Addressing the Needs of Military Families and Dependents in Bell County A Community Response

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1 Addressing the Needs of Military Families and Dependents in Bell County A Community Response Fifth Annual Justice Involved Veterans Conference May 13, 2014 San Antonio, Texas

2 Focus on Domestic Violence through training Initial Response: Military protective orders and restrictions Disposition: Administrative separations and prosecution of cases at Court-Martial Protocols and collaboration with local prosecutors Intervention programs available on-post and through the VA Review: 1st Cavalry Regiment s monthly Domestic Violence Review Boards

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4 Harker Heights Police Department Focusing on intervention in environments wherein criminal offenses may not have yet occurred with the hope of breaking toxic cycles in homes before criminality arises.

5 Mission Statement To serve At Risk Families and Families needing additional resources in order to promote healthy homes, to prevent further toxicity and to educate and empower the community with efficient, adequate resources to make life changing healthy choices.

6 Vision Healthy Homes Program is designed to link area social services organizations directly with law enforcement by providing a resource within the HHPD to identify toxic or unhealthy homes that would benefit from these organization s resources. We aim to reach families and risk and offer immediate resources to mitigate identified concerns

7 Goal Healthy Homes Program at Harker Heights Police Department will offer direct services to assists victims and family members during crisis such as suicide, domestic violence and child abuse. In addition, the Social Worker will respond to geriatric concerns by helping to link the elderly residents with the appropriate services. In cases of domestic violence, assistance is provided to the victims to obtain Order of Protection from the court system.

8 The focus of the Healthy Homes Project is on intervention in environments wherein criminal offenses may not have yet occurred The Healthy Homes Program was established in August 2012 and in 2013 served 325 families The Healthy Homes Program handles over 350 referred cases per year with 90% of those who determined to cooperate with services not requiring additional police services.

9 A Prosecution Response to Domestic Violence

10 Increase in Violent Crimes in the Military Violent crime committed by active duty soldiers (at home and overseas) - Rose 31% per 100,000 troops - A crime committed in Army every 6 minutes - One homicide every 63 hours

11 Deployment and Child Deaths Deaths of military children * 14 in 2003 * 29 in 2010 * Peaked at 36 in Child abuse was lower in military until large scale deployments - Rate is now 2X that of civilian population - These are rarely discussed symptoms of stress Army Times September, 2011

12 An Epidemic of Abuse In 2011 Civilian Rate of Child Abuse: 27.4 per 1000 kids Army Rate of Child Abuse: 4.5 per 1000 kids Between 2008 and % Civilian Increase 28% Army Increase Army Times, August, 2013

13 Underlying Problem Insufficient coordination between military health care providers, law enforcement agencies, civilian Psychiatric facilities and the chain of command. Coordination between civilian and military law enforcement and prosecutors.

14 I always ask. Have either of you deployed? If so, how recently? How many times? And for how long? Is anyone deploying soon? If so, when? Has there been any formal mental health diagnosis, such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or PTSD?

15 Is the issue... Reunion and reintegration? (2 wks 2 mos) Pre Deployment Anxiety/Fear? Post combat stress? (acute; requires rest) Post traumatic stress? Post traumatic stress disorder? Family Violence Perpetrator?

16 When is a criminal justice response appropriate?

17 Deferred adjudication Plea Bargains - Frequently more than 12 months Dismissals for BIPP - PTSD assessment - Ft. Hood program

18 Military Points of Contact Chiefs of Military Justice Fort Hood Maj. Dan Everett Ft. Sam Houston Capt. Patrick Barrett Fort Bliss Maj. Christopher Glascott Lackland AFB Maj. Sophia Carrillo Goodfellow AFG Capt. John Gelzer Sheppard AFB Capt. Leslie Bartow Dyess AFB Capt. John Newten Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Lt. Alex Homme Naval Air Station Ft. Worth Lt. Lauren Hugel

19 On Post/Base Resources Family Advocacy Program (FAP) - Classes (Conflict Res., Anger Mgt.) Social Work Department - BIPP Readiness Centers - Soldier Airman and Family

20 Texas Veteran s Centers Amarillo Arlington Austin Corpus Christi Dallas and Dallas County El Paso Ft. Worth Harker Heights Harris County Houston Laredo Lubbock McAllen Midland San Antonio NE San Antonio NW Tarrant County Taylor County

21 Central Texas Family Violence Task Force Consists of: Law Enforcement JAG officer Family Advocacy Program at Fort Hood Medical Staff, including forensic nurses Prosecutors Social Workers, including trauma social workers Victim Advocates Probation Counselors/Therapists School Personnel Non-profit agencies Governmental Organizations

22 Community Supervision In 2009 the CSCD received funding from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to develop a PTSD/Substance Abuse Program. The purpose of the program is: to develop and implement effective coping skills to carry out normal responsibilities, participate constructively in relationships and bring addiction under control; maintain a program of recovery that is free of addiction and posttraumatic stress; resolve the emotional effects of the past trauma and terminate its negative impact on current behavior; understand posttraumatic stress symptoms and how they led to addiction in a self-defeating attempt to cope; and terminate the destructive behaviors that serve to maintain escape and denial, while implementing behaviors that promote healing, acceptance of the past events, and responsible living.

23 State-accredited Batterer s Intervention and Prevention (BIP) program on Fort Hood The BIP program is administered through the Department of Social Work for the Army. It is free of charge to any military person or dependent involved in an act of violence against an intimate partner. TDCJ-Community Justice Assistance Division reviewed and approved the curriculum which includes a component recognizing the effect of deployment in the dynamics of domestic violence.

24 Partnerships in the community The CSCD relies heavily on the Veteran Justice Outreach Specialist (VJOS) in assisting veterans on community supervision. The CSCD also works very closely with the VA Vet Center in Harker Heights. The CSCD has established a partnership with Bring Everyone in the Zone to provide veteran peer to peer support for probationers who are veterans.

25 Veterans Peer to Peer Support Veterans Peer to Peer Support Programs are available in both Bell and Lampasas Counties This veteran peer to peer support program provides contact services to veterans and their families on a 24/7 basis. These services may be educational, supportive, referral, escort or informational. This program provides group interaction for those veterans dealing with combat-related issues and also provides mentoring using veterans who have had many if not the same experiences as veterans that the CSCD is supervising.

26 Research Project on Traumatic Brain Injuries The CSCD has received a grant from the TDCJ- Community Justice Assistance Division to conduct a research on combat veterans on community supervision who may suffer from mild to moderate TBI Baylor College of Medicine has been contracted to conduct the research project The research project is currently underway with six probationers being tested during the last week in April and with additional testing to be conducted in the upcoming months. The purpose of this research project is to better know the prevalence of TBI in the veteran population we are supervising, whether there is a connection between the injury and the occurrence of the crime, and be able to identify treatment and supervision strategies to address this offender population.

27 Bell County Indigent Defense Grant Mental Health Component Several years ago, Bell County received a grant from the State to establish a model to improve legal representation for indigent defendants. As part of this grant County Court at Law No. 3 has established a separate mental health docket to address indigent defendants who are veterans or active duty military personnel and who have been accused of a crime and suffer from a mental illness. Not only do prosecutors and defense counsel attend this docket, but the county jail Mental Health/Medical deputy, social work interns from area colleges who are working toward obtaining their MSW, representatives from Bell County Pre-Trial Service and Indigent Health, persons with MHMR, a Veteran Justice Outreach Specialist with the local VA hospital and two community supervision officers assigned to mental health caseloads with the CSCD are always in attendance.