SPECIALIZED COURTS:

Brooklyn Veterans Treatment Court (BVTC)

BVTC is a special part of the Kings County Supreme Court designed to address the unique needs of our men and women who served in our Armed Forces.  It is a court-supervised program for veterans arrested in Kings County and have a substance use disorder.  BVTC was designed to address the specific challenges and unique needs facing veterans today.  All BVTC cases are calendared on one designated day per week to provide consistent judicial monitoring and specialized case management and treatment services.

A critical component of BVTC includes the development of a veteran's mentorship program. Brooklyn Treatment Court's Veterans Mentoring Initiative is a way of providing participants with additional support during the recovery process.  All BVTC participants will be eligible to participate in this mentoring initiative during their time in treatment.  The BVTC mentors are veterans of the armed services who volunteer their time to provide advice, personal experience, and guidance to all BVTC Veteran participants.

BVTC Participants will be matched with a Veteran Mentor who will serve as a role-model as they establish and maintain sobriety and progress through the Treatment Court phases.  The mentors and veterans will build a supportive relationship and meet based on availability and when their schedules permit.

In addition, BVTC has expanded its existing partnership with community-based providers to include veteran specific substance abuse and mental health services.  BVTC also works closely with the VA NY Harbor Health Care System to help connect veteran participants to benefits and specialized treatment services, including medical and mental health care.