A Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Veterans Treatment Court Program in Western Pennsylvania

Veterans Courts aim to address the growing number of Veterans in the criminal justice system and prevent reoffending among this group by treating the combat-related traumas they have experienced. Previous research finds that these courts are effective; however, less attention has been devoted to how the court's team members perceive and experience the collaboration required of them to successfully implement these courts. This presentation will discuss findings from in-depth interviews that focused on the collaboration efforts among team members at one Veterans Court located in Western Pennsylvania. The interviews also focused on how well the court is implementing the 10 key points for effective specialty court practice.