News  A Q&A with Gardner District Court Chief Probation Officer Diane Massouh

Coria Holland (CH): Why is Gardner District Court introducing a Veteran's Court? Does it have anything to do with the number of veterans in your jurisdiction?

Diane Massouh (DM): We in the Gardner Probation Department have always been passionate about serving the veteran population.  For many years now, we have seen more and more veterans becoming court involved and Judge Goldstein wanted to have more of an impact on how we were handling this particular population.  It is well documented that veterans returning from combat are deeply affected by the experience and have difficulties integrating back to civilian life, sometimes leading to bad decision-making and becoming court involved.  Through evidence based practices, we are hoping to help them through the process of leading healthy, law abiding lives.  

CH: How many people do you anticipate servicing through the Veteran's Court?  Do you have a maximum number that you are allowed to accept?

DM: We currently have one participant, with a few more referrals awaiting adjudication on their cases.   We do not have a maximum number we are allowed to accept and we will take any referral we receive provided they meet the eligibility requirements.  We are only serving high risk/high need individuals as we would not want to over involve any service member in the court system unnecessarily.  Some lower risk court involved veterans may qualify for the Valor or Brave Acts and they are not the population we are targeting.  

CH: Do you have any information or data on the Veteran's Court clients you will be serving such as the military branch they served in or where they served?

DM: We are accepting any member of the United States Armed Services regardless of their discharge status.

CH: Where did veterans who were on probation go to before the Gardner Court opened?

DM: There are several Veterans Treatment Courts throughout the state, and if they met eligibility requirements they could go to any one of those courts.  We are particularly grateful to the Western Massachusetts Veteran Treatment Court, Plymouth County Veterans Treatment Court and Lawrence Veterans Treatment Court for providing us support and guidance throughout the process of opening our own Veterans Treatment Court.  Their experiences have been invaluable to us.  

CH: As the Chief Probation Officer of the Court, how do you hope the court will impact veterans who are court-involved?

DM: Through the help of the multidisciplinary treatment team, each participant will receive an individually tailored treatment plan that best suits their needs.  As the veteran progresses and evolves through the phases of Veterans Treatment Court, their treatment plan will change and evolve as their needs do. In addition to having a probation officer providing incentives and encouragement, participants have access to a VA and/or Community Based Clinician and a volunteer “Peer Mentor” who is a Veteran themselves. The goal of the mentor/mentee relationship is to serve as a “confidant” and advisor while in VTC, providing a strong support for the participant throughout the entire probationary period helping guide them to success with honesty and understanding for what that individual has been through.  

It is my hope and the hope of our multidisciplinary Treatment Team that the impact made on the court involved veterans who come through our VTC is one of self-reflection, positive change and to look at their time in the VTC as one that assisted them to getting back to the person they are proud of, leading healthy and law abiding lives.  I am looking forward to our journey with the veterans and hoping that some even come full circle to serve as a peer mentor themselves.