Q&A
Extending Veteran Treatment Court services regardless of discharge status
1:41:45
ยท
4 min
Council Member Robert Holden and VAB Chair Mercedes Elias discuss the recommendation to extend Veteran Treatment Court services to veterans regardless of their discharge status.
- VAB recommended extending Veteran Treatment Court services to veterans regardless of discharge status
- The discussion highlighted that discharge status can be subjective and shouldn't be a barrier to getting assistance through the veteran treatment courts
- Examples of unfair discharges, such as those based on sexual orientation in the past, were mentioned
- The need for legislative action to make this recommendation a reality was emphasized
Robert Holden
1:41:45
Well, we'll we'll try to again, that should be a point of a hearing from this committee.
1:41:49
And we can get some companies to come in and maybe, get them to commit to to, I'm sure again, if a company can, you know, again, there's a lot of jobs that are, you know, they're unfilled at this point.
1:42:04
There there's, many companies need skilled workers or at least, competent, workers and they can't fill the positions.
1:42:14
But there's others that, you know, they're they're very competitive but I think a preference to veterans should, I think most companies would agree to this.
1:42:22
So, that's it's up to us.
1:42:31
Again, I'm gonna go over to your your annual report from 23, on veteran treatment courts because that that during the pandemic was a casualty.
1:42:40
The veteran treatment courts, many of them didn't function.
1:42:44
Well, most of the courts didn't function during the pandemic.
1:42:47
But, so but in your 23 report, you recommended extending veteran treatment, court services to veterans regardless of discharge status, which I would agree with.
1:42:59
I think most people would agree with because there's reason maybe, they didn't get an honorable discharge.
Mercedes Elias
1:43:07
Yeah.
1:43:07
So And it could
Robert Holden
1:43:08
have it could be service related.
1:43:09
So
Mercedes Elias
1:43:10
So I actually did legal work in the Marine Corps, and I can tell you that there's an actual whole page where you talk about what benefits you have a right to based on the characterization of service when you separate.
1:43:21
Now if you look even now, and one of our members can talk about even when you were homosexual in the military, you would have gotten received a dishonorable discharge.
1:43:30
Now a lot of those are being overturned.
1:43:32
So we don't think that the characterization of service should be a barrier to getting assistance through the veteran treatment courts just because sometimes it is subjective that a service member was separated.
1:43:41
It could have been through drug use.
1:43:43
It could have been through false allegations.
1:43:45
There's a number of things.
1:43:46
So we don't feel just specifically with the veteran treatment courts that your characterization of service should prohibit you from being able to adjudicate the case at that level.
Robert Holden
1:43:56
Right.
1:43:56
So, like, I think some of this requires legislative action.
1:44:01
So I I'd like some recommendations from the, from from the board, as to what areas specifically we can we can improve and what legislation might we we draft to make this a reality.
1:44:18
Because I think it's a very important point, that they did serve their country and they had they ran into some issues, whatever it is.
1:44:25
And they actually they're they're probably the first ones that need the veteran treatment court.
1:44:31
But we what we found is that a lot of it wasn't trickling down to NYPD.
1:44:38
Like, I'm in I'm in constant contact with the Queen's DA, because that's that's my borough.
1:44:45
And, you know, Melinda Katz has been outspoken on this and and actually makes this a point.
1:44:52
But some of the other boroughs, like, you know, weren't doing the even the veteran treatment courts for a few years during the pandemic.
1:44:58
And we had a really we had a hearing on this, and we found out that some of the boroughs weren't doing it but they I think they're all caught up now.
1:45:06
But we do need That, that should be a very important piece of legislation if we can get that through whether it's it needs to be in the state or city, we'll, we'll work on that.
1:45:21
Now, you, you mentioned a bit let's talk about the board appointments because we, we touched upon this and you mentioned this.
1:45:26
But the VAB, you have 13 members.
1:45:30
There you know, we talked about the concerns and delay of appointments, appointments.
1:45:38
Could you describe your understanding of how the appointment process works?
1:45:42
Like, you mentioned you should have something to say.
1:45:45
I agree.
1:45:49
And if you could talk about a process that you discussed, like, maybe for each like, for the city council side, you could send either a letter or an email, whatever it is, of certain people that you feel are qualified.
1:46:05
And it could be from various boroughs.
1:46:07
And you do the same through DVS, possibly, for the mayor's side.
1:46:12
We we can actually advance it.
1:46:14
So let let's come up with, like, if you think of an ideal process and I think you said there there's is there one vacancy now?