As the number of veterans treatment courts (VTC) in Ohio has grown, so has the need for more people to be informed about their work and connected to them.

To enhance communication and community, the Ohio Supreme Court created an app to help these specialty courts and the general public.

It’s known as the OH VTC Statewide app and is available through Apple or Google.

The app was developed by the Supreme Court’s Office of Court Services to enhance collaboration among stakeholders, including justice-involved veterans, treatment courts, and peer mentors, and to spread awareness to other courts interested in establishing their own specialized docket.

“Technology continues to bolster Ohio’s specialized dockets during the pandemic,” said Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. “The VTC Statewide app is just another tool the Ohio Supreme Court is pleased to offer to veterans, veterans court staffs, and volunteers.”

With many courts operating virtually due to COVID-19, the app complements the ongoing remote interactions for the state’s 29 Supreme Court-certified veterans treatment courts.

Court duties – such as hearings, supervision, treatments, and peer support – serve all of the programs’ 486 participants statewide to help their rehabilitation.

The new app enhances the resources for these specialty courts.

It can operate as a tool for treatment teams to network, train, and share materials, provide content for veterans to better understand PTSD, depression, and other residual effects from their service.

The app also is a resource for citizens and courts interested in starting their own veterans treatment court.

App features include:

• Certification guidance
• A resource library offering education for justice-involved veterans about underlying issues
• A calendar listing trainings and roundtable discussions.
• Direct contact information for program coordinators.

The app’s creation was funded by a federal grant, which also supplied two computer tablets to each Ohio veterans treatment court. The tablets can be used for a court’s internal operations or helping veterans with technological limitations stay connected.

“We greatly appreciate the guidance and resources provided to our court during the pandemic,” said Fairfield County Municipal Judge James Field on behalf of his VTC.

“Despite the challenges over the last year-and-a-half, our veterans treatment court has continued to thrive thanks to (the) support,” Judge Field said.

Additional features will be implemented into the app over time. These include training for mentors and treatment teams from established programs; explanations of sustainable funding concepts; and support for justice-involved veterans without a VTC in their area.