H.R. 5529 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase awareness of its Veterans Justice Outreach Program (VJO) among veterans who have become involved with or processed through the criminal justice system, veterans service organizations, and law enforcement, court, and correctional officials. The program’s purpose is to support veterans who have been arrested or jailed and may need services for mental health conditions, other physical health conditions, or homelessness. The program relies on VJO specialists who work with jails and courts to support the needs of arrested or incarcerated veterans. The bill would require VA to increase the number of VJO specialists in its medical centers and to support veterans in rural, remote, or underserved areas. The bill also would require VA to develop performance goals for VJO specialists and to provide them annual training on best practices for conducting outreach.
