- Over 500 military veterans live in Southwest Tallahassee. That's 4.1% of the population here.
- According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, one in five veterans has symptoms of mental health disorder or cognitive impairment.
- Watch the video above to hear from veterans leaving in our neighborhoods and the program helping them through their personal problems.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Over 500 military veterans live in Southwest Tallahassee. That's 4.1% of the population here.
I'm Terry Gilliam your Southwest Tallahassee, neighborhood reporter.
While veterans live all around the city of Tallahassee, I see how one program helps veterans dealing with invisible wounds.
"The program is great. It's normally trouble that leads you here."
Casey Brantley lives in Tallahassee. He's served in the United States Army for four years.
His transition back into society wasn't a smooth one.
"I was drinking a lot and being irresponsible and I got a DUI. It's a pretty hazardous thing to do."
That led Brantley to a program here in Leon County, designed to better a veteran defendant.
It's a service for our neighbors who are veterans dealing with wounds we can't see.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, one in five veterans has symptoms of mental health disorder or cognitive impairment.
That may lead to behavioral issues, which may lead to run-ins with the law.
"You don't graduate just because it's easy, there's a lot of hurdles you have to go through."
The Leon County Veterans Treatment Court and many partners recognized a need to help those veterans.
Monday, four local veterans graduated from the intensive program.
It's a need that Veteran Treatment Court Judge, Augustus Aikens, says they needed to act swiftly on.
"We moved very quickly to get it going."
I asked Judge Aikens what he hopes for the veterans after graduating, he says.
"The number one hope is that when they leave this program, they go back revitalized
so, they can continue as productive citizens."
Revitalization, it's something veterans and other graduates like Brantley are thankful for.
"Thankfully God led me here to the treatment court; I progressed through the program."
This was the 31st graduation ceremony for the program that started in 2015. At the Leon County courthouse, I'm Terry Gilliam, ABC27.
