These courts are typically local courts dedicated to handling  criminal cases involving veterans with mental health or substance abuse  problems. The VJO Program Operates Through VA Medical Centers and Has Linked Many Post-9/11 Veterans to Supports and Services

		VJO Program Operates Through VA Medical Centers to Respond to Local Needs

The VJO Program operates through VA medical centers. More specifically, VA established broad program parameters  that allow VA medical center officials to set VJO specialists’ activities to  meet the needs of veterans in local criminal justice systems. VA staff said once VJO specialists refer and link veterans to the  appropriate supports and services, they perform follow-up visits with  veterans to ensure they are receiving them. For example:
Specialty courts: VJO specialists provide services to veterans in a  variety of specialty courts, such as veterans treatment courts, drug  courts, and mental health courts. In fiscal year 2015, the VJO Program Served about 46,500 Veterans, Many of Whom Served in Post-9/11 Conflicts and Reported Substance Abuse Problems

In fiscal year 2015, the VJO Program served about 46,500 justice- involved veterans, and the program has experienced steady growth in the  number of veterans served, according to data from VA. During fiscal  years 2012 through 2015, the number of justice-involved veterans  annually served by the VJO Program increased from about 27,000 to  46,500, a 72 percent increase (see fig. VA  planned to obtain information through interviews with 1,500 veterans. VA Has Not Established Performance Goals or Performance Measures

Although VA has developed five broad strategic goals for the VJO  Program and taken steps to evaluate it, VA has not fully measured  progress toward any of the strategic goals because it has developed  neither performance goals nor performance measures, contrary to leading  practices for managing programs. They allow  agencies to monitor and report program accomplishments on an ongoing  basis. This information is useful for some  aspects of program management. VA medical centers have discretion in determining the activities  of VJO specialists. VA Has Identified Capacity Challenges but Has Not Comprehensively Assessed Related Risks or Developed Mitigation Strategies

		VA Identified Key Challenges Related to Justice-involved Veterans’ Demand for Services Outpacing VJO Program Resources

VA identified several key challenges related to the demand for services  outpacing the VJO Program’s resources, which could limit the program’s  capacity to serve all justice-involved veterans. While these  courts can help improve veterans’ mental health and sobriety, the  increase in the number of these courts is a major reason for the VJO  Program’s workload challenges, according to VJO specialists, VISN  officials, VA central office officials, and justice system partners we  interviewed. This online system improves the jails’ identification  process compared with the self-identifying process currently used by  most jail administrators. VA Has Not Comprehensively Assessed Program Risks, which Would Allow It to Develop Strategies to Mitigate Their Effects

VA has not performed a comprehensive assessment of risks posed by the  challenges the VJO Program faces, which is inconsistent with federal  standards for internal control and one component of effective program  management. In addition, VA’s lack of performance goals, as previously discussed,  negatively affects its ability to effectively identify and assess risk. Lacking  comprehensive risk assessments may limit VA’s ability to target areas  posing the greatest risks and, in turn, develop appropriate mitigation  strategies. In written comments, which are reproduced  in appendix III, VA agreed with our recommendations and noted steps it  plans to take to address them. VA did not provide  technical comments. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

The objectives of this review were to examine: (1) how the Veterans  Justice Outreach (VJO) Program delivers services, and the number and  characteristics of veterans served by the program; (2) the extent the  Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has used performance assessment  to help manage the Veterans Justice Outreach Program; and (3) what key  challenges, if any, VA has identified and to what extent the agency has  developed mitigation strategies, as necessary. Selection Criteria for Areas Served by VA Medical Centers in our Review

We selected the nine areas in our review based on the size of the  population of veterans in the area, geographic diversity, VA officials’  recommendations, and proximity to veterans treatment courts.
Why GAO Did This Study

Most veterans transition to civilian life trouble-free. For those who struggle with their transition to the point that they are arrested and jailed, VA created the VJO Program, which connects veterans with supports and services to help avoid re-incarceration. The program relies on VJO specialists to link veterans to treatment. GAO was asked to review the management of the VJO Program.
This report examines 1) how the program delivers services and the number and characteristics of veterans in the program, 2) the extent to which VA uses performance assessment of the program, and 3) the key challenges VA has identified and the extent to which VA has developed mitigation strategies. GAO obtained VA data on program participants for fiscal years 2012 through 2015; reviewed documents; interviewed VA officials and staff from nine areas served by a VA medical center and selected for their geographic diversity and differences in the structures of local criminal justice systems; and in three of the areas interviewed criminal justice system stakeholders and veterans. While information from these interviews cannot be generalized, they provide insights on program challenges and operations.

What GAO Found

The Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Program—created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—operates through VA medical centers to provide services to veterans involved in local criminal justice systems, and in fiscal year 2015 served about 46,500 veterans, mostly men and many diagnosed with mental health or substance abuse problems. Officials from VA medical centers manage more than 260 VJO Program specialists who identify veterans in jails and local courts, assess their health and social needs, and link them to supports and services. VJO specialists monitor veterans' services and treatment in courts dedicated to veteran offenders. According to VA data, the number of veterans served by the program increased 72 percent from fiscal years 2012 - 2015. In addition, many veterans involved in the program were Post-9/11 veterans; about two-thirds were diagnosed with one or more mental health problems.
VA has taken some steps to incorporate a performance assessment system into the VJO Program, one component of effective program management (see figure). Specifically, VA developed strategic goals and plans to conduct evaluations. However, VA has not established performance goals with related targets, timeframes, and performance measures for any of the program's five broad strategic goals. VA officials told GAO they have not taken this step, in part, because VA medical centers have flexibility in determining the activities of VJO specialists. GAO's past work has highlighted strategies that agencies can use in this situation, such as developing measures based on common activities. Best practices call for agencies to establish performance goals and associated performance measures. Until VA incorporates performance goals and measures, it will lack a systematic way to obtain ongoing information to identify possible underperforming areas for improvements.
VA identified several key challenges—most of which were related to the demand for services outpacing the program's resources—but has not fully developed appropriate mitigation strategies. One key challenge, for example, is addressing increased program demand as jail administrators more widely use VA's online system that better identifies incarcerated veterans. In addition, a major reason for the demand-resource imbalance is the heavier workload of VJO specialists serving veterans in an expanding number of courts dedicated to veterans, according to VA officials and stakeholders that GAO interviewed. However, GAO found that VA did not comprehensively identify and assess risks posed by each of the key challenges it identified, contrary to federal internal control standards. Absent a comprehensive risk assessment, VA is not well-positioned to develop appropriate strategies to mitigate the greatest risks, which may limit its ability to help justice-involved veterans receive assistance and avoid re-incarceration.

What GAO Recommends

To improve program management, VA should establish performance goals and measures and conduct a comprehensive risk assessment. In commenting on a draft of this report, VA agreed with the recommendations and discussed actions it plans to take to implement them.