Mission Statement

The mission of the Third Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court (TJDVTC) Program is to divert justice-involved veterans and active service members from the traditional criminal justice system by assisting veterans and their families with treatment and judicial monitoring to afford them the tools needed to lead a productive and law-abiding life.

What is Veterans Treatment Court?

VTC A specialized treatment court program for justice-involved veterans that are dealing with addiction, mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders. The VTC program address the unique needs of veterans in the criminal justice system through a team-based approach creating a strong support network for veterans.

What are the Veterans Treatment Court Program Components?

Screening and assessment services; individual, group, family and couples counseling; Moral Recognition Therapy (MRT) specific for veterans; frequent and random drug and alcohol testing, frequent and random home visits, psychological evaluations if necessary; referrals to in-patient treatment programs as may be appropriate; relapse group sessions; anger management, life skills, seeking safety, case management, and an aftercare component.

Treatment Provider

As of December 2020, the contracted treatment provider for the Veterans Treatment Program is Peak Behavioral.  Peak Behavioral is located at 390 Calle de Alegra, Las Cruces, NM  88005. The main telephone number is 575-526-0927.  Mr. Gustavo Garay Vidal, LCSW is the Director of PHP/IOP services in Las Cruces, NM.

Veteran Treatment Team Members

Veteran Treatment Judge, Veterans Treatment Court Coordinator, Treatment Court Programs Manager, Treatment Provider, Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator (VJO), Defense Attorney, Veteran Mentors, Adult Probation and Parole, DWI Compliance Officer, VTC Surveillance and Attorney/Evaluator.

About Our Veterans Treatment Court Program

Core Values

The core values we want to see in our veterans are self-reliance and autonomy, stability, honesty, integrity, insight, spirituality, strengthening inter-personal relationships, safe and appropriate parenting and respect.

Goals

• Identify and engage veterans into treatment as quickly possible.
• Assist veterans in removing barriers to treatment.
• Respond to relapse in an immediate and therapeutic manner.
• Increase the completion of successful substance abuse treatment and decrease the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse among the veterans.
• Collaborate with community-based partners to increase the effectiveness of services to veterans struggling with substance abuse issues.
• Case management with assisting veterans with employment, housing and VA benefits.
• Veteran mentors to provide peer support for veterans.

Why We Do This?

Many veterans who return to civilian life face personal challenges, including mental health problems or substance abuse that are unique to life after military service. Criminal behavior, mental health problems and substance abuse often stem directly from service in combat zones and go untreated.

Realizing that veterans have special needs that were not being adequately addressed, our Veterans Treatment Court program, has adapted a structured treatment court to assist our veterans in identifying these challenges and providing the wrap around services to help get our veterans get their lives back on track.

Drug Court Sessions

VTC Court Sessions are held twice a month. During holidays, the drug court dates may be changed according to the Court’s schedule for closures.

Treatment Court sessions begin with a team staffing session prior to the actual Court session. The team staffing begins at 3:00 p.m., and is followed by the Court session, which begins at 4:00 p.m. Court sessions may include graduations, sanctions, incentives, and introductions of new veterans.