The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is the nation's second largest government agency, annually providing a wide array of critical services to over 5 million veterans.
A rigorous study published in 2000 showed that that VA provides significantly higher quality chronic desease and preventative care when compared to a national sample. A 2004 report found that the VA is striving to meet the needs of veterans with mental health and substance abuse disorders by implementing crucial quality and performance measurement tools to guide organizational change.
Connecting Veterans with High Quality VA Treatment
The Veterans Affairs Health Care Network is divided into regions, known as Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISN). Within each VISN network are VA medical centers. As part of the VA's Veteran Justice Outreach Initiative, every VA medical center has designated a Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist (VJO) who is responsible for coordinating outreach, assessment and case management for justice involved offenders. This outreach is extended to local law enforcement, jails and courts.
Veterans' Treatment Courts provide an early intervention for justice involved offenders and rely on partnerships with local VA medical centers to provide immediate services for participants. The VA offers a wealth of services for all veterans. It is important to engage local Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to assist justice involved veterans in receiving the treatment and benefits to which they are entitled.
For a complete list of Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists by state, click here.
