'Justice-Involved' Veterans: 2022 Veterans Research Town Hall
Originally published July 27, 2022.
The next ‘Veterans Research Town Hall’ from the VA’s Veterans Community Advisory Board is a hybrid event, to be held Sept. 8th with the Philadelphia Research and Education Foundation.
Many veterans who find themselves involved in the justice system do not know that the VA offers services through the Veterans Justice Outreach (JVO) Program. What’s more is that many who work in law enforcement or the judiciary are not aware of this, either. But since 2009, VJO Specialists have been at every VA to work with Veterans in various criminal settings.
On September 8, 2022, VA’s Veterans Community Advisory Board (VCAB) of the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP) in Philadelphia, in partnership with the Philadelphia Research and Education Foundation (PREF), will convene a combination in-person and online Research Town Hall to examine the issues faced by justice-involved Veterans.
Speaking at the event will be a local representative of the VJO program; a judge involved in Veterans Treatment Courts (who is a Veteran himself); CHERP researchers; and others with first-hand knowledge of how Veterans can avail themselves of these kinds of services. Topics will include (but are not limited to): The gap in research about this population; Service members who are eligible for VA care; The needs of Veterans who were or are incarcerated; Barriers and facilitators to getting care; Equity questions and concerns; The possibility of reinstatement of benefits once Veterans have been released.
There’s a lot to talk about!
The work of the VCAB and CHERP has brought increased attention to factors such as safe housing, nutritious food, reliable transportation, clean water, employment and justice connectedness—and their impact on Veteran health. Just one unmet need can affect other areas of life and create barriers to quality healthcare. When you add the justice system to the mix, Veterans can get lost down innumerable rabbit holes that might seem inescapable.
There are many paths that may lead to involvement in the justice system. If a Veteran is experiencing discrimination (Social Context), he or she may not be able to attain steady employment (Economic Stability), making it harder to have a stable income or safe housing (Built Environment). This could lead to limited access to education and training, barriers to nutritious food and exposure to chronic stress or substance abuse, increasing the likelihood of poor health outcomes and/or legal trouble for the Veteran.
Who we are
The VCAB is made up of Veterans, like you, and they are working hard to promote holistic Veteran healthcare. This starts with spreading awareness among Veterans and researchers of the social needs that affect Veteran health and how to address them in the VA health system. “The voice of Veterans is often lost in research,” former VCAB Chair, Chuck Maxwell noted. “As a result, solutions developed may not meet the needs of patients. Patients and the public have come to feel disconnected from the goals of research.” With this in mind, the VCAB, in partnership with PREF and the Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, present the Veterans Research Town Hall: Justice-Involved Veterans, on September 8, 2022, 10am-12pm.
This hybrid event (in person at the Crescenz VA Multipurpose Room—3rd Floor) and online on MS Teams will focus on the importance of Veteran Participation in research and the social needs that VA is working to address through funded studies. Following brief presentations from VA researchers and others about justice-involved Veterans, Veterans will have an opportunity to ask questions that are important to them and learn more about active research studies.
CLICK HERE to register for the 2022 Veterans Research Town Hall
Join us! VCAB Seeking Members!
The Veterans Community Advisory Board in Philadelphia is currently looking for new members. Veterans have few opportunities to discuss important topics with other Veterans. Out of that camaraderie, the VCAB contributes innovative, creative and valuable work to VA researchers and Veterans. If you want to engage with Veterans and identify with the VCAB’s mission, “To advice, foster relationships, and contribute experience and input to CHERP Leadership and Researchers in order to promote health, healthcare, and health equity for the Veteran Community, contact CHERPVCAB@gmail.com today!
