Trauma-Informed Training for Veterans Treatment Court Professionals: Program Development and Initial Feedback

Justice-involved veterans demonstrate greater mental health and psychosocial needs relative to justice-involved nonveterans and veterans without a criminal history. Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) serve as an alternative to incarceration for veterans whose criminogenic risk is believed to be related to mental health symptoms. Despite observed improvements in functioning and recidivism risk following successful VTC completion, little is known about factors that impede engagement with VTCs. This paper describes a trauma-informed training program that included psychoeducation, skills training, and consultation and was developed for court professionals to facilitate veteran engagement in VTCs.

Needs assessments and court observations informed program development. Based on identified needs, the training incorporated skills from dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and motivational interviewing. Two VTCs in the Rocky Mountain region participated in the pilot trauma-informed training, each lasting about 90 to 120 minutes. Feedback from attendees indicated that the focus on skills training-specifically, managing intense emotions, addressing ambivalence, and approaching sanctions and rewards-was uniquely helpful. The function of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and structure of evidence-based treatments were identified as useful educational components.

Veterans Health Administration mental health professionals can serve an important role in facilitating effective practices for professionals working within VTCs. This pilot program provided preliminary support for skills-based training to bolster communication, motivation, distress tolerance, and engagement among veterans court participants. Future directions of this program may include expanding the training into a full-day workshop, conducting comprehensive needs assessments, and examining program outcomes.