CONYERS, GA— As the community prepares to celebrate Veterans’ Day, Rockdale County’s Board of Commissioners Chair/CEO, JaNice VanNess, stated “I am proud to announce that Rockdale County’s Veterans Treatment Court was awarded a four-year grant of $948,000.”
The award will assist in the planning and implementation of a process to identify and assist veterans with substance use, mental health, and co-occurring disorders. This will allow them to gain access to treatment and recovery support services while involved in the criminal justice system.
Chair VanNess commended the continued efforts of Chief Superior Court Judge Nancy Bills to use accountability court programs to support participants’ long-term recovery. Derek Marchman, Founder of Marchman Consulting, stated, “Judge Bills epitomizes how to successfully secure grants by using strategic planning to solve criminal justice problems. Demonstrating an understanding of a problem and using evidence-based solutions to address it is an award-winning formula.”
Introduction of Veterian Treatment Court
Specifically, regarding the veteran treatment court, Chief Judge Bills states the program will operate under State Court Chief Judge V.T. McRae, a retired U.S. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer with a Bronze Star Medal for combat deployment with the 82nd Airborne Division and a Master Parachutist Badge. Judge McRae offers that in addition to the treatment and recovery services normally practiced in accountability courts, the additional service-connected issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury being self-medicated will be addressed by providers with a military background and veteran service organizations.
Marchman states, “Veterans deserve more than recognition on Veterans’ Day, for those who served and need assistance, merit the additional care and attention on a consistent, daily basis in their recovery journey.
After assisting in developing the grant application, Marchman said he is looking forward to continuing to work with the project through the planning phase and evaluation of the court initiative.”
If you are looking for information or location of accountability courts in Georgia, please visit Council of Accountability Court Judges.
About Marchman Consulting
Marchman Consulting helps communities make an impact with data analysis, grant development, implementation, and evaluation for sustainability efforts for a variety of programs. An example is the alcohol risk management (ARM) measures, such as Marchman’s award-winning RASS training program. Validation of his success, Marchman was the recipient of the Office of Victims of Crime 2022 Victims’ Rights Award presented by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on the Washington Mall. More information of his services is available at www.marchmanconsulting.com.
