The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with the Veteran’s Administration Veteran’s Justice Outreach Program and Rockland TASC, is proud to offer a culturally competent diversion program for justice system adjacent veterans and active service members.

The Veteran’s Alternative to Incarceration Program (VATI) was developed with the goal of serving those who served our country by linking participants to population specific resources that aim to address the varied psychological sequalae of military service. Those who have worn the uniform are less likely to seek assistance for mental health and/or substance misuse consequences of service and often, do not disclose service history when facing criminal charges.

The VATI program approach is two-pronged with the first step aiming to identify eligible participants by encouraging military service disclosure at every step of the process. Second, once identified, eligible participants are assessed and linked to services most appropriate for their needs. The goal of the program is to allow participants to address the underlying cause of the criminal behavior in an effort to mitigate recidivism and reduce stigma of service-related readjustment responses.

VATI participants are screened by both the District Attorney’s Office and Rockland TASC for legal and clinical eligibility. Once enrolled, the participant is given a treatment plan and linked to appropriate support services. Program completion requirements vary based on criminal charges. Successful completion aims to reduce or dismiss criminal charges.

Eligibility Criteria for Veteran’s Alternative to Incarceration Program:

• Participant must be a veteran or active service member

• Participant must have an identified mental health condition, chemical dependency and/or co-occurring disorder

• Participant must be legally appropriate based on review of charges by the District Attorney’s Office