Editor's note: Mental Health Musings (MHM) will focus on community resources and stories throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

New York is expanding access to the Buffalo-started Veteran Treatment Court program with the passage of Senate Bill S1957A, which Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Tuesday. 

The bill increases the number of counties that a veteran who is charged with a criminal offense has access to, allowing them to participate in the diversion program if a neighboring county has a Veteran’s Court. 

"Veterans Treatment Courts are a homegrown New York success story that have deservedly become a national model,” said Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-NY. “This legislation will dramatically expand access to Veterans Treatment Courts across New York State, connecting justice-involved veterans struggling with mental illness or addiction with the programs and services they need to repair their lives.”

The Veterans Treatment Court aims to divert veterans away from the criminal justice system and towards services to help with underlying causes like substance misuse, PTSD and homelessness. 

While the number of veterans who have PTSD varies on the war they served in, it’s estimated that between 11 to 20 percent of veterans who served in Iraq’s Operations Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan’s Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year and 12 percent of veterans who served in the Gulf War have PTSD, according to the National Center for PTSD by the U.S. Department of Veteran Services. 

Buffalo City Court Judge Robert Russell developed the nation’s first Veterans Treatment Court in January 2008 after a veteran stood in front of him in the city’s Mental Health Court. 

Noticed a change in that person after a conversation with fellow veterans at the Buffalo City Court, Russell noted in Spectrum News Buffalo’s Navigating the System series.

It has expanded to over 450 courts nationally, reduced recidivism, and long-term cost for the criminal justice system, according to a 2017 New York State Health Foundation report. 

“The veterans of our state have made tremendous sacrifices for our freedom,” Russell said. “This legislation affords veterans seen in our justice system the opportunity to participate, irrespective of where that veteran may reside, into a Veterans Treatment Court."

Supportive services offered through the program include substance abuse services, mental health services, academic and vocation skills, housing assistance and job placement. 

In August 2020, the Veterans Treatment Court Coordination Act, a federal bill within the Department of Veterans Affairs, became law. This bill will provide grants and additional supports to state and local governments. 

If you are a service member or veteran in crisis, or if you are concerned about one, call 1-800-273-8255.