For many veterans, justice involvement does not happen in isolation from their life experiences. Trauma can shape how a person responds to stress, authority, relationships, and support, and for some veterans, those experiences may be connected to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can develop after a traumatic event and may include intrusion or re-experiencing, avoidance, negative changes in mood and thinking, and heightened arousal or reactivity. Among veterans, lifetime probable PTSD has been found in 8.0% of veterans, compared with an estimated 6.4%–6.8% of the general U.S. population.2 These traumatic experiences may include combat, military sexual trauma (MST), physical injuries, loss, or challenges associated with the transition from military to civilian life. Research has also identified a strong association between justice involvement and PTSD, underscoring the importance of expanding behavioral health support for justice-involved veterans.3,4
Why Trauma-Informed Care Matters
Trauma-informed care acknowledges the impact trauma can have on behavior, relationships, engagement, and well-being by focusing on safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment, and freedom of choice.1 Justice involvement, by contrast, often includes stress, authority, and circumstances that may feel threatening or unsafe. For professionals working with justice-involved veterans, trauma-informed care can be used as a universal precaution, meaning it assumes trauma may be present even when it has not been disclosed, to assist veterans who have experienced traumatic events.1,5
Accountability and Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care does not excuse criminal behavior or eliminate accountability. Rather, it can provide a framework for approaching justice-involved veterans in a way that recognizes the impact of trauma while maintaining accountability. This approach can support pathways to resolution that include treatment, rehabilitation, and community inclusion.4,5
Veterans Treatment Courts and VA Support
Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) is a court-based intervention established in 2008 to provide judicial oversight, accountability, treatment, and veteran-specific support to justice-involved veterans. VTCs assess veterans and connect them with mental health treatment, substance use treatment, medical care, housing, employment, peer support, and case management services. Their multidisciplinary structure, which may include judges, attorneys, treatment providers, Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel, and community-based organizations, allows VTCs to balance accountability with treatment and address behavioral health and social needs in ways that align with trauma-informed care.6
Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO), established in 2009, is a VA program designed to support justice-involved veterans by facilitating access to VA healthcare and other services. VJO staff coordinate with courts, jails, law enforcement, and community programs to engage veterans and assess their individual needs. Unlike VTCs, which provide court-based intervention and judicial oversight, VJO extends VA support across multiple stages of justice involvement, including interactions with courts, jails, and law enforcement.7
The work of VTCs, VJO, the VA, and community partners demonstrates the value of connecting justice-involved veterans with behavioral health and social services through a trauma-informed approach. Trauma-informed care can help establish trust, increase the likelihood of self-disclosure and openness, and bolster confidence and resilience among justice-involved veterans, potentially supporting stronger treatment engagement and broader access to care.1,5 Research on VTC participants has also identified improvements in housing and receipt of VA benefits, while demonstrating the continued importance of addressing criminal justice outcomes alongside other areas of stability.8
Barriers to Access
However, not every justice-involved veteran will have access to VTC, VJO, or specialized behavioral health services. Availability can vary by location, individual circumstances, and the nature of the offense connected to their justice involvement.4 It can also be difficult to identify veterans who do not wish to self-disclose because of shame, guilt, or other stigmas associated with justice involvement. Veterans may not disclose a PTSD diagnosis or, in some cases, may never disclose their symptoms and remain undiagnosed.3,4
These limitations highlight the importance of a broader trauma-informed approach that extends beyond specialized programs and individual points of contact within the justice system. Trauma-informed care is not a single treatment or intervention; it is an ongoing approach that can be applied across settings and adapted to the needs of the individuals being supported.1 For justice-involved veterans, this creates an opportunity for community organizations working directly with veterans to recognize potential trauma-related needs, build trust, and connect veterans with appropriate behavioral health and community resources.
How S:US Supports Veterans
Community-based organizations also play a critical role in extending trauma-informed support beyond the courtroom and into the daily work of housing stability. At Services for the UnderServed (S:US), we help the most vulnerable New Yorkers build healthy, stable, and fulfilling lives — starting with a safe place to call home. Through our Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, we extend this mission to veterans and their families experiencing housing instability. S:US is among the largest providers of services to veterans, having served more than 7,500 veteran households across New York City and Long Island since the program’s inception in 2012.
Our program is composed of a diverse group of highly specialized service coordinators, outreach specialists, housing specialists, and veteran peer navigators, allowing us to address the individual needs of veterans through a coordinated and comprehensive approach. Our staff work collaboratively to identify barriers to housing stability, connect veterans with appropriate resources, and help navigate systems that may otherwise be difficult to access. This individualized and collaborative approach is particularly important when working with veterans who may have experienced trauma.
At S:US, our commitment to trauma-informed care extends beyond individual interactions and is reflected in how we structure our services. We have revised our assessment processes to incorporate trauma-informed and motivational interviewing principles, with an emphasis on creating a safe, respectful, and collaborative experience for veterans. Under the leadership of Robin Smith, Director of Veteran Services and a U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant (TSGT), S:US developed specialized veteran peer staff to engage veterans who may be especially vulnerable to housing instability. This includes veterans with disabilities and older veterans. Our service coordination team has also placed greater emphasis on proactively connecting veterans with VA services, community partners, and other resources that can address individual barriers to stability. These efforts reflect a broader commitment to meeting veterans where they are, respecting individual choice, and connecting veterans with the resources necessary to support their goals and stability.
A Path Toward Stability and Recovery
Trauma-informed care can help identify behavioral health needs in justice-involved veterans while balancing accountability with opportunities for treatment and rehabilitation. The work of organizations serving veterans demonstrates that accountability and recovery do not have to be competing approaches. For justice-involved veterans, trauma-informed care offers a path forward: one that recognizes trauma, upholds accountability, and connects people to the support they need to build stability, wellness, and community.
Michael Conroy, LMSW, is Team Leader with the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program at Services for the UnderServed (S:US). He specializes in veteran outreach, trauma-informed care, homelessness prevention, and behavioral health services. Michael is passionate about advancing treatment-centered approaches that support recovery, stability, and successful community integration for veterans.
Footnotes
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2014.
- Wisco BE, et al. “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the US Veteran Population: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.” The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2014;75(12):1338–1346. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.14m09328.
- Taylor EN, et al. “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Justice Involvement Among Military Veterans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2020;33(5):804–812. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22526.
- Rosenthal J, Finlay AK. “Expanding the Scope of Forensic and Other Services for Justice-Involved Veterans.” Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 2022;50(1):106–116. https://doi.org/10.29158/JAAPL.210047-21.
- Desai A, et al. “Trauma-Informed Training for Veterans Treatment Court Professionals: Program Development and Initial Feedback.” Federal Practitioner. 2023;40(2):40–46. https://doi.org/10.12788/fp.0358.
- Yerramsetti AP, et al. “Veteran Treatment Courts: A Promising Solution.” Behavioral Sciences & the Law. 2017;35(5–6):512–522. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2308.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Veterans Justice Outreach Program.” 2026.
- Tsai J, et al. “A National Study of Veterans Treatment Court Participants: Who Benefits and Who Recidivates.” Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. 2018;45(2):236–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-017-0816-z.
