Cognitive-behavioral treatments for criminogenic thinking: Barriers and facilitators to implementation within the Veterans Health Administration.

Cognitive-behavioral treatments for criminogenic thinking (i.e., antisocial cognitions, attitudes, and traits) are regarded as best practices for reducing criminal recidivism among justice-involved adults.

Predictors of Incarceration of Veterans Participating in U.S. Veterans' Courts.

Objective: Significant variability exists regarding the criteria and procedures used by different veterans' courts (VCs) across the country. Limited guidance is available regarding which VC model has the most successful outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with incarceration during VC participation.

US Veterans' Court Programs: An Inventory and Analysis of National Survey Data.

This study used data from a phone survey inventory of US veterans' courts to provide descriptive information on the current status of their various elements. To identify which items were most predictive of a court's percentage of subjects terminated from their program, a linear regression was performed. The following were associated with higher rates of termination from the veterans' court (VC) program: (a) programs that offered phase progression based on measurable goals, (b) programs that conduct frequent drug and alcohol testing, and (c) programs for which sanctions are more severe for failing immediate goals (sobriety) versus long-term ones (completion of training).

Homelessness in a national sample of incarcerated veterans in state and federal prisons.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been increasing efforts to reach out to assist incarcerated veterans. While previous studies have shown strong associations between incarceration and homelessness, few studies have examined distinctive characteristics of incarcerated homeless and non-homeless veterans. National administrative data on 30,348 incarcerated veterans served by the Health Care for Re-entry Veterans (HCRV) program were analyzed.

Risk of incarceration and clinical characteristics of incarcerated veterans by race/ethnicity.

Purpose: Unprecedented growth in the US prison population has highlighted the overrepresentation of racial/ethnic minorities in prisons. This study examined the hypothesis that veteran status is protective against incarceration for veterans of different racial/ethnic minorities and compared the clinical characteristics of incarcerated veterans by race/ethnicity.

Methods: Using national data from a prisoner re-entry program and data from the 2010 National Survey of Veterans, this study examined the risk of incarceration among veterans who were racial/ethnic minorities and compared sociodemographic and clinical characteristics to White incarcerated veterans.

Risk of incarceration and other characteristics of Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans in state and federal prisons.

Objective: The Health Care for Reentry Veterans (HCRV) program provides Veterans Health Administration outreach services to veterans incarcerated in state and federal prisons. This study used HCRV data to compare risk of incarceration of veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF), Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and New Dawn (OND) and other veterans and to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of incarcerated veterans of OEF/OIF/OND.

Methods: Administrative national data were analyzed for 30,968 incarcerated veterans, including 1,201 OEF/OIF/OND veterans, contacted from October 2007 to April 2011.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Justice programs and the sequential intercept model: case examples in national dissemination of intervention for justice-involved veterans.

Veterans are a significant subpopulation in criminal justice populations, comprising between 9% and 10% of arrestee, jail, prison, and community-supervision populations. In order to address the needs of justice-involved veterans, the U.S.

Sobriety as an admission criterion for transitional housing: a multi-site comparison of programs with a sobriety requirement to programs with no sobriety requirement.

Background: This study examined whether homeless clients enrolled in transitional housing programs that required sobriety (SR) as an admission criterion have outcomes comparable to clients enrolled in programs that did not require sobriety (NSR) as an admission criterion.

Methods: A total of 1062 military veterans in 40 transitional housing programs funded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs were grouped based on whether they were in SR or NSR programs and followed over a one-year period after program discharge. Participants in SR and NSR programs were compared on their ratings of the social climate of the program, and housing and psychosocial outcomes.

Comparison of outcomes of homeless female and male veterans in transitional housing.

Homelessness among female veterans is of national concern, but there have been few studies of how they differ from male veterans or whether they have different outcomes. This study compared 59 female and 1,181 male participants in a multi-site study of three VA-funded transitional housing programs over a 1-year period following completion of an episode of treatment. At baseline, female participants were younger, reported more psychiatric symptoms, had shorter histories of homelessness,were less likely to have substance use disorders, and were less likely to be working than males.

Do faith-based residential care services affect the religious faith and clinical outcomes of homeless veterans?

Data on 1,271 clients in three residential care services funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs was used to examine: (1) how religious-oriented programs differ in their social environment from secular programs, (2) how religious-oriented programs affect the religiosity of clients, and (3) how client religiosity is associated with outcomes. Programs were categorized as: secular, secular now but religious in the past, and currently religiously oriented. Results showed (1) participants in programs that were currently religious reported the greatest program clarity, but secular services reported the most supportive environments; (2) participants in programs that were currently religious did not report increases in religious faith or religious participation over time; nevertheless (3) greater religious participation was associated with greater improvement in housing, mental health, substance abuse, and quality of life.

Caveolin-1 and altered neuregulin signaling contribute to the pathophysiological progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Objective: Evaluate if Erb B2 activation and the loss of caveolin-1 (Cav1) contribute to the pathophysiological progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Research Design And Methods: Cav1 knockout and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin, and changes in motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV), mechanical and thermal hypoalgesia, Erb B2 phosphorylation (pErb B2), and epidermal nerve fiber density were assessed. The contribution of Erb B2 to DPN was assessed using the Erb B2 inhibitors PKI 166 and erlotinib and a conditional bitransgenic mouse that expressed a constitutively active form of Erb B2 in myelinated Schwann cells (SCs).

Criminal history as a prognostic indicator in the treatment of homeless people with severe mental illness.

Objective: This study examined the clinical problems and treatment outcomes of homeless people with severe mental illness and a history of incarceration.

Methods: Between May 1994 and June 1998, a total of 5,774 people entered assertive community treatment case management services in the Access to Community Care and Effective Services and Supports (ACCESS) demonstration program at 18 sites in nine states. This study used data from reassessments at 12 months after program entry.

Residential environment and quality of life among seriously mentally ill residents of board and care homes.

This study examined the relationship between residential environment of seriously mentally ill patients living in board and care homes and quality of life. Participants included 162 seriously mentally ill veteran patients living in 26 board and care homes in Los Angeles. Data from structured interviews were used to assess subjective quality of life (satisfaction with living situation and general well-being) and objective quality of life (social functioning and daily activities).