Adjusting to civilian life after military service can be challenging, especially for Veterans who are trying to manage mental health and substance use issues.
Once an accomplished soldier, Army Veteran Christina Wagner was in jail, homeless and struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol. She had destroyed relationships, lost the trust of close family members and felt utterly alone.
Then she learned about the Veterans Justice Outreach Program (VJP).
The mission of the VJP is to identify justice-involved Veterans and facilitate their access to VA services as early as possible. The program builds and maintains partnerships between VA and key elements of the criminal justice system, aiming to provide treatment services as alternatives to incarceration.
“It took time for Veteran’s lives to spiral, and it’s going to take more time for them to heal,” said Jeff Glover, a social worker at Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks who works with VJP.
“When Jeff visited me in jail and told me about [VJP], I didn’t know if I could do it,” Wagner recalled. “I knew this could be my chance to heal. I needed to suck it up!”
The first step
The first step for Wagner was to acknowledge that she needed help—and through VA, that help was at hand. VJP professionals assessed Wagner’s needs and connected her with the appropriate mental, medical, spiritual and treatment services.
It took a little over a year, with a few setbacks along the way, but Wagner succeeded. On the day she graduated from the program, Wagner stood beside her husband, beaming with pride and hope and barely able to contain her excitement. Judge Cristi Beaumont of Washington County Veterans Treatment Court shook Wagner’s hand and expressed pride in her achievements.
“I’ve seen the positive impact of this program,” said Beaumont. “I’ve witnessed firsthand how Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks provides a safe place for Veterans to recover and a path for them to thrive.”
After graduating, Wagner moved to another state to reunite with her family, continue her spiritual journey and thrive.
“I’m going to continue working the program,” she said. “Why stop what works?”
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Congratulations on this great accomplishment! It’s a beautiful thing to get the help you need and want! Welcome
To the body of Christ!
I am happy for Christina and she is proof that if we reach and search far enough, we can find hope… when we seek with all our hearts.
[Jeremiah 29:13]
Yes, a veterans justice outreach program sounds good. I’m in the middle of one here in Florida and finding out that legal in the VA and the current public don’t mix together very well. Have a lot of legal problems and trying to get myself back out. I’m a veteran of 23 years and two years in Vietnam, so it’s always good to have something to fall back on. I don’t know if this would fit me but thanks for sending bye
Christina, Lost my brother and son to overdose, and I am forever changed by that. Keep up the good work on yourself. Lord knows, no one else can do it for you!!! We all have the willpower, to stay positive, and beautiful things happen…
Inspiring proof that this problem-solving court works!
It’s unfortunate that the Florida governor has just VETOED the funding for the second year of this newest interventional court in the state, No. 33. Carmen Reynolds, Lt Col (Ret), USAF, Friends of Santa Rosa Veterans Treatment Court – Chair; veteranstreatmentcourt4src@gmail.com; http://www.santarosavtc.com
What happen and where is the help for Veterans who have no criminal record or drug addiction who is just barely only on…We get drop by the side cause we were able to hold on but suffer in salient…
Sorry Resee, You so right… not all programs are perfect. Too many times the butter is spread to thin on the edges and we on the outskirts lose out. Yet we also know that the noisy wheel gets the grease… IOW; lets keep making noise till someone hears us! Peace!
It does seem like that…that if you don’t have the ‘right’ list of issues/ailments OR because you can maintain some sort of ‘normal’ life, not living in the streets and being ’employed’ OR you are trying to be honest-instead of ‘working’ the system, like so many seem to do… that its ok for US NOT to Thrive in life… that it is ok for us to spend every day having to just Survive life(without doing something stupid and irreversible). :(
Congratulations on all your accomplishments! Continue to shine though your life journey and Thank You for your service!
For about 10 years I have had the honor of mentoring veterans who participated in the Veterans’ Treatment Court of our county. These very deserving men and women whose lives have been upended by trauma and illnesses ended up before a judge and faced criminal charges. Drugs, alcohol, and overuse of prescriptions disabled their minds, and their behavior belied the courage they once displayed in uniform. I have seen lives turned from near death and destruction to health and successful careers. Families that had given up once more united. It takes a grueling effort to graduate the program, then Honor is restored.
I owe a huge part of my recovery and transformation to Meredith Miller from the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Justice Outreach program. At one point, I was homeless, addicted, and constantly cycling in and out of jails. But Meredith saw something in me I couldn’t see in myself—hope.
She never gave up on me. She visited me in three different jails and kept showing up, offering support and encouragement until one day, I finally listened. She helped me get into Charleston Adult Drug Court, and that program changed everything.
I graduated Drug Court, had my charges expunged, and I’ve been sober since November 2017. In 2019, I was hired at the VA. Since then, I’ve become a certified peer support specialist and dedicated my life to helping other veterans find their path forward. I never imagined a life like this was possible for me.
None of it would’ve happened without Meredith’s belief in me and the opportunities provided by RHJ VAMC. I’m living proof that with the right support, people can change. Thank you, Meredith—you helped save my life. ?
Thank you for sharing! So happy to read testimonies like yours. Continue to shine and help others. Thank you for everything that you do.