The Nassau County Veterans Treatment Court is a program designed to provide essential substance abuse treatment services, mental health treatment services, or both, to current and former military service members who have been arrested for a criminal offense, and in which a nexus between the offense or diagnoses and the veteran’s military service exists. The mission of Veterans Treatment Court is to provide an interagency, collaborative, non-adversarial treatment strategy for veteran defendants in the criminal justice system. Veterans Treatment Court strives to serve a target population of veteran defendants who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, other psychological conditions, sexual trauma, or substance abuse problems that are identified as service-related conditions and that manifested themselves while in active military service or after an honorable or general under honorable discharge. This program utilizes multiple interventions, including a collaborative approach to treatment and rehabilitation, drug/alcohol testing, regular court appearances and educational opportunities that are intended to provide the skills necessary to maintain a clean and sober lifestyle and to reconnect with families and community. Veterans Treatment Court will provide eligible veterans with the opportunity to receive specialized one-on-one veteran peer mentor support, assistance in gaining access to veteran healthcare and benefits from the US Department of Veteran Affairs, and community supervision, thus ensuring public safety and accountability.
A full program description can be found in the
Nassau County Veterans Treatment Court Handbook (pdf)
When and Where
Nassau County Veterans Treatment Court is held every other Friday at 3:00pm at the Nassau County Judicial Annex, located at 76347 Veterans Way, Yulee, Florida, 32097. The Honorable Jenny Higginbotham presides over the Veterans Treatment Court program. All Veterans Treatment Court proceedings are confidential.