Seattle Veterans Treatment Court

The Seattle Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) is a therapeutic, voluntary, court-monitored program that addresses the intersection of mental health, substance use, and justice involvement for veterans. 
As a collaborative therapeutic court, VTC balances accountability with recovery, recognizing the impact of military service and service-related conditions. It provides treatment and support in place of traditional prosecution, with the goal of restoring stability and promoting successful reintegration into the community. 

Our Team 

Therapeutic Courts are rooted in coordination among the team members and collaboration with participants. With participants as the central focus, VTC’s team includes:

• Seattle Municipal Court
• Seattle City Attorney’s Office
• King County Department of Public Defense
• Public Health—Seattle King County
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Eligibility 

An individual is eligible for VTC if the following apply: 

• Veteran Status
• Have a behavioral health diagnosis
• Willing to engage in behavioral health care
• Clinically indicated treatment is available  
• Willing to abide by court conditions 

If you are unsure if VTC is a good fit for you or your client, please reach out to our public health partners to learn more about eligibility and program requirements. 

You are eligible for Veterans Treatment Court if you are eligible for VA healthcare. VA eligibility generally requires that you: 

• Served in the U.S. military  
  • Were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable
  • Meet minimum active-duty requirements or qualify through exceptions (e.g. service-connected disability, hardship, or recognized combat/exposure periods)
• You meet diagnostic criteria for a behavioral health disorder (including substance use disorders) and
  • It can be treated through the VA Health Care Administration.
• Appropriate services are available through the VA
  • You are eligible for those services through the VA
• You demonstrate a willingness and ability to engage in treatment
  • Engage in probation and attend probation appointments 
  • Abide by court conditions (including, but not limited to, actively engaging in mental health and/or substance use disorder treatment (as indicated), maintaining sobriety, and attending court hearings)

Referral Process  
Requests to participate should be made in writing to: VeteransTreatmentCourt_Team@Seattle.gov.  Our team can start the screening process with just a name, date of birth and case number(s) (if available).  

VTC Referral Process Information 
When making a referral to VTC, it is helpful if you include the following information in your email: 

• Client name
• Case number(s)
• Client contact/location (In/out of custody, facility, email/phone, etc.)
• Future court date
• Charge(s)
• Additional Information (provider, diagnosis, housing info, etc.)
• Branch of Service:  
• Years in Military Service:  
• Deployed To Combat Theater (Circle): (Y) / (N)  
• Utilized VA Services Before (Circle): (Y) / (N)  
• If yes, what VA facility:  
• Character of discharge (Circle): Honorable / General / Other Than Honorable (OTH) / Bad Conduct
• Discharge (BCD) / Dishonorable Discharge (DD) 

Alternatively, you can complete the following form and attach it to your email: VTC Referral form 
Other VTC forms that will be requested during the referral and screening process. 
VTC Release of Information form 
VA Request for and Authorization to Release of Medical Records or Heath Information form

Program Benefits and Resources 

Through a combination of structured support, healthcare, and other social service resources provided by the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs, Seattle expects to see a reduction in criminal behavior and an increase in services received for veterans. 

Veterans Treatment Court Participants Receive Assistance with:

• Mental Health Treatment
• SUD Treatment
• General Healthcare
• Accessing resources, services and support, including housing, benefits and more 

Team members from the VA and Public Health are available to work with participants to get them connected to the resources, services and support they need. 

Contact Information 

To make a referral or discuss a client’s appropriateness for VTC, please contact: VeteransTreatmentCourt_Team@Seattle.gov
For general questions about Seattle Municipal Court VTC or any of their treatment courts, please contact: SMC_TherapeuticCourts@seattle.gov