Location of Testing: Riverside Recovery Center 1720 18th Avenue, Lewiston, ID 83501
Time of Testing: 2:00-4:15 pm
UA Phone Number: 484-357-1190
What is VTC? VTC is designed for high risk/high need offenders who are struggling on felony and/or misdemeanor supervision. VTC provides intensive outpatient treatment, domestic violence treatment, mental health counseling, increased supervision and by-monthly review hearings with the VTC Judge. VTC is designed to keep offenders out of the prison system. VTC follows evidence-based practice in the design and implementation of their programs. Veterans are expected to follow program rules and participate in treatment. The length of the program ranges between 17-24 months. upon graduation, veterans may receive a reduction in their sentence, dismissal, or avoid imposition of sentence and/or prison (rider). Veterans area subject to therapeutic responses, sanctions, and incentives depending on their progress in the program.
When did the program start: 2013
VTC Team Members:
·
Judge
Sunil Ramalingam
·
Nez
Perce County Prosecutor: Jazz Patzer
·
Public
Defender: Lawrence Moran
·
Treatment
Providers, ChangePoint: Dennis Gray
·
Idaho
Department of Corrections Probation & Parole: Mallory Martinez
·
Justice
Services, Adult Misdemeanor Probation:
Marshall Evans
·
VA,
Veteran Justice Outreach: Tracy Hastings
·
Idaho
Veteran Service Officer: Stacy Whitmore
·
Lewiston
Police Department
Treatment:
Nez Perce County VTC currently partners with ChangePoint and Veterans Administration. The local VA community Based Outpatient Clinic is located at 1603 23rd Avenue, Lewiston, and Changepoint Treatment is located at 1005 Main Street, Lewiston, Idaho. Upon initial application to VTC, the veteran will meet with one of the counselors at Changepoint. If the veteran is in custody, arrangements will be made to have the veteran assessed for substance use disorder and/or mental health. Based upon the assessment recommendations and acceptance to the program, the veteran will be assigned groups and an individual counselor. All veterans must apply for Medicaid. If the veteran is denied Medicaid, then other funding will apply to cover the costs of the program.
How to Apply:
Anyone may refer a person to VTC. Typically, a defendant's attorney will refer their client to the program. If you would like to refer your client to VTC, please review our eligibility requirements first, then fill out the referral form below and submit to lmartin@idcourts.gov If the defendant's case is out of county, please check with the coordinator first to see if they are accepting out of county cases.
Referral Form - 2025
Eligibility:
·
Must
have served in the United States Military. Discharge status is reviewed as part
of eligibility.
·
Must
be currently charged with a felony or misdemeanor offense. All cases must be
post-sentence, with the exception of DUI cases
·
LSI
scoring between 18-40
·
Identified
substance use disorder (moderate-severe) and/or mental health diagnosis, PTSD
·
Cannot
have pled, found guilty, adjudicated or charged with a felony sex offense (juvenile
or adult)
·
Violent
charges are reviewed on a case-by-case basis
·
Post-pleas
cases and case-by-basis in reviewing of pre-sentence cases
Screening:
After being referred to VTC, the coordinator will make
contact with the veteran for a screening to further determine eligibility.
After completing a screening the veteran will meet with a probation officer for
an LSI evaluation. Upon completing the LSI, the veteran will meet with Changepoint
for a substance use an/or mental health evaluation. After these appointments
are completed, the veteran’s case will be presented to the VTC Team. Determination
of VTC eligibility is completed within 4-8 weeks.
If the veteran is accepted:
1. Veteran’s must enter a guilty plea or
plead guilty to their probation violations
2. Veteran, attorney, prosecutor, VTC
judge will sign the contract (below) and file with the VTC clerk
3. Veteran, attorney, prosecutor will
sign the disposition agreement and file with the VTC clerk
4. All documents must be completed at
change of plea/sentencing/disposition, please complete the contract below and
file with the court.
If the veteran is denied, their case is returned to their
sentencing judge for further proceedings.
How long does VTC last
and what are the expectations?
VTC length is determined by the veteran’s progress, but is a
minimum of 17 months and consists of:
·
Bi-Monthly
Review Hearings
·
Substance
use treatment (individual counseling and group counseling)
·
Intensive
community supervision (felony probation)
·
Referrals
to housing, education, vocational training, employment, specialized counseling
·
Random
and frequent drug testing
·
Rewards
and sanctions are used to change behaviors
·
Upon
graduation- 6 months of supervised probation minimum
What happens if a veteran
violates their contract or probation while in VTC?
·
Verbal
Warning
·
Paper
·
Curfew
Reduction
·
Increased
Supervision
·
Community
Service
·
GPS
Monitoring
·
Jail
·
Termination
What happens if a veteran
is terminated from VTC?
A veteran may be terminated from the program for failure to
comply with their contract. The VTC team decides whether or not to terminate a veteran
from the program. The judge makes the final determination in the case of
terminating a veteran from the program. If the team decides to terminate, the veteran’s
probation officer will submit a probation violation to the veteran’s original
judge. The veteran will return before their original judge for a PV disposition
hearing and sentencing.
What happens if the veteran
graduates from the program?
Upon graduation, the veteran will return back to supervision
under Felony Probation and Parole for a minimum of six months. Once they have
graduated from VTC, they are no longer in the VTC program. VTC graduates may
speak with their probation officer and/or attorney if they would like to be
released from supervision earlier. Ultimately, the disposition agreement will
dictate what occurs upon graduation from VTC.