resources related to specialized dockets. ABJ Editorial: Not the worst of the worst, or why Ohio should spare from execution those with severe mental illness http://bit.ly/2s3Hqut

Evelyn Lundberg Stratton recently reminded state lawmakers about the “evolving

standards of decency” when it comes to the death penalty. The former Ohio Supreme Court

justice noted that the execution of juveniles has been barred.

The same applies to those with intellectual disabilities. She supports House Bill 81 that

would exempt from the death penalty those diagnosed with severe mental illness at the

time of the capital offense.

The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Bill Seitz, reflects the work of a task force formed by

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. The panel of highly regarded and representative

stakeholders looked for ways to improve the conduct of capital punishment.

Three years have passed since it put forward 56 recommendations. Some have been

enacted. Too many have not.

. . . Seitz and the task force recognized the need to define carefully what qualifies as a

severe mental illness. That is especially so in view of the bill rightly following precedent and

permitting those currently on death row to seek to resentencing and life in prison without

parole.

Prosecutors warn about a flood of requests, even suggesting the effective end of the death

penalty. Actually, as Evelyn Stratton pointed out, just 10 percent to 15 percent would

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qualify to make an application. The bill places the burden on the defense to show that the

defendant suffered from severe mental illness.

The worry about abuse of the exemption is curious, the hard line suggesting: Better to

execute an offender who was ill at the time than open the door to another somehow gaming

the system. The legislation isn’t about leniency. The punishment remains most tough.

Rather, the bill goes to how Ohioans define capital punishment, and what it says about our

sense of decency.

The task force examined fully the death penalty and recommended it would be improved by

the exemption for severe mental illness. Now the Ohio House should do its part and move

quickly to approve the legislation.

Summit County court program aims to help people with serious mental problems; New Day Court being held up as model http://bit.ly/2rtgJCA

. . . These are a few of the clients in Summit County Probate Court’s New Day Court, which

seeks to help people with serious mental illnesses who are hospitalized for potentially being

a danger to themselves or others. The goal is to get them stabilized, make sure they are

following their treatment regimens and return them to their lives.

“What we’re trying to tell people is: ‘Today’s a ‘new day,’ ” said Probate Judge Elinore Marsh

Stormer.

Stormer, a judge for 26 years, is no stranger to launching new court programs. She started

Akron Municipal Court’s drug court in 1995 and the same court’s docket for mentally ill

people who repeatedly face criminal charges in 2001.

Stormer, who was elected probate judge in 2012, saw a need for another program to assist

people who haven’t been charged criminally but have been pink slipped or civilly committed

for mental problems and hospitalized in a psychiatric facility — often repeatedly. She started

the New Day Court in 2016, with the aim of providing clients with additional support so they

don’t get off of their medication and end up back in the hospital.

The program has had 152 clients, 83 of whom have graduated. Of those who successfully

completed the program, seven of the graduates — or 8 percent — have been rehospitalized.

Before entering the program, some clients had four or five hospitalizations in the prior 12 to

18 months, according to probate court records.

Nominations Solicited for Statewide Pro Bono Award http://bit.ly/2sfha0f Each year, the Ohio State Bar Association presents the John and Ginny Elam Pro Bono

Award at its annual meeting.

The award recognizes a lawyer’s exceptional pro bono legal work in Ohio, which may consist

of “pro bono representation necessary to make the system of justice available to all, support

to organizations that provide pro bono representation to indigent clients, or time and skills

donated to community, governmental, and other activities that promote the common good.”

In addition to the public announcement at the meeting in August, the recipient will receive

media recognition and be able to designate a 501(c)(3) organization to receive a $5,000

grant from the Columbus Bar Foundation award fund.

To nominate an individual, send a letter to the Award Selection Committee Chair, Honorable

Jeffrey E. Froelich, Second District Court of Appeals of Ohio, 41 N. Perry St., P.O. Box 972,

Dayton, Ohio 45422-2170 or an email to froelichj@mcohio.org. Nominations are due July 21

and should include a brief description of the nominee’s qualifications and contact

information for the nominee and nominator.

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OH: It’s time to recognize mental health as essential to physical health http://bit.ly/2rCx5bS

John V. Campo, MD, is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral

Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The human brain is a wonder. Through folds of tissue and pulses of electricity, it lets

us perceive, attempt to understand, and shape the world around us.

As science rapidly charts the brain’s complex structures, new discoveries are

revealing the biology of how the mind functions and fails.

Given the centrality of the brain to human health, its malfunctions should be a

priority, separated from stigma and treated on par with the diseases of the body. We

aren’t there yet, but the transformation is underway.

. . . The treatment of mental illness has long been held back by the sense that

disorders of emotion, thinking, and behavior somehow lack legitimacy and instead

reflect individual weakness or poor life choices.

Not surprisingly, there has been a mismatch between the enormous impact of mental illness

and addiction on the public’s health and our society’s limited commitment to addressing

these problems. Here are three examples of how that plays out:

Most emergency departments are ill-equipped to meet the needs of

patients in the midst of mental health crises.

Most insurance plans view mental illness and addiction as exceptions to

standard care, not part of it.

Despite an overall cultural shift towards compassion, our society still

tends to view the mentally ill and those with addiction as morally

broken rather than as ill.

. . . Psychiatry has been hampered by an inability to observe and record the physical

workings of the brain. Because of that, psychiatric assessments and treatments have been

viewed as somewhat mysterious. Even today, the underlying mechanisms behind some of

the most powerful and effective psychiatric treatments are still poorly understood. All of that

translates into the difficulty that many people have finding help for real, disabling symptoms

attributed to a mental illness or addiction.

However, just as other fields of medicine have evolved as knowledge advanced during the

past century, psychiatry has also made profound gains. Advances emerging from unlocking

the brain’s physiology and biochemistry are coming at a time when mental health care is

being integrated into traditional health care. The potential has never been greater to finally

bring psychiatry quite literally under the same roof as the rest of medicine.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where I work, offers an example of this

kind of transformation. Now celebrating its centenary, the Ohio State Harding Hospital was

founded as the Indianola Rest Home by Dr. George Harding II, younger brother of President

Warren G. Harding. It was created as an asylum that provided quiet, nutrition, and a focus

on spirituality.

Today, the hospital can address mental health issues as effectively as it treats trauma or

cardiac arrest. This shift is occurring nationally, with community-involved, comprehensive

mental health integration into hospitals in cities and rural communities alike.

Proven regimens for treating common mental disorders and addictions are aiding the “cure”

rate and boosting public acceptance that such care works. Modern practices have the

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potential to improve public health and, perhaps equally important, engage families more

actively in the care of individuals suffering from mental disorders and addictions.

EVENT: Ohio Women Veterans Conference, Columbus, August 12th http://bit.ly/2rCIAjx

(Columbus) – Registration is now open for the biennial Ohio Women Veterans Conference to

be held Saturday, August 12, 2017 at the Ohio Union at The Ohio State University.

With more than 50 exhibits and 20 speakers, women veterans will find information about

Ohio’s new fast track to jobs and education as well as services available locally through 88

County Veterans Services Offices. The conference is free but there is an optional fee for

lunch.

This year’s theme is Celebrating Generations of Service – 67,000 Veterans Strong. Topic

areas include managing your money military style, maximizing military skills on your civilian

resume, support and mentoring for women veterans in the workplace, challenges with

aging, statewide resources, access to benefits and more.

Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Veterans Services with support from the Ohio Women

Veterans Advisory Committee, the conference is expected to attract 750 women veterans

from throughout the state representing all branches of military service. EVENT: D-Day Conneaut – The Largest Annual D-Day Reenactment in the U.S., August 17-19, 2017 http://bit.ly/2sbnZzS

D-Day Conneaut is fast becoming America's premier living history event by being the most

realistic and educational annual reenactment of D-Day - June 6th, 1944.

Since 1999, this annual recreation of the amphibious Allied landings upon the beaches of

Normandy, France, has thrilled thousands of spectators.

The event occurs within the beautifully kept grounds of Conneaut Township Park, Conneaut,

Ohio, and assembles over 1,200 re-enactors from across the United States and Canada.

Remarkably, the 250 yard long beach and sloping adjacent terrain closely resemble Omaha

Beach in Normandy, France. Additional resources from my blog

OPERATION LEGAL HELP OHIO http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK

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

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

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

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

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

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

STEPPING UP INITIATIVE Editor’s Note: Closely associated with Veterans Treatment Courts and other specialty docket courts dealing with mental illness is the new STEEPING UP INITIATIVE. Stepping Up is a national initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illness in Jails. Stepping Up and similar initiatives are an important evolution in the treatment of veterans and others incarcerated with mental illness. Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundeberg Stratton (Retired) is the Director of Stepping Up Ohio. We have decided to create this new section of Retired Justice Stratton’s News Clips, rather than bury the stories somewhere else.

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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.

EVENT: Register for Webinar: Responding to the 2017 SCA Comprehensive Community-Based Adult Reentry Grant Solicitation http://bit.ly/2rFWeCu

In this webinar, officials from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance

and the National Reentry Resource Center will review the Comprehensive Community-Based

Adult Reentry grant program and application process.

These grants will provide up to $1,000,000 for a 36-month project period to nonprofit

organizations, tribal nonprofit organizations, and tribal governments with a documented

history of administering comprehensive, evidence-based reentry services.

EVENT: Register for Webinar: Responding to the 2017 SCA Statewide Adult Recidivism Reduction Strategic Planning Program Solicitation, June 22nd http://bit.ly/2rCzOSM

In this webinar, officials from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance

and National Reentry Resource Center will explain the FY2017 Second Chance Act Statewide

Adult Recidivism Reduction Strategic Planning Program solicitation and its application

process.

State correctional agencies (state departments of corrections or community corrections) or

State Administering Agencies (SAAs) are eligible to apply for this grant, which will provide

funding for agencies to develop strategic plans that address their state’s recidivism drivers

and includes effective strategies for reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety.

EVENT: Register for Webinar: Engaging Employers–A Sectoral Approach to Employment for People with Criminal Records, June 29th http://bit.ly/2rCIkBg

Hosted by the National Reentry Resource Center, with funding support from the U.S.

Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance

A sector-based employment approach brings employers from the same industry together

with educators, workforce development agencies, and others to address labor shortages and

prepare job seekers for work and career advancement. With a sector-based approach,

employers can identify the skills that are valued most in a given industry. Job training

programs can then be designed with employer input to equip students with those skills.

This webinar is for corrections, workforce development, and education agencies interested

in improving the employment outcomes of people with criminal records. In the webinar,

presenters will:

Provide an overview of a sector-based approach;

Give examples of successful sector-based partnerships; and

Discuss opportunities to create sector-based partnerships to serve people with

criminal records

Criminal Justice/Behavioral Health Newsletter, June 2017 http://bit.ly/2rCXtSZ Here's a list of funding opportunities, webinars, publications and resources from the The

Council of State Governments Justice Center. Check it out. Most funding application

deadlines are within the next 30 days.

Research: Criminal justice program researches impact of mentors in recovery http://bit.ly/2sbJdh6

The study is the first of its kind to look at the impact of peer recovery specialists in courts.

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Ingrid Johnson thinks peer recovery specialists bring a “unique sense of wisdom” to the

table for people in recovery.

“These are people who have been through the drug treatment program themselves and

eventually graduated, so they can act as sort of a peer mentor for the people going through

the process,” said Johnson, a sixth-year criminal justice Ph.D. candidate.

Johnson is a research assistant for Steven Belenko, a criminal justice professor conducting a

study on the impact of peer recovery specialists.

The PROSPER project, or Philadelphia Revived: Obtaining Success through Peer Encouraged

Recovery, seeks to study the effects of implementing peer recovery specialists into the drug

treatment court process. The first phase of the study began in December and was finalized

in February. The second phase kicked off in January.

Peer recovery specialists are certified mentors who help individuals recovering from mental

illness or substance use disorder. Drug treatment courts are a specialized criminal justice

program that work with criminal defendants who have dependencies on drug and alcohol.

For a minimum of one year, participants are provided with addiction treatment and support.

If the individual remains in recovery for the full time allotted, then the court case does not

continue any further. Philadelphia has a drug treatment court on Arch Street near Broad.

The study is being conducted by Belenko, Johnson and Doris Weiland, a senior research

associate in the criminal justice department, alongside several members of the Public Health

Management Corporation, a nonprofit public health institute in Philadelphia.

Justice Reinvestment Roundup (The Council of State Governments Justice Center) http://bit.ly/2rDbGzi

Capitol Hill Event Showcases Progress in Reentry and Recidivism Reduction

CSG Justice Center Releases Checklist to Help States Analyze Risk and Needs Assessments

Montana Governor Signs Bills to Increase Public Safety While Curbing Prison and Jail Population Growth

Research: Nearly 10 Million U.S. Adults Suffer From Mental Illness - More than a third aren't getting help, federal study says http://bit.ly/2rFXllK

MONDAY, June 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 10 million American adults have a

serious mental illness, and a similar number have considered suicide during the past year,

according to a new government report on the nation's behavioral ills.

The report also said that 15.7 million Americans abuse alcohol and 7.7 million abuse illicit

drugs.

The nation's growing opioid epidemic was also a focus in the report. The researchers found

that 12.5 million people are estimated to have misused prescription painkillers such as

oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) or hydrocodone (Vicoprofen).

Despite the growing number of Americans with mental health problems, about a third of

those who need help aren't getting it, said researcher Dr. Beth Han. She's from the Center

for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality at the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration (SAMHSA).

"These are real increases," Han said. The reasons people aren't getting the help they need

are varied. They include not having health insurance and not knowing where to go for help,

she said.

Han believes that stigma continues to play a part in why people with mental health

problems don't seek help. "They are afraid that other people may find out," she said.

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IL: Cook County Jail exits federal oversight of more than 40 years http://trib.in/2sniZIJ For the first time in more than 40 years, the Cook County Jail is no longer operating under

federal oversight after a judge last week found the massive Southwest Side complex had

met the terms of a 2010 consent decree.

But the jail's hospital — which is separately run by Cook County and has struggled with overcrowding

and staffing shortages — remains under federal oversight.

The Department of Justice in 2007 investigated allegations of abuse and unconstitutional

confinement, issuing a report a year later that found glaring deficiencies across the board,

including in medical care, detainee safety and excessive force.

A 60-page order agreed to by the county, sheriff's office, Justice Department and federal

court laid out a road map of required fixes.

The sheriff's office, which operates the jail — one of the nation's largest — said it has

poured hundreds of millions of dollars into improvements, including increasing the number

of correctional officers by 25 percent, installing some 2,400 cameras, bolstering officer

training and building a 979-bed, $86 million processing center that includes facilities for

medical and mental health treatment.

IN: LaGrange reaffirms support for Mental Health Court program http://bit.ly/2rDkEga

On Tuesday the LaGrange City Council agreed to continue supporting the Troup County

Mental Health Court by committing up to $2,000 toward the court to match funds from a

state grant.

“This would be a match of 10 percent to help continue the operation of the program,” City

Manager Meg Kelsey. “The last time that we funded this was a few years ago with basically

start-up cash to get an organization running.”

The court aims to help those who have mental illnesses find help instead of throwing those

individuals in jail, and according to the LaGrange Police Department, the court has

successfully decreased how often people with mental illnesses break laws overall saving the

police time and the state money. GA: Mental Health Court funding boost comes with local support requirement http://bit.ly/2rC8HqW

The Bulloch County Mental Health Court will receive a 13 percent boost in its state grant, to

$163,814, with the new fiscal year starting July 1, but with an expectation that the county

or local donors also pitch in $18,202.

Two-thirds of that could come from valuing office space and services the county already

provides. For the rest, and to raise awareness, the court's first silent auction fundraising

event is slated for July 11.

Currently 14 people, all with mental health diagnoses and facing criminal charges, are in the

program, and two more could be added soon. Out of about 37 defendants who have signed

contracts since the court was launched in October 2013, the 12th graduate is expected

Monday.

Completing the program takes one year for those facing misdemeanor charges and two

years for felony offenders.

NC: Polk commissioners approve resolution in support of mental health funding http://bit.ly/2sboA4M

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COLUMBUS – The Polk County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution last week in

support of the state providing adequate funding for mental health services in Polk County.

Commissioners met June 5 and heard from commissioner vice-chair Jake Johnson, who

added the resolution to the agenda. Johnson said the resolution came from the Vaya Health

board, of which he is a member, which covers Polk and 22 other counties.

Johnson said the Vaya Health board approved the resolution as an advisory board and also

sent the resolution to all 23 counties to approve.

The state of North Carolina has cut a lot of funding for mental health services, Johnson said,

with Johnson adding the state is in a much better position to fund those services than

counties. “I think it’s a good thing to pass onto Raleigh,” Johnson said.

OH: It’s time to recognize mental health as essential to physical health http://bit.ly/2rCx5bS

John V. Campo, MD, is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral

Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The human brain is a wonder. Through folds of tissue and pulses of electricity, it lets

us perceive, attempt to understand, and shape the world around us.

As science rapidly charts the brain’s complex structures, new discoveries are

revealing the biology of how the mind functions and fails.

Given the centrality of the brain to human health, its malfunctions should be a

priority, separated from stigma and treated on par with the diseases of the body. We

aren’t there yet, but the transformation is underway.

. . . The treatment of mental illness has long been held back by the sense that

disorders of emotion, thinking, and behavior somehow lack legitimacy and instead

reflect individual weakness or poor life choices.

Not surprisingly, there has been a mismatch between the enormous impact of mental illness

and addiction on the public’s health and our society’s limited commitment to addressing

these problems. Here are three examples of how that plays out:

Most emergency departments are ill-equipped to meet the needs of

patients in the midst of mental health crises.

Most insurance plans view mental illness and addiction as exceptions to

standard care, not part of it.

Despite an overall cultural shift towards compassion, our society still

tends to view the mentally ill and those with addiction as morally

broken rather than as ill.

. . . Psychiatry has been hampered by an inability to observe and record the physical

workings of the brain. Because of that, psychiatric assessments and treatments have been

viewed as somewhat mysterious. Even today, the underlying mechanisms behind some of

the most powerful and effective psychiatric treatments are still poorly understood. All of that

translates into the difficulty that many people have finding help for real, disabling symptoms

attributed to a mental illness or addiction.

However, just as other fields of medicine have evolved as knowledge advanced during the

past century, psychiatry has also made profound gains. Advances emerging from unlocking

the brain’s physiology and biochemistry are coming at a time when mental health care is

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being integrated into traditional health care. The potential has never been greater to finally

bring psychiatry quite literally under the same roof as the rest of medicine.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where I work, offers an example of this

kind of transformation. Now celebrating its centenary, the Ohio State Harding Hospital was

founded as the Indianola Rest Home by Dr. George Harding II, younger brother of President

Warren G. Harding. It was created as an asylum that provided quiet, nutrition, and a focus

on spirituality.

Today, the hospital can address mental health issues as effectively as it treats trauma or

cardiac arrest. This shift is occurring nationally, with community-involved, comprehensive

mental health integration into hospitals in cities and rural communities alike.

Proven regimens for treating common mental disorders and addictions are aiding the “cure”

rate and boosting public acceptance that such care works. Modern practices have the

potential to improve public health and, perhaps equally important, engage families more

actively in the care of individuals suffering from mental disorders and addictions.

TN: Volunteer Behavioral Health Introduces Telehealth http://bit.ly/2rKUuDe An innovative new telecommunications program offered through Volunteer Behavioral

Health is ensuring that mental health treatment services and care coordination are more

accessible to people living on the South Cumberland Plateau.

Made possible through a federal grant, the Mountain Valley Health Connection (MVHC)

Telehealth program provides a variety of mental health services through broadband internet

access.

The program launched locally in April at the Grundy County Schools and the Grundy County

Health Department, and public demonstrations of the MVHC Telehealth equipment were

conducted at the grand opening of the new Tracy City office of Volunteer Behavioral Health.

OR/TX: Oregon county court tackles mental illness issues http://bit.ly/2rEFWdo DALLAS — Polk County Judge Norman Hill could trace his frustration about how the criminal

justice system handled mental illness to the day a man stood before him for sentencing as

his family watched.

The man, a former honors student with a college scholarship, began struggling with mental

illness in his late teens, which led to multiple run-ins with local law enforcement.

Hill already had sentenced him three times before. After he delivered his fourth sentence,

the man’s father spoke to Hill.

“What do I do?” the father asked.

Hill didn’t have an answer, but he said he wanted to find it.

TX: Sandra Bland Act signed into law to address mental health of prisoners https://atxne.ws/2rA8Yus

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law the Sandra Bland Act which, among several

provisions, requires more training for jailers on mental health issues of prisoners.

“It is time that we make progress in criminal justice reform that will keep both law

enforcement and the public safe and prevent future tragedies like Sandra Bland’s,” said

state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, who authored the House version of the law. “The

Sandra Bland Act will act as a building block to build upon in the future.

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In 2015, Bland was found hanged in a Waller County Jail cell three days after a routine

traffic stop escalated into a confrontation with a Department of Public Safety trooper and led

to her arrest.

Under Senate Bill 1849, law enforcement will have to complete training in de-escalating

confrontations with members of the public, “including techniques for limiting the use of

force resulting in bodily injury.”

Jailers also must learn de-escalation tactics and complete eight hours of training on how to

deal with mental health issues of prisoners.

County jails also will have to provide prisoners with access to mental health professionals, in

person or through electronic means, and a medical professional would have to review “as

soon as possible” any prescription medication that a prisoner was taking when placed in

custody.

Under the bill, police would have to make a “good faith effort” to divert those arrested for

nonviolent misdemeanors to needed mental health or substance abuse treatment.

TX: Legislature prioritizes mental health care over incarceration http://bit.ly/2rCl5Y7 The Crossroads will compete for a portion of about $18.8 million the state recently allocated

for mental health care during the next two years.

Friday, State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst announced she and State Rep. Geanie Morrison had a

hand in Senate Bill 292, which requires the Health and Human Services Commission to dole

out that amount specifically for projects that reduce the arrests and rearrests of people with

mental illness.

"I think this is a start," Gulf Bend Center Executive Director Jeff Tunnell said. "As we get

more information from the state and our legislators, we can provide more details of how

(such a project) will look down the road."

Last year, Tunnell impaneled a group called the Gulf Bend Community Collaborative. The

group comprises representatives from the law enforcement, medical and nonprofit

community, and it conceived in October an about $10 million, four-year plan to divert

people with mental illness from jails in the seven-county region.

Victoria County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Roy Boyd said he knew convincing the

legislature to give the Gulf Bend Community Collaborative about $10 million was ambitious,

but he thinks it was that ambition that led to the passage of SB 292.

He, Tunnell and Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O'Connor visited the Capitol countless

times to stress the need to divert people with mental illness from jail to care.

SB 292 states that collaboratives serving a population of less than 250,000 - like the Gulf

Bend Community Collaborative - will have to come up with a 50-percent match of whatever

grant amount is awarded.

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS

AL: Conference to help troubled veterans and the criminal justice system set for Birmingham, AL on June 23rd http://bit.ly/2rCsqH7

The U.S. Attorney's Office, Samford University's Cumberland School of Law, and the

University of Alabama's School of Social Work will present a conference aimed at helping

veterans in the court system later this month.

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The June 23 conference at Cumberland School of Law on Samford's campus, will address

"issues of military veterans who either have been incarcerated or faced diversionary courts,"

Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey announced earlier this week.

The daylong meeting, called "Justice Involved Veterans: From Arrest to Successful Reentry"

will look at veterans following their discharge from the military to help determine what

stages they are the most vulnerable to committing a crime.

The conference also will explore how to improve the chances that a veteran will successfully

integrate back into society if they are jailed, and will examine veterans' alternatives to

prison.

AL: Nine graduate from drug/veteran court http://bit.ly/2rCie13 . . . Ray was one of nine local people, including he and another veteran, who were

graduates Friday of the Walker County Drug/Veterans Court in a ceremony that was held at

the Hope House Church in Jasper.

Walker County District Judge Henry Allred presided over the ceremony, marking the fact

that the participants have been drug and alcohol free for at least 18 months.

He said 159 have graduated from the program from 2009 through 2016, and 85 percent

who have been through the program have not been arrested again. In comparison,

statewide, about 83 percent of those who go to prison usually get arrested again within four

months.

Allred said the nine participants have had to undergo drug testing 4,000 times. They are

also tracked for three more years after graduate, alerting Community Corrections if they

violate more laws or buy any prescription drugs.

They can volunteer to sign up and continue to be tested for three more years. If still clean,

they can be refunded half their fees after 24 months — and all their fees if they make it for

three years, Allred said.

Taxpayers do not pay any cost for the program, while the nine graduating defendants have

paid $41,000 in restitution and court costs to taxpayers, he said. They have also had 4,200

hours of counseling by a state certified counselor.

AZ: Veterans court gets grant for blood alcohol level monitoring http://bit.ly/2rD2DyA The Lake Havasu City Veterans Court last week received a $20,000 grant toward its use of

Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) ankle monitors.

The money was granted by the Arizona Disabled Veterans Foundation to representatives

from Havasu’s Disabled American Veterans (DAV) group in a June 8 ceremony in Tucson.

DAV quickly gave that money to the Veterans Court, which attempts to monitor and educate

veterans who have entered Havasu’s criminal justice system.

The court’s aim is to reduce recidivism among Havasu’s veteran community, and assist such

veterans in leading normal, productive lives. According to DAV organizer Bud Watts, the

ankle monitors can help.

“The problem the Veterans Court has is…they’re a court,” Watts said. “They don’t have a

bank account to accept donations like this. We stepped in and applied for a grant for the

court. In this case, it’s for SCRAM devices, specifically to monitor people for alcohol use.”

The SCRAM devices cost a significant sum to operate.

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The high-tech ankle monitors have a GPS tracking system and sensors to determine alcohol

in the wearer’s blood stream. Simply attaching a SCRAM monitor to someone in the

Veterans Court program costs about $150, according to Watts, and nine dollars per day to

operate.

“It’s expensive, but it works,” Watts said. “With these devices we can hopefully keep

veterans off alcohol and help them get on their feet.”

CA: Bill would allow troops and vets to avoid conviction on DUI offenses http://bit.ly/2snk8zT

A bill in the Legislature would make it easier for U.S. military troops and veterans to get a

break on misdemeanor DUI offenses by completing a diversion program designed to help

people whose service has left them emotionally damaged.

Advocates said this update to a broader diversion program for active-duty service members

and vets would provide treatment sooner for eligible individuals who had driven under the

influence of alcohol, drugs and other substances.

Critics, including the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, said it could jeopardize

safety by creating a revolving door for DUI violators.

The legislation, Senate Bill 725, easily passed through the Assembly public safety

committee on Tuesday morning after having gained unanimous support in the Senate. The

full Assembly could vote on the legislation as early as this week.

GA: Grants will assist Cobb court programs http://on-ajc.com/2rCCtvG

Cobb County courts will receive $427,461 from grants, beginning July 1 through June 30,

2018.

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council grant award of $229,936 will support the

Veteran’s Treatment Court Program in the Cobb Superior Court and authorize the current

part-time case manager position to become a full-time position.

Beginning in June 2014, this court is one of many accountability courts to help veterans

address post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and other mental health issues

through counseling, job training and additional needed services with 18 months of

assistance for each veteran.

GUAM: Veterans Treatment Court helps those who served after they come home http://bit.ly/2rD7vnq

Guam's patriotism is undeniable. A quick look at our numbers show we have the highest per

capita of military recruits by state. But what happens when these men and women return

home from battle?

They often return with invisible wounds - and a different war here at the homefront.

"Our motto is 'To restore honor to those who have served with valor'," said Judge Maria

Cenzon. That's the mission of the Judiciary of Guam's Veterans Treatment Court program

overseen by Her Honor.

Launched last year, the program is intended to rehabilitate, not incarcerate. Today, a win

for seven veterans who graduated from the program.

MN: Otter Tail eighth in the state in receiving veterans compensation http://bit.ly/2sbG5SA

County Veterans Service Officer Charlie Kampa briefed the Otter Tail County Board of

Commissioners on various veterans programs including legal assistance clinics and town hall

meetings.

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Otter Tail County was eighth in the state during fiscal year 2016-17 in receiving $211,315 of

federal compensation and pension benefits, which does not include education, insurance or

medical care.

Kampa is in the process of developing a Veterans Advisory Panel consisting of about 15

stakeholders. He requested permission to begin a feasibility study for a Veterans Court in

Fergus Falls.

Veterans Court focuses on veterans' mental health issues to keep them out of the

jail/detention system.

County board members unanimously approved the value of a feasibility study for a Veterans

Court for Otter Tail County and to direct the Veterans Advisory Panel to meet with the Otter

Tail County Criminal Advisory Justice Council to begin discussions.

TN: McKenzie: “Not an easy road to walk” http://bit.ly/2rD0djv Judge Gary McKenzie was known as being tough when he was an Assistant District Attorney

prosecuting cases in Cumberland County. In that role and as a current judge in the 13th

Judicial District he believes he has pretty much seen it all and heard all the stories.

He won’t be soft in his added role as presiding over the district’s Drug/Recovery Court and

Veterans Treatment Court.

“This Recovery Court/Veteran's treatment Court is not a easy road to walk,” McKenzie said.

“If you are looking for a way to avoid being held accountable, this is not the program to be

in, but, if you are looking for a chance to change your life, we can help.”

McKenzie has shadowed program creator Judge Seth Norman for the past three months and

is eager to continue the work.

"One of the reasons Judge Norman's program has been successful is it carries a strong

element of personal responsibility that can sometimes be missing in other programs,”

McKenzie said. “A 14-month period of lock-down treatment is a commitment that has to be

made followed by house arrest and intensive probation.

“Most of those completing the program will tell you serving a prison sentence would be

easier. This commitment has shown high success rates in lowering recidivism.”

Additional resources from my blog

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

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

PTS/TBI/MST NFL Concussion: Bears LB Leonard Floyd needed two months to recover from concussion https://yhoo.it/2rwv5lx

Chicago Bears outside linebacker and 2016 first-round pick Leonard Floyd suffered a

concussion in the second-to-last game of last season. He missed the finale.

Nobody noticed because there were no more games to play, but Floyd actually needed a

couple months to recover from that concussion.

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According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Floyd said he didn’t feel right for two

months after the concussion, his second of last season. That’s scary, especially when Floyd

described how slow his brain was working in the months after the season.

“You just don’t feel normal,” Floyd told the Sun-Times. “You know, it’s this thinking part,

like you don’t think the same.

“I wasn’t thinking like I normally would think. And then I’d be staring off in space

sometimes instead of paying attention.”

. . . Floyd showed last season why he was the ninth pick of last year’s draft. He had seven

sacks in 12 games. But after multiple concussions his rookie season, and the long recovery

from the second one, the Bears will have to closely monitor Floyd going forward.

The Bears think a change to Floyd’s technique might help, according to the Sun-Times. On

both concussions, he collided with teammate Akiem Hicks as he attempted a tackle.

The Bears have been working with Floyd to not lead with the crown of his helmet when he

tackles.

Hopefully Floyd can avoid anymore concussions, especially since the recovery from his last

one was so troubling.

Additional resources from my blog

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

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

SUICIDE

SAMHSA Applications Available for Up to $39.5 Million in Grants To Prevent Suicide http://bit.ly/2qdeYZj

The purpose of these cooperative agreements is to implement suicide prevention and

intervention programs for individuals who are age 25 or older, that are designed to raise

awareness of suicide, establish referral processes, and improve care and outcomes for such

individuals who are at risk for suicide.

Shulkin: Health IT will reduce veteran suicide http://bit.ly/2sewmut

An interoperable EHR system will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to better

coordinate patient care, VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, said during a White House press

briefing June 5.

"My top clinical priority is to reduce veteran suicide," Dr. Shulkin said. "One of the areas

that we've identified is a gap in the transition — when you leave the military and all of a

sudden you no longer have that structure that you were used to, and what happens to you

before you get enrolled into either VA healthcare or community healthcare. That no longer is

going to happen."

Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC): RESEARCH WEEKLY: Hospitalization and Suicide http://bit.ly/2rCxTxL

(June 13, 2017) Suicide risk has long been known to rise following psychiatric

hospitalization for reasons that are unknown. Now a meta-analysis of suicide literature

published in English worldwide from 1946 through mid-2016 has quantified the magnitude

of the effect. The results are grim, with evidence indicating they may be getting grimmer.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the worldwide suicide rate without

differentiation by age was 11.4 deaths per 100,000 person-years in 2012. The meta-

analysis of 100 unique studies on five continents found an overall suicide rate of 484 deaths

per 100,000 person-years following psychiatric hospitalization - more than 44 times the

WHO estimate.

Heightened risk was consistent across nations, age groups, diagnoses, duration of the

hospitalization and other variables.

Trends in Suicide Risk

The magnitude of increased risk appeared from the analysis to be growing. From 2005-

2016, the overall suicide rate following hospital discharge was 672 deaths per person-year.

It was somewhat lower (656 deaths) from 1995-2014 but substantially lower (404 deaths)

from 1984-1995 and in other earlier periods.

"This is a disturbing finding considering the increase in community psychiatry and the

availability of a range of new treatments during this period," Daniel Thomas Chung and

colleagues write in the May 31, 2017, issue of JAMA Psychiatry.

Seeking Test Sites: [zerosuicide] Suicide Prevention Clinical Quality Measure Pilot Testing

Thank you to everyone who has shown interest in partnering with SAMHSA and Battelle to

pilot test a clinical quality measure within your clinic. We are still looking for

additional pilot sites.

As you may recall from the Data-Driven Quality Improvement in Zero Suicide webinar,

SAMHSA has partnered with Battelle to develop a suicide prevention clinical quality

measure. Our research has shown that clinical quality measures could play a large role in

spreading awareness of the impact clinicians can have in reducing the number of attempted

and completed suicides each year.

We are looking for healthcare systems, clinics, and clinicians, who currently conduct and

document suicide risk assessments, who would also be interested in working with Battelle

and SAMHSA to pilot test a clinical quality measure focused on collaborative safety

planning. Clinicians would be asked to pilot the data collection tool for just a couple of

weeks.

If you are interested in learning more about the our pilot study and the work we are doing,

please contact me directly at brennan@battelle.org.

Sincerely,

Nicole Brennan

Nicole Brennan, MPH, DrPH

Manager | Advanced Analytics and Health Research

Senior Research Scientist | Public Health Policy

Office: 614.424.3590

brennan@battelle.org

Battelle

505 King Ave

Columbus, OH 43201-2693

http://www.battelle.org

SPRC: The Weekly Spark SPRC Job Opening: Training and Technical Assistance Specialist II

22 of 29

TV’s Obsession with Suicide Can Do Real Harm

“Tell Me What the Reality Looks Like”: Trying to Stop Suicides as Social Media Explodes

ALASKA: School District Expands Crisis Response Team

Policies Supporting Temporary Storage of Firearms

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Suicide Prevention Fellowship

Behavioral Health Services for Sexual and Gender Minority Adults: Where Data and Practice

Intersect

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH NEWS IS POSTED IN THE SECTIONS BELOW.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

University of Alabama/ Samford University: Conference to help troubled veterans and the criminal justice system set for Birmingham, AL on June 23rd http://bit.ly/2rCsqH7

The U.S. Attorney's Office, Samford University's Cumberland School of Law, and the

University of Alabama's School of Social Work will present a conference aimed at helping

veterans in the court system later this month.

The June 23 conference at Cumberland School of Law on Samford's campus, will address

"issues of military veterans who either have been incarcerated or faced diversionary courts,"

Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey announced earlier this week.

The daylong meeting, called "Justice Involved Veterans: From Arrest to Successful Reentry"

will look at veterans following their discharge from the military to help determine what

stages they are the most vulnerable to committing a crime.

The conference also will explore how to improve the chances that a veteran will successfully

integrate back into society if they are jailed, and will examine veterans' alternatives to

prison.

University of Central Florida (UCF): UCF clinic for veterans with PTSD gets $3 million in federal funding http://bit.ly/2rCNjC5 A University of Central Florida clinic will receive $3 million in federal funds, allowing the

clinic to continue treating those who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, including veterans, active duty military personnel, first responders and survivors of the Pulse

nightclub shooting. The RESTORES Clinic uses virtual reality to treat PTSD patients free of charge. Thanks to

the federal infusion, coupled with $2.5 million from the the state’s budget, the program should have enough funding for the next two years, said Deborah Beidel, the clinic’s

director. “Without this money, we would have had to scale back the services that we could

provide,” said Beidel, a Pegasus Professor of Psychology and Medical Education and trustee chair.

She said the clinic already uses combat scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan to treat veterans with PTSD and will use the funding to develop new scenes, including depictions

of other military conflicts and sexual assault. They also plan to train therapists to treat military personnel, first responders and sexual assault victims who suffer from PTSD and

open another clinic in Florida in the future.

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Colorado State University/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Research: Study zeroes in on sex-dependent differences in TBI response http://bit.ly/2rsIif4

Hormonal differences as well as differences in brain circuitry cause men to respond

differently than women to traumatic brain injury, with women more likely to develop

anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study scheduled for

presentation at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting.

Researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences teamed up with

colleagues at Colorado State University and found TBI can disrupt the hypothalamic-

pituitary-adrenal axis and change stress hormones in a sex-dependent manner.

Florida State University (FSU): Veterans learn how to be successful entrepreneurs through FSU program http://bit.ly/2rt7z8Z

TALLAHASSEE Fla. (WCTV) --Florida State University is teaching veterans with disabilities

how to run their own business.

This year, the Jim Moran Institute of Global Entrepreneurship welcomed 20 veterans from

across the country to their annual entrepreneurship boot camp. The program consists of 3

weeks of online training and a one week residency on FSU’s campus.

The course gives vets the necessary tools to start up or advance their own companies.

"All the information as far as the marketing, negotiating, contracting, sales. So much

information that I can use and implement right into my business,” said Army Veteran Anisa

Palmer.

The program concluded Tuesday, June 13th.

Ohio University: The Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Photography & Video Project http://bit.ly/2rEZKNu

Editor’s Note: Retired Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Hocking College’s

Melissa Knopp provide support for this project. Thank you.

The VTC Photography & Video Project is a partnership between the Department of Sociology

and Anthropology (DAS) and the School of Visual Communications (Vis Com) at Ohio

University.

Ursula Castellano began Volume 01 / June 2017 a pilot photography study on VTCs by

giving cameras to court participants and asking them to document their lives. Her original

study has since evolved into a multi-media project on veterans and the courts.

OUR GOALS:

Give veterans a voice to tell who they are and what they experienced. Raise awareness that justice-involved veterans face unique challenges after discharge Promote Veterans Treatment Courts.

Oregon Health & Science University/VA Portland Health Care System Research: Review: No definitive standard for identifying and treating veterans at risk for suicide http://bit.ly/2seLQ1V

A systematic review of basic and clinical science research has revealed no definitive

standard for detecting military veterans at risk of suicidal behavior, nor is there a clear

standard of treatment to prevent suicide among U.S. veterans.

The review, conducted by researchers at OHSU and the VA Portland Health Care System in

Portland, Oregon, to be published June 15 in the journal Psychiatric Services, comes at a

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time of increasing public attention to the high rate of suicide among veterans -- roughly 20

a day, according to the VA.

"There is currently no definitive screening method for assessing the risk of suicide that

would lead to a uniform approach to prevent it," said lead author Heidi D. Nelson, M.D.,

M.P.H., M.A.C.P., research professor and vice chair of medical informatics and clinical

epidemiology in the OHSU School of Medicine and an investigator for the Pacific Northwest

Evidence-based Practice Center. "However, this review did shine a light on several

promising approaches."

Temple University Research: Criminal justice program researches impact of mentors in recovery http://bit.ly/2sbJdh6

Ingrid Johnson thinks peer recovery specialists bring a “unique sense of wisdom” to the

table for people in recovery.

“These are people who have been through the drug treatment program themselves and

eventually graduated, so they can act as sort of a peer mentor for the people going through

the process,” said Johnson, a sixth-year criminal justice Ph.D. candidate.

Johnson is a research assistant for Steven Belenko, a criminal justice professor conducting a

study on the impact of peer recovery specialists.

The PROSPER project, or Philadelphia Revived: Obtaining Success through Peer Encouraged

Recovery, seeks to study the effects of implementing peer recovery specialists into the drug

treatment court process. The first phase of the study began in December and was finalized

in February. The second phase kicked off in January.

Peer recovery specialists are certified mentors who help individuals recovering from mental

illness or substance use disorder. Drug treatment courts are a specialized criminal justice

program that work with criminal defendants who have dependencies on drug and alcohol.

The Ohio State University: It’s time to recognize mental health as essential to physical health http://bit.ly/2rCx5bS

John V. Campo, MD, is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral

Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The human brain is a wonder. Through folds of tissue and pulses of electricity, it lets

us perceive, attempt to understand, and shape the world around us.

As science rapidly charts the brain’s complex structures, new discoveries are

revealing the biology of how the mind functions and fails.

Given the centrality of the brain to human health, its malfunctions should be a

priority, separated from stigma and treated on par with the diseases of the body. We

aren’t there yet, but the transformation is underway.

. . . The treatment of mental illness has long been held back by the sense that

disorders of emotion, thinking, and behavior somehow lack legitimacy and instead

reflect individual weakness or poor life choices.

Not surprisingly, there has been a mismatch between the enormous impact of mental illness

and addiction on the public’s health and our society’s limited commitment to addressing

these problems. Here are three examples of how that plays out:

Most emergency departments are ill-equipped to meet the needs of

patients in the midst of mental health crises.

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Most insurance plans view mental illness and addiction as exceptions to

standard care, not part of it.

Despite an overall cultural shift towards compassion, our society still

tends to view the mentally ill and those with addiction as morally

broken rather than as ill.

. . . Psychiatry has been hampered by an inability to observe and record the physical

workings of the brain. Because of that, psychiatric assessments and treatments have been

viewed as somewhat mysterious. Even today, the underlying mechanisms behind some of

the most powerful and effective psychiatric treatments are still poorly understood. All of that

translates into the difficulty that many people have finding help for real, disabling symptoms

attributed to a mental illness or addiction.

However, just as other fields of medicine have evolved as knowledge advanced during the

past century, psychiatry has also made profound gains. Advances emerging from unlocking

the brain’s physiology and biochemistry are coming at a time when mental health care is

being integrated into traditional health care. The potential has never been greater to finally

bring psychiatry quite literally under the same roof as the rest of medicine.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where I work, offers an example of this

kind of transformation. Now celebrating its centenary, the Ohio State Harding Hospital was

founded as the Indianola Rest Home by Dr. George Harding II, younger brother of President

Warren G. Harding. It was created as an asylum that provided quiet, nutrition, and a focus

on spirituality.

Today, the hospital can address mental health issues as effectively as it treats trauma or

cardiac arrest. This shift is occurring nationally, with community-involved, comprehensive

mental health integration into hospitals in cities and rural communities alike.

Proven regimens for treating common mental disorders and addictions are aiding the “cure”

rate and boosting public acceptance that such care works. Modern practices have the

potential to improve public health and, perhaps equally important, engage families more

actively in the care of individuals suffering from mental disorders and addictions.

University of North Texas Study shows insomnia can be treated successfully in military personnel without medications http://bit.ly/2rzKP7q

SAN ANTONIO (June 14, 2017) ― Insomnia is a widespread problem in the U.S. military

and the most commonly reported symptom following deployment. A new study published

online in the journal Sleep found that cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia , a form of

talk therapy, was highly effective with an active duty population.

Conducted by researchers at the University of North Texas and other institutions affiliated

with the STRONG STAR Consortium, based at UT Health San Antonio, the study was funded

by the Department of Defense. It is the largest randomized clinical trial in the DOD’s history

to evaluate a non-medication treatment for the sleep disorder in active duty military

personnel. STRONG STAR is a federally funded network of national experts seeking the best

ways to treat behavioral health problems impacting post-9/11 service members and

veterans.

While the study showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia led in person by a

therapist is superior, it also validated an Internet-based version of the therapy, which was

about half as effective, as a possible option.

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GENERAL NEWS

Dallas breaks ground on first Women Veterans’ Enterprise Center http://bit.ly/2rCaFrw . . . The Women Veterans’ Enterprise Center is a pilot initiative for a national model.

Each center will provide their CEO Suites of Services, which includes co-working space,

enrichment activities and opportunities for expansion and advancement.

The center will engage a broad range of women Veteran business owners and is designed to

create a measureable socio-economic impact by promoting entrepreneurship and economic

development focused on increased revenue generation, employment opportunities and

community connections.

The center is a model that demonstrates how nonprofit organizations can work together to

achieve a common goal.

The Homeless Veteran Services of Dallas is the host organization providing access to the

2,700 square foot facility, being fully remodeled by the property owners to support the

center, which includes co-working space for approximately 15 business owners, conference

center and café lounge.

“This is just the first of many Women Veterans’ Enterprise Centers projected for the Dallas-

Fort Worth area and our nation, each with a commitment to help women Veteran businesses

scale for success,” said Women Veterans’ Enterprise Center director V.R. Small.

The center’s slogan “Connecting you is what we do,” rings true as the center also announces

its satellite location open in Irving, Texas.

Elizabeth Dole Foundation Landmark Caregiver Research http://bit.ly/2rD92d0 When Senator Bob Dole was recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Senator

Elizabeth Dole experienced firsthand the tremendous challenges facing the loved ones

caring for our military veterans.

In response, she established the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and as a first step,

commissioned the RAND Corporation to develop the first comprehensive, evidence-based

national study of military and veteran caregivers. This two-year study examined the needs

of these caregivers, as well as gaps in services and recommendations for filling those gaps.

The study revealed a societal crisis requiring a national response.

The Foundation has recently released a follow-up study to provide a military caregiver

research blueprint. This blueprint serves as a guide for the military caregiver support

community to use in prioritizing and facilitating future research for America’s hidden heroes.

Links to both studies are provided below.

IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR AMERICA’S HIDDEN HEROES (2017)

HIDDEN HEROES: AMERICA’S MILITARY CAREGIVERS (2014)

Resources Caregivers Should Know About http://bit.ly/2thKmDQ

The following organizations, groups and agencies offer caregivers a variety of resources,

ranging from support services and webinars to tip sheets, care guides and how-to videos. Cause celeb: Ryan Phillippe on military veterans’ family caregivers http://wapo.st/2rzBtZv

Cause: Expanding programs supporting people who act as caregivers for their family

members who are wounded military veterans.

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Celeb: Actor Ryan Phillippe, best known for his role as “everyone’s 1990s crush” and

“Reese Witherspoon’s ex,” who now plays a veteran military sniper (see! he knows what

he’s talking about!) on the USA network series “Shooter.” Phillippe actually does have real-

life perspective on the issue — he comes from a military family — and he’s an ambassador

for former senator Elizabeth Dole’s foundation devoted to the issue.

Scene: A packed hearing before the Senate Special Committee on Aging in the Dirksen

Senate Office Building, where Phillippe was greeted with slightly less fanfare than his fellow

witness, Dole (hey, it’s the Senate). Capitol Hill, of course, was still reeling from the

shooting earlier in the day in which a gunman opened fire on a congressional baseball

practice, but the panel took a show-must-go-on attitude. The actor, 42, looked like a

humbled newbie staffer, with his sandy, scruffy beard and the button under his tie undone. 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

Pain Management and Opioid Use with Veterans and Service Members

PTSD/TBI and Discharges

Sexual Assaults in Military Drop, Reporting Goes Up, Annual Report Reveals

ADDRESSING THE FLOW OF VETERANS INTO PRISON

LINKEDIN GROUPS

Military and Veteran Benefit Forum Veteran Mentor Network http://linkd.in/1fOlgOt 28,933 members Institute for Veteran Cultural Studies http://linkd.in/1cz3gq1 NAMI http://linkd.in/1cz3Gg7 BI-IFEA (Brain injury-Ideas for Education & Advocacy) http://linkd.in/1cz4e5V Military-Civilian: Hot Jobs and Careers for Veterans and Their Families http://linkd.in/1c59DkM VETERANS IN JUSTICE GROUP http://linkd.in/12APdMS Cuyahoga County Ohio Veterans and Supporters (Bryan A. McGown "Gunny") http://linkd.in/Zxwx1f Veteran Employment Representatives http://linkd.in/ZxwUcc MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://bit.ly/1RVPLFl Midwest Military Outreach, Inc. http://linkd.in/1eiMTkJ Military Veteran Job Fairs & Hiring Conferences http://linkd.in/Zxx4jS Wounded Warrior Resources http://linkd.in/17TMNhJ

The Value of a Veteran http://linkd.in/15vD7H4

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MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://linkd.in/1fkQLA8 (Please email us other groups that you find and think would be informative and useful for our audience)

VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG estrattonconsulting.wordpress.com

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

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

Operation Legal Help Ohio

http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK

National Legal Assistance

http://bit.ly/19DC5zu

VA Town Halls & Events

http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6

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

Events: Conferences, Webinars, etc.

http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi

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

Current Newsletter 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:

Marco Bongioanni, MSE Readjustment Counseling Therapist, U.S. Army Veteran,Bronx Vet Center, Bronx, NY Lily Casura, journalist, author and founder of Healing Combat Trauma - the award-winning, first website to

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

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

Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee, Project Manager, Military Spouse Mental Health Pipeline, National Military Family Association. Dr. Herrera-Yee is currently a Board Member for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Military Spouses of Strength, Military Mental Health Project and the National Guard Suicide and Resiliency Council among others. She has also been a special contributor to NBC News, Military Times, Air Force Times, Military Spouse Magazine and BuzzFeed. She spends her free time mentoring spouses through eMentor and Joining Forces. Dr. Herrera-Yee received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and was a Clinical Fellow at Harvard University.

U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) James Hutton, Dep Assistant Secretary (Acting), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Col. US Army (Ret) - Iraq War Veteran.

Justice for Vets, Justice For Vets is a professional services division of the National Association of Drug Court professionals, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Alexandria, VA. Justice for Vets believes that no veteran or military service member should suffer from gaps in service, or the judicial system when they return to their communities. As the stewards of the Veterans Treatment Court movement

Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, Pioneer, America's first mental health court dedicated to the decriminalization of people with mental illness

Kathy Platoni, Psy.D., DAAPM, FAIS, Clinical Psychologist, COL (RET), US Army, COL. Ohio Militia, www.drplatoni.com, Veteran ~ Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, (Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan), Co-Author and Co-Editor, Fort Hood Massacre Survivor, National Combat Trauma Expert

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

Court - Senior Mentor

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.

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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

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