Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists are located within each VA healthcare system. Eligible justice-involved veterans in Massachusetts can email the closest VJO Specialist below who can assist in obtaining access to VA health care.

• VA Bedford – Carly Wilson

• VA Boston – Thomas Palladino

• VA Boston – Nina Soares (Brockton)

• VA Northampton – Melissa Barillaro (Leeds)

• VA Northampton – Marie Demarey / Regina Grant (Worcester)

• VA Providence – Rich Flynn and Whitney Conrad

With the veterans’ permission, VJO Specialists may update the court about treatment progress.

In general, VJOs provide outreach services to justice-involved veterans for criminal matters that do not result in their incarceration to ensure access to VA care and benefits, including through the Health Care for Re-Entry Veterans Program.

VJO specialists play a critical role as members of Veteran Treatment Court treatment teams by providing access to VA healthcare services for VA eligible veteran defendants who would otherwise receive care at the expense of the local government. Based on research from 2016–2017:

• VJO program dataindicated that 90% of veterans visited by VJO specialists had an in person visit for VA healthcare services. Lower rates of engagement were reported among veterans receiving services through the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans program.

Based on the VA’s 2023 National Veteran Suicide Annual Report:

• The suicide rate for recent VHA users who received VA Justice Program services increased by 10.2% from 2020 to 2021 to 151 per 100,000, the highest observed since 2001.

• The unadjusted suicide rate for recent VHA users with homelessness indicators increased by 38.2% from 2020 to 2021 to 112.9 per 100,000, also the highest observed since 2001.

From 2018 to 2019, homeless veterans with mental illness using VA care wereslightly less likely to received benzodiazepines than their housed peers, but they were more likely to receive risky and potentially inappropriate benzodiazepine prescriptions, including:

• concurrent prescriptions for benzodiazepines and sedatives (61.9 percent vs. 45.9 percent);

• concurrent prescriptions for benzodiazepines and opioids (36.9 percent vs. 31.2 percent); and

• multiple concurrent benzodiazepine prescriptions (9.4 percent vs. 7 percent).

From 2011 to 2015, the percentage of veterans who had a fatal opioid overdose in Massachusetts was three times the state average. 

• Homelessness and veteran status were independently associated with higher odds of both fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses, with a significant interaction between homelessness, veteran status, and risk of fatal overdose in Massachusetts.

• Homeless veterans in Massachusetts were more likely to be receiving high dose opioid therapy compared to nonveterans (23 percent of veterans compared to 15 percent of nonveterans).

The VA’s Veterans Re-entry Search Service helps employees in criminal justice systems identify veterans who could benefit from VA assistance to aid in their re-entry after incarceration.

Most incarcerated veterans eventually reenter the community. The VA’s Healthcare for Re-Entry Veterans (HCRV) program is designed to promote success and prevent homelessness among Veterans returning home after incarceration.

HCRV offers outreach and pre-release assessment services for veterans in prison. Upon release from prison, HCRV offers referrals and connections for veterans to medical, mental health and social services, including employment services; and short-term case management services.

The VA’s in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (which covers areas in Southeast Massachusetts) each have an HCRV specialist. To request assistance for yourself or for another veteran, contact:

• Massachusetts – Thomas Palladino, HCRV

• Rhode Island – Richard Flynn, HCRV

For questions about the national HCRV program, contact Jessica Blue-Howells.

VHA Directive 1162.06(1) as amended March 3, 2020 established procedures for the Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) and incorporates the functions of both the Health Care for Reentry Veterans (HCRV) and Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Programs.

Responsibilities of VJO Specialists and definitions are outlined in the Directive. This VHA Directive was scheduled for re-certification on or before the last working day of September 2022. It will continue to serve as national VHA policy until it is recertified or rescinded.

VHA Directives establish mandatory VHA-wide policies pertaining to VA healthcare. VHA Directives are useful to understand what is supposed to be offered to veterans and identify gaps. They articulate the reason for the issue of directives and related issues, in addition to providing key definitions.

VHA Directives supersede other national, VISN-level, and facility-level policies or memos issued to the extent they are in conflict. Patients' legal rights can't be denied by virtue of being involuntarily committed or voluntarily admitted in a VA facility unless otherwise provided for by state law.

• Re-entry and justice-involved veterans must generally be served in the same patient-centered manner as all veterans in all treatment settings.

Within VHA Directives, you will find background for a policy and related authorities; exemptions; and offices and individuals responsible for implementation, training, and oversight at the national, regional, and local facility levels.

What is Included in the VA Medical Benefits Package

In general, the entire VA Medical Benefits Package is available to all VA enrolled veterans with specific care provided when it is determined by a VA provider that it aligns with generally accepted practice standards and will promote, preserve, or restore the health of a particular veteran.

The Rights of VA Patients

All VA patients have rights under 38 CFR § 17.33 which all VA employees must respect and support. The rights of VA patients are in addition to any other legal rights. Visit our Healthcare resource page for more information on VA Patient Rights. All VA patients’ rights include:

• The right to achieve treatment purposes under the least restrictive conditions necessary.

• The right to be free from unnecessary or excessive medication. Medication cannot be used as punishment, for the convenience of the staff, or be prescribed in quantities that interfere with patients’ treatment programs.

• The right to be free from physical restraint or seclusion, which may not be used as punishment, for the convenience of staff, or as a substitute for treatment programs.

  • Restraint or seclusion may only be used in situations where less restrictive means of preventing harm have been determined to be inappropriate or insufficient.

  • There must be a substantial risk of imminent harm by the patient to themselves or others AND a formal determination has to be made demonstrating that less restrictive means are inappropriate or insufficient.

Veterans Justice Outreach Programs – Further Actions to Identify & Address Barriers to Participation Would Promote Access to Services (GAO Report, 2021)

The VA began hiring VJO Specialists in response to the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018, primarily social workers. According to the GAO Report:

• VA did not report required information, such as the number of veterans who lack access to VJO Specialists as required because the VA does not collect this data. VJO Program officials reported that future research would help them estimate this number.

• Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges may not know they are eligible for VA mental health care under the 2020 VA policy extending healthcare services to certain members of this subgroup.

GAO recommended that VJO specialists’ training be improved to increase awareness of services available to veterans with OTH discharges, and to enhance planning for research on justice-involved veterans’ use of VA services.

Boston Municipal Courts – Central Division | Roxbury Division | West Roxbury Division

District Courts – Cambridge | Lowell | Plymouth | Springfield | Chelsea | Lawrence | Lynn | Quincy | Greenfield

Boston Municipal Courts – Charlestown | Dorchester | East Boston

District Courts – Attleboro | Fall River | Hingham | Newton | Springfield | Barnstable | Falmouth | Lawrence | Northampton | Taunton | Brockton | Fitchburg | Lowell | Orange | Uxbridge | Cambridge | Framingham | Lynn | Pittsfield | Wareham | Chelsea | Greenfield | Malden | Plymouth | Worcester | East Brookfield | Haverhill | New Bedford | Quincy

Veterans Treatment Courts are court-supervised, treatment-focused collaboratives initiated, funded, and operated by local governments. VTCs are designed to manage criminal cases involving defendants with a history of military service by offering rehabilitative services to eligible veterans.

• Norfolk – Dedham | Referral Form | Brochure

• Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable & Dukes – Brockton | Referral Form | Brochure

• Suffolk – Boston | Referral Form | Brochure

• Middlesex – Framingham | Referral Form | Brochure

• Essex – Lawrence

• Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden – Holyoke | Referral Form | Ops Manual | Veterans’ Guide

• Worcester – Gardner | Information

The VTC program requires abstinence from substance use, mandatory treatment, accountability, and weekly interaction with the court and a coordinated effort by service providers. Court sessions aim to improve public safety by dealing with underlying PTSD, TBI, and MST.

On October 30, 2019, GBVC convened a community summit on Legal Issues Impacting Service Members & Veterans and Services Available, hosted by the Veterans Legal Clinic at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School. During this summit we learned about legal and benefit-related issues impacting the military and veteran community.

• Julia Schutt, Veterans Legal Clinic, on the launch of the Massachusetts Veterans Benefit Calculator, an online tool that will help Massachusetts veterans determine if they are eligible to receive financial assistance from the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services through Chapter 115.

• Anna Richardson & Jessica Youngberg, Veterans Legal Services with updates on state and federal veterans rights

• Pat Baker, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, on veterans' access to public assistance in Massachusetts; and

• Anne Meeker, Office of Congressman Moulton & Rachel McNeill, Office of Congressman Kennedy, on services available to constituents and a bill to address a need to create an independent Veteran Advocate Service at the federal level, similar to the Taxpayer Advocate Service.

On November 1, 2018, GBVC convened a community summit exploring Healthcare Access & Issues Impacting Service Members, Veterans & Families, hosted by Tufts Health Plan. This summit focused on health-related topics and access-related issues impacting service members, veterans and their families with presentations by:

• Tufts Health Plan

• Dana Montalto, Veterans Legal Clinic, Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, on Access to Care for Veterans with Other Than Honorable Discharges

• Jayson C. Gilberti, CEO, MVPvets on the Mentoring Veterans Program offering assistance and support to transitioning service members seeking meaningful employment in life science companies.

• Tom Leonard, US Family Health Plan, TRICARE

On September 17, 2017, GBVC convened an Education Summit, hosted by William James College. In addition to learning more about WJC’s Military & Veterans Psychology and Train Vets to Treat Vets programs, we heard from:

• Dennis Magnasco from Congressman Moulton's office briefed us on the Forever GI Bill.

• Winston Berkman, from the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School discussed the impact of predatory student lending on veterans and shared various resources.

• Janine Wert, Director of Veterans Services at UMass Lowell, discussed the Transition Success Model and benefits available to student veterans.

The talks were followed by a Q&A, roundtable discussion, and networking.

On August 3, 2016, GBVC convened a Legal Summit focused on justice-involved veterans and veterans with “bad paper” discharges, hosted by the Klarman Family Foundation. In addition to hearing from Jennie Segal about the Foundation and from Boston’s Commissioner of Veterans Services and Chief of Health & Human Services, we launched GBVC’s Network Directory and learned about the experiences of justice-involved veterans and veterans with bad paper discharges in Massachusetts.

• Laura Piscopo of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services discussed the Jail Diversion & Veterans Treatment Court programs, and the role of the SAVE Team.

• Brian Martin and George Gorgiano of the Plymouth County Correctional Facility discussed their work to support successful re-entry for veterans incarcerated in the facility.

• Dana Montalto & Betsy Gwin of the Veterans Legal Clinic at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School discussed bad paper discharges and their impact on access to services.

• Congressman Joe Kennedy III, US Representative for the 4th District, discussed the importance of access to justice and shared insights from his prior work and encounters with veterans as an assistant district attorney.

Visit our Bad Paper page to learn more about the summit and breakout discussions. The summit was followed by networking at Charlesmark Lounge.

On July 15, 2015, Veterans Legal Services hosted the Greater Boston Veterans Collaborative’s fourth community summit at the Boston Bar Association.

• Rebecca Forbes from IAVA discussed the Shared Programs & Understanding work groups short term goals to curate a shared calendar and long term goals to enhance connectivity and referrals of veterans among organizations.

• Sean Horgan from Team Rubicon Region 1 discussed the Collective Impact & Measurement work group’s goals to maintain a survey of veterans and a survey of veterans organizations.

• Syracuse University’s IVMF program conducted a preliminary research project in May & June 2015 in conjunction with the Klarman Family Foundation to understand the characteristics of veteran serving organizations in Massachusetts, looking at 4,200 organizations across 86 service categories (education, community, health and wellness, family support, and employment). In the short term, the most under-resourced area was employment support. The longer term need was to connect unserviced demand to “substantial capacity.”

• Rachel McNeill with The Mission Continues Boston Service Platoon discussed Affinity Groups and emerging opportunities to collaborate around Resiliency, Professional Development, and Health & Wellness Programs.

Slides are available here. The summit was followed by a VetTogether at Anthem Kitchen.