Serving our veterans

Treatment court helps vets get back on track

Dakota County is working to serve those who served all of us.

The county and its partners have expanded a program to help veterans who have substance use or mental health disorders and are facing legal problems.

Dakota County partnered with Carver County in 2021 to create the Carver Dakota Veterans Treatment Court. This year, it has expanded and become the First Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court, which covers all seven counties in Minnesota’s First Judicial District — Dakota, Carver, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley.

The treatment court helps veterans involved in the court system reintegrate into society by providing support and fresh start opportunities. County probation officers provide case management, helping to line up services such as mental health treatment, housing, employment skills training and more. These services are provided through the federal Veterans Administration or community-based programs.

Each veteran’s progress in the treatment court is tracked by the state court system. Participants remain in the program for at least a year and usually around 13 months. There are five phases to complete to graduate from the program. After graduation, veterans might need to continue to check in with a treatment court probation officer regularly.

An east side court currently serves Dakota County with hearings at the Western Service Center in Apple Valley. A west side court serves Carver and Scott counties in Shakopee. Each court can support up to 25 veterans. Both courts will eventually accept referrals from the other four counties that have joined the program.

To participate, veterans must be charged with a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony or face a probation violation. They also must:

• Be a resident of any county within the district and be at least 18 years old.

• Be a current or former member of the U.S. military that was honorably discharged.

• Be assessed as high risk and high need, with moderate to severe substance use or mental health disorders.

• Have their pending cases or probation violations approved by a prosecutor.

Since November 2021, 30 veterans have entered the program and 14 graduated. There are 26 active participants.

It’s helpful to have somebody in your corner, so the veterans treatment court assigns each participant a peer mentor volunteer. These mentors are veterans themselves, and they play a crucial role in helping the participants get back on the right track. They do so through their personal connections of shared military experience.

Dakota County Veteran Services is currently recruiting veterans to become peer mentors.

Veterans interested in becoming mentors can learn more and apply at www.dakotacounty.us, search volunteer, or contact the peer mentor coordinator at vets@co.dakota.mn.us.