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Five veterans to graduate from county treatment court

Marietta Daily Journal - 7/4/2018

The Cobb County Veterans Court is scheduled to graduate five veteran participants on July 13 at 9 a.m. at the Cobb County Superior Court Building, 70 Haynes Street in Marietta.

This will be the sixth graduating class of successful veterans, bringing a total of 27 local participants who have completed the 18-month intensive treatment program.

The Cobb County VTC began June 13, 2014, joining a nationwide surge of accountability courts specifically tailored for veterans, addressing issues of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse and other mental health issues via counseling, job training and additional needed services to achieve success.

The Veterans Treatment Court mission is to increase public safety by reducing recidivism; alleviate the tax burden of incarcerating law-breaking veterans by assisting participants to become productive taxpayers versus inmates; to provide intensive case management to address mental health issues and offer the familiarity of structure and accountability, similar to what they encountered during military service.

An estimated 774,464 veterans reside in Georgia, with 47,000 of them living in Cobb. Locally, 4,500 active duty/reservists are assigned to Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

"On average, one veteran is arrested daily in Cobb County," said VTC presiding judge Reuben Green. "Many of these veterans have sacrificed greatly for our country and are suffering from post-service issues that have not been addressed or treated."

Together with the Atlanta VA, Cobb County VTC participants receive alcohol and drug treatment in Decatur and are given additional treatment locally via WestCare on Roswell Street. When a participant is stable in their recovery and treatment, the assigned VTC team addresses other issues which hinder an enrollee's success, such as unemployment, lack of stable housing, the need for continuing education or the benefits of family counseling.

For more information, contact Michael Boyd at 770-528-7962 or email Michael.boyd@cobbcounty.org.