Institute Tapped to Evaluate New Behavioral Health Initiative for Vets
State behavioral health officials will be able to closely monitor the implementation of a new jail diversion program for veterans with the help of Vinson Institute data management specialists.
The program is targeted for veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder who have come into contact with the criminal justice system. It aims to better serve their specialized needs by diverting them from jail time and entering them into trauma-integrated health programs, explains Virginia Dick, Vinson Institute faculty member and coordinator of the evaluation component.
The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is carrying out the five-year project as part of a federal grant. What will begin with a pilot program in DeKalb County later this year may eventually be put in place in other regions of the state. Officials will be working closely with community health and human services providers.
Vinson Institute specialists performing the evaluation will regularly collect and report such data as numbers of veterans or other community members involved in the program, types of health or other services provided, and length of time enrolled. When possible, participants will be evaluated for up to one year after they leave the program.
"By carefully tracking the implementation and outcomes of the DeKalb pilot project, we hope to provide health officials with data-driven information that can be useful as they strategically plan its expansion," Dick concludes.
