“These [veterans treatment court] mentors, it's not the traditional mentor model...They're just there to listen. I think we underplay the power of listening."

Todd Kramer is living proof that the justice system can play a role in facilitating treatment and recovery. His story also exemplifies the therapeutic camaraderie that exists among those who serve. Todd served in both the Air Force and the Army and deployed as a 40 year old E5. When he came home he struggled to reengage and his addiction deepened. He found recovery and his purpose in veterans treatment court. Hear his remarkable story and learn how volunteer mentors like Todd are the lifeblood of veterans treatment courts today.

“I would like to see a veterans treatment court in reach of every veteran that's in need. Let us in the justice system be cognizant of the needs of the veteran. And if there's something we can do to assist them in their journey, let us do that.”

S1E5 profiles a true hero of the veterans treatment court movement, retired Buffalo Judge Robert Russell. In 2008, Judge Russell forever transformed the way the justice system identifies, assess, and treats veterans with a simple act of ingenuity and compassion. Hear the story of how the first veterans treatment court came to be, how it spawned a system of programs serving over 15,000 veterans each year, and why it represents the most effective intervention for justice-involved veterans with substance use and mental health disorders.

“I tell all my buddies, if you tried VA 10 years ago like I did, try us again.” Is the VA a waste of time? Can it really provide the services and care you need? John Boerstler, Chief Veterans Experience Officer at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, joins the podcast to share just how much the VA has expanded, evolved, and modernized post-9/11 to better listen to veterans and respond to meet their unique needs.

“Vet Center’s current motto includes the three Cs: connection, camaraderie, and community.” What are Vet Centers? How do they differ from VA hospitals and other VA services? E3 takes a deep dive into Vet Centers, looking at their origin, role, and unique approach to providing mental and behavioral health services to our nation’s veterans. This episode features Laura Felten, director of the Milwaukee Vet Center and former Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist.

“How do you pull a weed? You get it by its root, so it doesn’t grow back.” E1P2 takes the conversation on trauma and post-traumatic growth to the next level and discusses mental health treatment, therapy, and trauma-informed resources to help veterans recover with James Puckett, a licensed professional counselor and professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin.

“It took one thing to be successful in combat; it takes something very different to be successful in my current life.” E1P1 explores the effects of trauma and post-traumatic growth on our military veterans with guest Jaymes Poling, the creator of Modern Warrior LIVE, an immersive music and narrative experience that chronicles his journey through three U.S. Army deployments in Afghanistan and subsequent transition back home.