Veterans court helps vets get back on track

By Casey Nolen

KSDK -- It's a program designed to help troubled veterans get back on track. And on this Veterans Day, a U.S. Senator paid a visit to the program in Edwardsville, Illinois.

A lot of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are coming home to warm welcomes, but they're also coming home with mental and emotional burdens that in some cases, contribute to trouble with the law.

In Madison County, Illinois, a system known as Veterans Court is trying to help these vets get the treatment they need, and help them stay out of court.

It's the first of its kind in southern Illinois and one of less than a dozen in the country. The idea is to identify veterans who are suffering from afflictions directly related to their time in combat -- whether that's alcoholism, post traumatic stress disorder or other mental health issues.

The Veterans Court helps connect servicemen and women with free services they are already eligible for through Veterans Affairs.

"A veteran may come back and they're not actively seeking treatment," says Bradley Lavite with Madison County Veterans Assistance Commission. "So they find themselves isolated. And then they're just kind of in a downward spiral within their family."

"I absolutely think that these Veterans Courts serve a great purpose," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who paid a visit to the program on Wednesday. "With a little bit of a helping hand they can get back on the right track and have a good happy life, which they deserve after serving our country."

The Madison County Veterans Court started last March. Judge Romani says so far, all of the vets involved have stayed out of trouble and are still in the program.

He and all of the attorneys volunteer their time for the court.