Veterans Treatment Court
Veterans & Military Families in California Courts
Members of the armed forces, past and present, may have legal rights that differ from civilians.
Rights and Protections Your military status may entitle you to certain rights and protections. Fill out optional MIL-100 form to let the court know of your service.
Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) provide treatment and other services to those involved in a criminal case, and may help to dismiss their case, reduce felonies to misdemeanors, or avoid jail time. Learn more to see if you qualify.
The Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) of Santa Barbara County was established in Santa Maria in 2011, in Santa Barbara in 2012 and in Lompoc in 2016 with the goal of serving justice-involved military veterans struggling with addiction, serious mental illness, and/or co-occurring disorders. VTC promotes sobriety, recovery and stability through a coordinated response that involves cooperation and collaboration with the traditional partners found in drug and mental health courts, in addition to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care networks, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and volunteer veteran mentors and veterans family support organizations. VTC provides a viable option for a select group of offenders whose needs are better met through treatment intervention rather than incarceration. It diverts veteran-offenders to a specialized court docket that offers specific, targeted resources and provides participants with the opportunity to establish clean and sober lifestyles, reduce criminality and psychiatric episodes, and improve the quality of their lives.
RESOURCES:
Legal Hotline for Vets only: (805) 451-0430
VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic of Santa Maria
1550 East Main
Street Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805) 354-6000
Veterans Services - Santa Maria Office
Veterans Service Representative
624 W. Foster Rd., Ste. A
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 346-7160
Veterans Services - Santa Barbara Office
315 Camino Del Remedio, Bldg. 3 Rm. 251
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
(805) 681-4500
Veterans Services - Lompoc Office
401 W. Cypress RM 101
Lompoc CA 93436
(805) 737-7900
San Luis Obispo Vet Center
Serving Santa Maria
PTSD and Readjustment Counseling
(805) 782-9101
Ventura Vet Center
Serving Santa Barbara and Carpinteria
790 E. Santa Clara St. Suite 100
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 585-1860
Combat Call Center 24/7
1-877-WAR-VETS
www.vetcenter.va.gov
Veterans Crisis Line
US Department of Veterans Affairs
(800) 273-8255 -Press 1
VA Home Front
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
(877) 424-3838
(877) 4AID-VET