Legal Aid Available to Veterans on Walk-In Basis

From the time they raise their right hands to the time they place their last duty station in the rear-view mirror, our military members are given a manual on how to conduct themselves in any situation.  They are also given the tools and support necessary to run their jobs, families, finances, and free time.  Once their service is complete, however, the lack of guidance could get the Veteran into trouble.  Isn’t it nice to know that Support is still available through VA and other programs?

VA has partnered with Legal services of South-Central Michigan (LSSCM) to offer cost-free legal aid services to qualified Veterans in Lansing and Battle Creek. This partnership was made possible through a Federal Grant from VA homeless programs, and services are currently available on a walk-in basis on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from 10am to 2pm, and by appointment upon referral.  “We’re also looking at offering walk-ins at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center,” said Brenden Wright, Justice Outreach Coordinator. “It’s a great way to give Veterans easy access to legal aid for non-violent issues like family law, driver license restoration or expungement assistance.”

The overall goal of Veteran Justice Outreach (VJO) is to avoid the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extended incarceration among Veterans by ensuring that eligible, justice-involved Veterans have timely access to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services. “Battle Creek has three VJOs, and we coordinate with VJOs throughout the state or VISN level,” said Wright. Our VJO Specialists provide direct outreach, assessment, and case management for justice-involved Veterans in local courts and jails and liaison with local justice system partners.

Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) are hybrid courts that incorporate elements of drug and mental health specialty courts for the purpose of helping justice-involved Veterans resolve underlying issues that may have contributed to their arrest. There are currently 25 operational treatment courts in Michigan, in which court officials work closely with Veteran advocates to find alternatives to incarceration for some non-violent offenses.  Establishing VTCs require the commitment of several key stakeholders in the court's jurisdiction including the prosecuting attorney, the criminal defense bar, a community treatment provider, at least one Veteran service organization and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “VJO’s are the direct link between Veterans Treatment Courts and the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Wright. “Local courts often defer to the expertise of the VJO in order to arrange for VA services that might otherwise be mandated through a community provider.”

Another big part of VJO efforts involve reaching out to Incarcerated Veterans. “Your average VJO makes two to three jail visits per week,” said Wright. “We want to identify Veterans, determine current resources, whether it be treatment or additional outreach to the Veterans legal team or VA opportunities, and link Veterans up with treatment and services so they are ready upon release. Veterans have a better chance at staying out of trouble if they leave prison on stable footing.”

“It’s really nice to have a partner in LSSCM to find solutions to real-life problems,” said Wright “We often times don’t have an established network of legal resources in the community, but this partnership allows us to bring positive impact to Veterans in the same clinic they are already receiving VA care.” Providers can refer Veterans by contacting Brenden Wright at 269-873-0114 or by securely sending the Veterans information to vhabacvjo@va.gov.