Surrounded by judges, county officials and their family and friends, the 32 veterans were lauded for completing the three phases of the specialized court which has a two percent recidivism rate, according to Mike Manko, spokesperson for Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr.
Army veteran Jerrod Stimmel, 43, of Pittsburgh was the keynote speaker who spoke highly of his experience with the court saying, “I was pretty bitter about coming here,but it helped me find the right tools to be successful and now have a new outlook on life.”
Stimmel added, “You didn’t just plead into veterans court; you are accepted raising the bar on your life and taking the opportunity to grow.”
The only female graduate, Colleen Schrecengost, 31, a former Army aviation technician and door gunner on a Blackhawk helicopter, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan said the program, “Changed my outlook on drugs and alcohol.”
Schrecengost who had previously completed three treatment programs at several Department of Veterans Affairs facilities said the Veterans Court program was very helpful to her, although at first she admitted having difficulty in the beginning of the program.
“I started experiencing symptoms of PTSD while I was still in the Army,” she said while she was stationed with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Schrecengost remained quiet and kept her symptoms to herself because she said soldiers who seek help for PTSD while in the military are often looked down upon and shunned by their superiors.
However, Army Spokesperson Wayne Hall at the Pentagon said all military personnel are screened several times if they were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Hall added, soldiers receive a individual screening before they leave Iraq or Afghanistan, are screened again upon their return to the U.S., and receive a third screening approximately six months later.
“Every solider and civilian employee is screened—it’s a requirement,” Hall said. He added, the program, the Department of Defense Post-Deployment Health Assessment/Reassessment has been in place since August 0f 2006 after the military saw a spike in suicides from servicemembers returning from combat.
Chris Sekula of Pittsburgh who served two tours in Iraq as a transportation officer acknowledged he had to complete the assessments, but said “It’s easy to lie on them.” Sekula said that the Army has shunned and discriminated against soldiers who admit to having PTSD symptoms.
“You are still in the Army and admitting to [having PTSD symptoms] could interfere with you being able to preform your job,” he added, and could especially have a negative impact on soldiers who have a security clearance.
The court is geared for veterans who experience PTSD, substance abuse and mental health issues that lead them to being charged with a crime. Court personnel partner with probation officers, health providers and the VA, who work with and assist the veterans with their issues in order for each veteran to have a stable and sober lifestyle.
Started in 2009, the Veterans Court, the first of its kind, has served as a model program for other jurisdictions, and was selected to represent Veterans Courts in a Congressional hearing, Manko said in an email.
This is the first of a two-part series focusing on activities surrounding Veterans Day in Western Pennsylvania.
