Police armed with tools to help troubled veterans

It's no "Get out of jail free" card.

But police across the region are hoping to catch early warning signs and make sure that veterans don't wind up in trouble with the law.

The Connecticut Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery Services for Veterans Program is an effort by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to make sure veterans - especially those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan - receive counseling and resources before they develop criminal habits. By spotting early signs like alcohol or anger problems, officials hope they can get veterans the help they need before problems develop.

"We're hoping to help them so they don't recreate the life trajectory that many Vietnam vets went down," said Jim Tackett, director of veterans services for the state DMHAS. "We know too much now not to get it right this time."

The initiative, still a pilot program based mostly in New London County, has helped about 40 veterans get help since September. Close to three-quarters of those veterans served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The jail diversion program, Tackett said, is an effort to recognize early signs - like speeding, weapons violations, binge drinking and domestic problems - that could possibly lead to more serious criminal behavior.

That mindset is reflected in the project's mission statement: "They risked their lives to protect our freedom. We will spare no effort to now protect theirs."

Veterans returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely than civilians to have mental health issues, often the result of post-traumatic stress disorder or severe head trauma. And though the federal Department of Veterans Affairs and several state agencies have programs to help veterans, not everyone takes advantage of those services once returning home.

"Consistently what we've been finding is there is a high number of soldiers returning and struggling with problems of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder," Tackett said. "The picture that has emerged is that soldiers returning from war have some highly universal problems that manifest themselves predictably."

Intervention before arrest

Connecticut is one of six states to receive grant money from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, a division of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, to fund jail diversion programs for veterans. Planning began last December and the pilot program officially launched in October.

"We selected the Norwich and New London area for obvious reasons: the sub base, Camp Rell," Tackett said. "And we have the busiest outpatient VA program in that part of the state."

What makes Connecticut's program different from others in the nation, Tackett said, is that it doesn't wait until a veteran has been arrested to intervene. Police officers have been asked to refer veterans with problem behavior even if they have not committed a crime. Through the program, police also are asked to refer veterans they have arrested and charged with a crime.

"If we do come across a veteran that is in need of some services, we can steer them in the right direction," said Kelly Fogg, chief of police in the town of Groton. Fogg's department was among the first involved because Groton is home to the Naval Submarine Base, the largest military installation in the state.

"We're on the front lines, so when something does happen - and we were told that sometimes these psychological and physical wounds will manifest themselves with alcohol-related issues or other issues that would come to a police officer's attention - we will be prepared to help the best we can," Fogg said.

Fogg said that his officers already try to refer people to social services whenever possible, whether or not an arrest is made. "It's something we always keep in the back of our mind," Fogg said. "When we deal with people, we always try to refer them to someone who can help them, even if it's not an arrest situation. Having this avenue is very good for the officers."

The jail diversion program, Fogg said, takes that approach a step further, with more significant resources available through DMHAS.

But a veteran won't get special treatment from the courts if charged with a crime, Tackett said. Liaisons from the jail diversion program will help guide them through the process, but decisions still rest with a judge, he said.

Close to 30 local, state and national agencies are collaborating in the program. Some will refer veterans to DMHAS and others, such as the Department of Labor, the VA, and state and local organizations, will receive referrals after veterans have met with staff at DMHAS.

"We brought together the chief state's attorney's office, the public defender's office, local police departments," Tackett said. "We've had folks from all sides of the conversation at the table."