coming school year, we will be a -- adopting college and career-ready standards across all dod schools. so our military kids can hit the ground running in college and be first in line for 21st century jobs. dod schools are only a small part of military child education. as you all know. more than 90% of military children attend local public schools. working hand-in-hand with groups like this is essential to pushing progress outside the department's own schools. we are working together to make moving easier on kids. one way is by creating a military dependent student identifier which lets parents, educators, and schools track performance, funnel resources, and make smart policy decisions on behalf of our military children over their entire educational careers.

if we know how particular groups of kids are performing, we can better target resources to maximize their success. dod firmly supports creating the identifier. we greatly appreciate the ironclad support. thank you. we are also working to extend our reach in creative ways. case in point, our competitive educational partnership grant program, where funds go towards local schools with 15% or more number of military kids enrolled. those funds recently paid for stem partnership that helped more than 10,000 high school students earn ap exam scores that qualify them for college credit. that is an incredible return on investment. i am proud to say that this year's round of funding totals $52 million. i want to thank you once again

for your continued support for this program. let me make clear that we are also open to new ideas. i have shared with you some of the ideas that we have, but we are looking for more. i hope all of you will think of us as a partner and a resource as you tackle these challenges in your districts and your neighborhoods. i want to close with the story about a visit i made to an air base in japan this past april during the month of the military child. i had a chance to spend some quality time with military families and kids, and of course for me, it's the best part of this job is just that hands-down. i met some five-year-old students who were making birdfeeders in a craft class. in my day, i remember we made ashtrays. [laughter]

secretary carter: it goes to show how priorities and times have changed. to boost our military children's potential, we have to change too. our security demands it. the force of the future demands it. flexible, thorough support of our military families and kids demands it. together, we can meet that demand. i can tell you they are resourceful and resilient, i can tell you they are courageous, compassionate, and i can tell you that they are proud of their parents and proud to serve alongside them, but instead, i will let a military child tell you in their own words. there was a poem published by katie, a sixth grader who goes to school in new mexico. her poem is entitled "military girl." i'm going to recite a few lines. "i am not in the rank of command orders i do not get but my dad is the one who does

this i cannot forget i am not the one who fires the weapon who puts my life on the line but my job is just as tough i am the one who left friends behind my dad makes the sacrifice my dad works to keep his country free but so do my mom, brother, sister, and me even though i might get a little wild i stand with the rank known as military child." that poet, katie, is one of nearly 2 million military children whose parents serve a among our active-duty guard and reserves. that is the scope of our education challenge and our opportunity. marguerite, katie, thousands of kids like them, give us a glimpse of the grit and wisdom of military children.

and need to make their lives work. our mission is to have their back, to cheer them on, to make sure their stories are success stories, happy stories, and stories of fulfilled lives. because the brave men and women who defend our freedoms and risk their lives all over the world to serve the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their families are being taken care of back home. thank you for all you do to promote that. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] >> coming up live later today, a look at what is next for turkey following the recent election.

it is hosted by the bipartisan policy center. >> that all of you -- thank you for your support. thank you. [applause] >> my hope is that the women of the future will feel truly free, i thinkhatever path -- they thought the white house was so glamorous and your role was so glamorous, your life was so glamorous. sawthis all -- all they were the parties and meetings with people. i never worked harder in my life. >> nancy reagan served as

longtime political partner, ferocious protector and ultimately for caregiver for president reagan did\/. she made it drug use for some major initiative with her just say no campaign. 8:00 p.m. night at eastern on c-span's original series, first ladies come influence and image come examining the public and private lives of the women who fill the position of first lady and their influence on the presidency from martha washington to michelle obama. eastern on:00 p.m. c-span3. two things are very different today. we have a justice system -- these trials were not held according to modern law. hearsay is perfectly acceptable come innocent until proven guilty had not yet in this was

not yet in place. there were no lawyers. the courtroom is next really unruly place. -- an extremely unruly place. >> stacey talks about her book, the witches, salem 1692. the scope and effect of the accusations and trials on the massachusetts community. >> an interesting part of the accusations is that wealthy merchants were accused of witches, sea captains were accused of witches, homeless five-year-old girls were accused of witches. we have five male victims come including a minister here. we don't burn the witches, we hang them. encrusted inmuch myth and so much misunderstanding here that i thought was important to dispel.

>> sunday night on c-span's q&a. all day today, we have been showing you the scene around the nation's war morals and washington, d.c. this is a live picture at the korean war veteran memorial. the 5.8 million americans who served in the armed forces during that conflict. the memorial took about three years to build. about 3.5 million people visit the memorial each year. members of congress are weighing in with comments on veterans day. -- we showed his profile interview last hour. he tweets out "thank you to my fellow veterans who served our country proudly. it's important to remember the sacrifices made."

[indiscernible chatter] >> as we continue to show you a look around the korean war "we'll our vets our deepest gratitude, not just today, but every day. happy veterans day."

owe our vets. v the veteransok at arrested on drug-related charges. speakers include robert mcdonald and patrick murphy. the national association of drug court professionals and justice for vets hosted the event. it is about two hours. [applause] >> thank you and welcome to the third annual vet con. the largest that core con ever. it is a privilege to stand in the presence of so many dedicated criminal justice professionals, veterans, service members and supporters of veterans treatment court's. it's inspiring to witness what a talented, committed group of people can accomplish. honorst of all, it is an

to be in the presence of so much passion, so much commitment and so much heart. qualitiesof these making justice for america's veterans a reality. i'm excited about the next four days of education, collaboration , advocacy and innovation we will all share together. i would like to welcome our friends were here today representing the nation's leading veterans organizations. thank you for your support here today. [applause] >> i want to offer a special welcome to the volunteer veteran mentors in the audience who will be attending the seventh mentor rps boot camp.

our largest boot camp class ever. thank you for continuing your service to this nation as a mentor to your fellow veterans. thank you. [applause] we are excited to share the stage with you on thursday when you will be sworn in as the justice for bets national orps.an mentor cr bae systems for their commitment. [applause] i would like to take a moment to acknowledge all the active-duty and reserve and national guard service members, veterans and their families who are with us today. we also want to keep close in our hearts and minds all the members of the armed forces on

whose shoulders the security of our nation rests. whether it is here at home or abroad. vets leads the national effort to champion veterans treatment courts. it is our honor to serve you nationally and locally. there is strength in numbers and this year, we come together as a field stronger than we have ever been. , i stood before you and said that we collectively are helping over 7000 veterans. today, i'm proud to stand before you and report that we are helping more than 11,000 veterans. [applause] 11,000 veterans who would otherwise be incarcerated are receiving life-saving treatment

in veterans treatment courts all across this country thanks to you and the work being done every single day. nearly 20 states have passed legislation relating to veterans treatment courts and governors from texas to missouri, north carolina to oklahoma have made veterans treatment a vital part of their legislative agenda. on capitol hill, veteran treatments court has garnered massive bipartisan support which has led to record funding. what is perhaps the most exciting is the fact that veteran treatments courts have permeated the public consciousness. the impact you have far extends beyond the courtroom. it can be found around the dinner table's where our graduates and their families gather. in the hallways and universities and colleges where our graduates are working towards their

futures. at local businesses where veterans treatment court graduates are among the most interested -- most trusted and valued employees. it is present every time and veteran mentor finds a sense of belonging by being of service to a fellow veteran. success comes tremendous responsibility. we must double down our efforts to expand veterans treatment courts. we must put a veterans treatment court within reach of every veteran in need. expanding capacity of existing programs come implement a new veterans treatment courts and committing to evidence-based practices and seeking new opportunities for collaboration. that is what we are doing here this week. i'm excited about the credible agenda we have put together for you. , thethe next four days

session will cover key issues facing veterans treatment courts and justice involved veterans. this week is not just about the sessions. throughout the conference, there will be discipline specific breakouts. you will have the opportunity to learn from one another. tomorrow, we will have two general sessions to choose from. brian meyer is back to present on the complex interaction of ptsd, pain and substance abuse. we will screen the critically acclaimed documentary "that which i love destroys me." which will be followed by an engaging panel discussion. morning, we will gather right here in this room at 8:00 a.m. to kick off capitol hill day. this is our greatest opportunity to tell our members of congress to support increased funding for veterans treatment courts. i hope you will all be there because we all know how critical ofs is to the success

these programs. if you're able to on wednesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m., come by the building on capitol hill and sit in on a briefing i will be hosting on veterans and substance abuse. you will not want to miss the kickoff here 8:00 because it will feature the hilarious alonzo. thursday, we will close with an inspiring ceremony. i know that some of the most important moments of this conference will take place in the hallways over dinner and between sessions. represent the very best of our criminal justice system. treatment andof the very best of veterans affairs. you are transforming the courtroom. you are transforming our

communities and transforming this great nation. the most exciting part of this conference will be seeing all of you share your ideas and make lasting connections. valor is not limited to the battlefield. valor means it showing courage in the face of adversity. courts areeatment defined by valor. to fight toor implement a veterans treatment court. to transform the way veterans in the justice system are handled in this country. it takes valor to continue to serve your nation by volunteering as a mentor to your brothers and sisters who are struggling at home. and of course, the incredible .raduates show valor every day

by accepting the help being offered in doing the difficult work of facing their demons head-on with strength and dignity. they are heroes in every sense of the word. and so are all of you. veterans fought for our freedom. thank you all for fighting for iers. on may 13, many of us awoke to the news that an amtrak train had derailed outside of philadelphia. , it became broke clear that the disaster would happen far worse had it not been for the heroic actions of many of the passengers who helped pull people from the wreck. it should come as no surprise that at least one of these

heroes was a veteran. treatmentand veterans court champion patrick murphy. brihave done more to dge the civilian military divide than patrick murphy. patrick became the first iraq war veteran to serve in congress where he represented pennsylvania's eighth district. congresss two terms in , patrick thought for the largest increase in veterans benefits in american history. led the charge to repeal don't ask don't tell and championed the passage of the post-9/11 g.i. bill which has already helped over one million veterans. [applause] >> i think that deserves an applause, too. [applause] >> patrick is now a partner at the national law firm and the host of the only national news

show dedicated to veterans issues, msnbc's taking the hill. patrick is also a dedicated husband and father to his wife, jenny, and his two beautiful children, jack and maggie. patrick is with us today because of his unyielding support for justice for events and veterans treatment courts. whether it's hosting a roundtable discussion, promoting msnbcn treatment court on or offering his expertise and , patrickon key issues has been among our most ardent supporters. i have known patrick for 10 years now. i am proud and honored to call him my friend.

i have never met anyone with more energy than patrick murphy. guy fueled by a passion for and commitment to serving others. he is a man of incredible integrity and humility. he has the courage of his convictions. i have always seen him do what he believes is right. even when the cost to him will be very high. patrick is an aspirational figure not only to me, but to countless others. i'm thrilled that we have the heretunity to honor him today. ladies and tillman, please join me in presenting the justice for events ambassador award -- ladies and gentlemen, please

join me in presenting the justice for vets ambassador award to patrick murphy. [applause] >> i can hold it for you, if you want. >> thank you. of course i trustee. thank you so much. what a way to start the week. it is good to be with everybody. thank you so much. we have been friends for over a decade. she is one of my closest friends the world. it is an honor to be here and i do want to say thank you to the interim ceo. thank you for your leadership. the board chair, thank you both for your leadership.

and for everybody here. [applause] we like to speak sometimes too much, so i will keep it short and sweet. i want to say three things. the first is thank you, thank you, thank you for what you do for our veterans. many of you in this room are veterans and many of you are not. there is a civilian military divide right now in our nation. weecially when you look at are in iraq and afghanistan, the longest wars in american history. have gone to fight these wars. when they come home, most of them are doing great things. most of them are incredible inic assets, like generations past. they are more likely to vote, more likely to lead organizations, more likely to run successful small businesses.

as you know, many of them do fall through the cracks. we have an ethic that we leave no one behind. because of efforts like yours, thousands are not being left behind. heard me talk about this, talk about justice for vets. it is a life or death movement for so many. it is because of you in this room and your counterparts back home that are making a real difference, literally saving lives of folks who have been forgotten. from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for this award and more importantly for what you do for veterans. the second thing i want to mention is there are other heroes in this room, people like barbara. when you look at our generation

of veterans, the over 500,000 not suffer from genetic brain injury or ptsd disorder. courtrooms. in your you see them in a mentorship program. is rooma sudden th have the opportunity to be part of the solution. all of us cannot thank you enough. -- i was thinking about it yesterday. 22 years ago, i got my commission 19 years ago. i was lucky to go through basic and advanced training and jump out of airplanes. urs overseas. it was not until the amtrak train crash that i got a traumatic brain injury. i was knocked unconscious and i was lucky to be ok. there are frustrating parts

about that. not remembering things, etc. everyone has their different struggles and mine is -- mine pales in comparison. these veterans and their families have given so much. for you to be so selfless and helping them and guiding them to , there is norack amount of words i could say to articulate our nation's gratitude. a lot of folks talk a big game. you are the ones at family events, you are the ones paying extra hours, you are the ones going above and beyond your jobs and your professions to do what is right. thank you so much. the third and last thing i want to mention, i try to make sure i i had two-

grandfathers who served in world war ii. we need to recognize the vietnam generation. generationvietnam are such incredible heroes because they never had a victory day. much like we won't in iraq or afghanistan. it was the vietnam generation that made sure that whether people were for the war or against the war, we learned because of the vietnam generation that when these men and women come home, we treat them with dignity and respect. we separate the war from the warrior. it is not the military that has to go -- it is the political class of this country. they just execute what they were told to do. who weream generation not treated the right way when they came home, they were the

about- when you talk buffalo, new york, i would like to give a shout out to the judge , the 82nd airborne guy behind the scenes, it was that tech team there that you are the ones that made it right for our generation. there are still too many of us veterans who have fallen through the >>. 22 veterans per day. they commit suicide. it is a national tragedy. there will be a lot more if you did not welcome us with open arms and make sure you knew how grateful we were for your service. thanks so much. it really takes not just

military veterans, civilians dividing our nation. was thinkingthis about the military role, arab or talking to her and saying, you're exactly the right person to be the director. we need someone like you. she is philly. an ivy league school, she was in hollywood. that is why we all love her in this room. there reallyt deserve a round of applause. you are the ambassador of the award today and forever. god bless all of you. thank you very much. [applause]

>> the chernow recognizes the gem it from new hampshire. >> mr. speaker, the science appropriations bill to decrease the funding by $5 million. >> i rise to stand with veterans throughout the country to offer an amendment to seek funds for the veterans initiative. >> the other thing i think is so important is the drug force. >> this would increase funding by $1 million. in my home state, i let it. >> increase federal resources to this program nationwide. worked out spectacularly well in many crisis -- places throughout the country.

>> i have seen firsthand the difference the courts can make. >> fortunately, specialized treatment courts are being developed across the country. effective they can be. >> more than 11,000 that's enrolled in veterans treatment courts. >> they are doing an amazing job with a team of professionals, truly saving one life at a time and providing a last chance for our veterans. by $3t would increase million the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2015 for the drug courts program. we do not have to waste taxpayer dollars in jail. journal courts work. we do not have to be content with a system not effectively serving the people it is supposed to. the drug court approach reduces crime by as much as 45% and we have programs to help and save money.

invested juglar courts, taxpayers save as much as $27 when compared to the historic approach. severely. >> i think it makes a lot of sense. >> i just think this is something that deserves the support. >> i accept the amendment and eight -- and i yield back. >> don't miss the capital kickoff right here wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. >> hello, everybody. i'm a graduate of the philadelphia veterans court. [applause] for those of you who do not know, philadelphia is the earth place of the greatest fighting force this world has ever known. the united states marine corps. proud to be from

philadelphia. i'm proud to be a marine. i am proud to be a graduate of the veterans court. iraq, i wasned from lost. i had nowhere to turn. four days after being home from iraq, i got arrested for aggravated assault and i found myself in a jail cell all by myself. did not end there. there was no veterans court when i returned. seven arrests later and almost a year of my life in jail, you know, that lost feeling. i wish i would have had a veterans court from the beginning. i would not have gone through everything. i was addicted to drugs and ptsd -- to coke with

cope with ptsd. i lost my daughter. i lost my family. i lost a lot. someone said to me, ptsd and i said no way. not me. i'm a big adler arena and i do not get anything like that. eventually, my family was able to get me in to the veterans hospital where i received treatment for the drugs and alcohol. 4, i had for years clean and sober from drugs and alcohol. [applause] even though i put the drugs down, there were still issues i had to address. the monster on my back known as ptsd. i had an episode while driving

my car. arrest and il ended up in philadelphia veterans court. the first day i got there, i thought i would be treated like . would in any other court room i had my first court date. i left there and i went to the korean war memorial on veterans day where i have seen judge dugan. i have seen both of them speak. i said, these guys they care and they get it and they do not talk it, they walk it as well. my next court date when i got into court, i walked in and everybody knew my name and it blew me away. finally, i was not just another number. . found a home there

when i got two veterans court, i found it to peer support. i was around other veterans like me. they knew what i was going through in what i needed. it did wonders for me and i finally found a home. was my last arrest. i have not been arrested since and i'm living proof steny hoyer today that veterans courts work. [applause] i know have my daughter back in my life. [applause] mother, myer beautiful wife. we know have another daughter named fiona who i love to death.

it is all because of veterans court. it is crazy. i see rich bauer, the prosecutor in our court. to have the prosecutor of a ifrt here supporting me, that is not living proof, i do not know what is. [applause] my mother, i put her through hell and she smiles now every time she sees me. that is because of people like dugan,own, judge patrick rich bauer, and a host of other people who lead the way every day. i'm grateful to be here today. i will close with, we are going to capitol hill on wednesday. i will lead the way if everybody follows me so i expect to see everybody over there.

thank you. [applause] >> from one marine to another, thank you for sharing your inspiring story with us and for being a shining example of strength, honor, and resilience that embodies our veterans. thank you for continuing to serve our country as a mentor in veterans court. i am proud to serve as a project manager. all across the country, my fellow veterans stand ready to be of service. thanks to veteran treatment courts, thousands are volunteer

mentors to veterans in crisis. there is no bond as strong as one that exists between those who served our country. i am proud to report that over the next 2.5 days, nearly 100 veterans from across the country will be attending the veteran mentor boot camp, where they will learn how to transfer the into healing and empowerment. i would like to ask all the mentors in the room to stand and big knowledge. [applause] thank you, ladies and gentlemen. i will be seeing you soon. don't be late. in the early years of the war afghanistan,aq and

barbara and a group concerned about the mental health implications on our troops, they licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the washington dc .rea for over 20 years she was determined to take action. in 2005, she found a national network of mental health professionals who provide free services to u.s. troops, veterans, loved ones, and their communities. today, the network has over 7000 providers who have collectively given over $16 million worth of services. barbara's work has made the mental health of our veterans a national issue. work of the world families, and an expert in support of active duty service members, veterans, and

families. she carries her message throughout the media and is on the newnjured york times, wall street journal, washington post, good morning america. media outlets as stars and stripes and usa magazine and the pentagon channel. barbara is the recipient of too exist, -- to list. time magazine named her one of the world. today, noweadership leading the campaign to change direction. a collective impact effort to change the culture of mental health in america. honored to partner with given hour on this effort and i am thrilled to welcome miss barbara to tell you all about it but first, take a look.

>> today, nearly one in five americans are living with a froml health condition, our children and grandparents to our veterans and neighbors. for all of us, our mental well-being is just as important as our physical health. unfortunately, most of us do not know how to recognize the signs that someone is in emotional distress. who are having difficulty cannot get the help they need. together, we can change it. we can start by visiting change direction.org, and learning five science that may mean someone is struggling and they need help. to showen up to us compassion and reach out, connect, help folks find the hope and support they need. together, we can change the story about mental health in america and together, we can change direction.

[applause] >> ms. barbara. [applause] thank you. barbara: good morning. talk.oing to walk and it helps me think. i want to thank melissa and caroline for inviting me to come be with you this morning. what you all do is incredibly important for me for a number of reasons. i will talk in a few minutes about stories because we all have them. you aren't a little bit about my story and i will tell you more. int will hopefully put me the context of how i came to be here this morning. my father was a veteran of world war ii who served in the pacific. many young men, he lied

about his age to join the navy p or he was a first-generation american who loved his country. when the call came for young men and got in cheated early. he saw combat and many things he never talked about to his kids. he came home and i grew up in california and when he came back, he decided he wanted to to thes young family country. he moved to the san joaquin valley and i have three older brothers. all looked like the american train. my dad, like many of our veterans, combat affects you and he came back with what we now

would say was posttraumatic stress. we did not have words for it back then. we do not have labels for it back then. the important legacy of the vietnam veterans to the vietnam alsoan area of veterans helped mental health professionals understand posttraumatic stress, what it is , and to begin to learn how to respond to it. my dad came back in i was not born yet. he decided he wanted to move our family to california. unfortunately, that move precipitated a psychotic break and -- in my mom and she was diagnosed later as schizophrenic. my dad was very traditional, a veteran, tattoos on his arm, and he had to now be the dad and the mom and he stepped up like many of our veterans did and he took mom of us and he helped my

as much as he could. in the early 1960's, there was not much treatment. time went on and my mom and dad stay together until i was about eight. and then they split up. mom, like so many of the mentally ill in my country, she felt through the >> and we lost track of her. i did not see her for 43 years. i have seen her recently and that is another part of the story i will not talk about -- we are it is a proud and happy we were able to find her after all these years. i grew up and became a clinical psychologist, moved east to go to graduate school. was standing in bethesda, maryland, holding my one-year-old daughter on 9/11 and i thought, i want to do something. at there was not anything clinical psychologist could do to really help.

was passed and one day i joining a few years later with my nine-year-old and four-year-old daughters in the card. we saw homeless veterans and my daughter, who was nine at the time and is now 19, erupted with an outrage and she said mom, how could we let this happen to the men and women who served our country? she knew my dad had served as she never got to know my dad because he passed away laos 27. it was that moment that i decided, i can do something. me, mental health professionals. that is what i did. i read nonprofits for dummies because i knew nothing about creating a nonprofit. but that is a great book if you ever want to start one. it kind of goes step-by-step. and i found a given hour. time passed and we started free services.

160,000 hours of free care to those who served and their families. i knew that we had to form a relationship. together. fits more time passed and we had another national tragedy. it was this time the sandy hook shootings in connecticut. it was at that time the white house reached out to me and it was a huge honor that i was asked to take a look at what we need to do in our country to change what is happening in mental health. why are people falling to the >> ? while most people who experienced special health disorders and have a mental illness are the recipients of react when someone does as a result of delusions or hallucinations or severe trauma or any other number of combination of factors,

sometimes, it can be horrifically tragic and we need to do better at identifying people early. gather thisto together. came up with a simple concept. we are starting with something simple. of alike we know the signs heart attack, we can learn the sign for someone is suffering emotionally and needs our help. we all know the signs of a heart attack or defend one in is audience right now started to chest pain,heck -- sweat profusely, shortness of breath, the people around you would say, oh my gosh, this could be a heart attack and you take action. we do not do that for people suffering emotionally. sometimes, we do not even know what we are seeing.

sometimes we know something is wrong that we do not step in to help. these five signs that everyone can recognize, personality change, withdrawal, agitation, lack of personal care and homelessness. patrick mentioned 22 veterans in thiscommit suicide country. 42,000 americans commit suicide this past year. more than die in car accidents. can change that by beginning to reach out in connecticut offer help you saw the first lady say we are very proud of the partnership we have with justice for vets. and the national association of drug professionals. we are proud to work with all of you. what will happen because of the istnership is the mentors they will be working with veterans and identifying recognizing when someone is in need. courtroom professionals will learn the signs.

and folks all throughout the justice system, because of our partnership, will recognize when someone is in need of mental health care and support. about stories. we all have stories, you all have stories that brought you here. you heard mine. you each have one and i guarantee, because we know one with a of us are dealing diagnosable mental health condition at any point in time, but that means look around. a lot of us are here and we are weductive and we deal and engage and we do our jobs. all of you understand the impact mental health needs can have on our veterans. storiesur veterans have . you heard if you already this morning. amazing stories, inspirational stories.

there but for the grace of god go i, right? all of the veterans who end up in the court system, it was their story. it was a combination of factors. it was what the experience in combat. theys genetics that maybe came into that experience with a predisposition that set them up to experience the trauma in a certain way. it was life and family circumstances. it was a lack of a job, a lack of education, a long break. we all have stories. there were things that we can all do to ensure that the stories of our veterans are the way we want for them, the stories they want for themselves, the stories their families deserve, the stories that they deserve. justice, and thank you, melissa, for everything you are doing.

thank you all for the service you are providing. as many vietnam veterans have said to me and have written to for our 7000 providers for providing free health care. they say the vietnam generation says if we had had what you are doing, and i would say, if they have had what you are doing, so many fewer people would have suffered unnecessarily. thank you all and i look forward to seeing you throughout the rest of the day. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, barbara. i am a united states navy veteran. and a proud graduate of buffalo corps.s treatment [applause]

i am the first graduate of buffalo veterans treatment corps and also one of the first grid -- veteran graduates who came back to become a mentor also. [applause] but i was not always a proud veteran. my story goes back to oakland, california. in the navy from 1975 to 1979. i got out of the navy, i know nothing about the v.a., i knew nothing about anything. i got a job at the united states postal service and my addiction took over. i suffer from the disease of addiction and mental health issues. i knew none of that. all i know is i used to live and lived to use.

californiaey from back to new york state , i suffered from despair, degradation, jails, institutions, over and over and over again. i lost two families. i have a set of twin daughters, back when i was in the service, that i have no connection with. must say i leave that in god's hands. it is only because of his mercy because i hear. i must thank god for doing what he has done for me. [applause] my god is in my midst every day. losing the two families, the first one, my set of twins, and then i was married again for seven years, the disease of addiction, divorced out of that family. i also lost one daughter. to a drunk driver.

daughter of the second marriage is now in new orleans. i have a slight relationship with her and for that, i am truly grateful. backse when i was building up a relationship with her, she said, dad, i do not know exactly where you will fit into my life, so i will fit you and where i can and i said thank you. --ause i had left her where when she was seven years old and i was truly grateful she would fit me and p are we now do e-mail back and forth. she gets back to me when she can. i want to get right back to veterans treatment court. in 2008, when judge russell, hank, jack o'connor, sat down and put this thing called a veterans treatment court together, it was the best day of my life. my journey from california back to new york, once again, i was

jailed in institutions. that is where i met my third wife, and i am glad to say and proud to say, i am still with her 24 years later. [applause] my oldest son of the family is here with me today. manny the third. [applause] two areife and my other living it up in myrtle beach right now. [laughter] but, veterans treatment court, i was in regular drug court before. it was not working out for me. i was continuously going to jail. i was continuously coming back on warrants. and then when they developed the veterans treatment court in 2008, i was transferred into that court. by being transferred into the court, a spirit came over me i

did not truly understand. when i walked into the court in handcuffs, again, being returned judgearrant again, russell said something to me that no one else had ever said. he said, thank you for your service. there wereod up and some guys standing over to the side. they happened to be the mentors, which i knew nothing about your jack o'connor is my mentor. they were standing to the side andthen based debt up everybody in the gallery of the court room stood up and they all started applauding me. , i did not know what to say. i did not know what to do. i am like, what kind of court in my in. where they applaud you for coming out of jail. [laughter] court, i reunited with

my family. i am also a graduate of the community college, with an associates degree. i'm a graduate of the university of buffalo with a naturalistic great. veterans treatment court does work and i am proud proof and tim is also. said, i am ang proud employee of the veterans of the va hospital buffalo, new york, as a peer support specialist, which god gave me the grace to give back to veterans what was freely given to me and i am truly grateful for that. wonderful staff at the va hospital at the mental health division, which, they do not know my past. they know my future and my present. they are like, we cannot really understand that is who you were. and i might, yes, but that is

who i was in not who i am today. for that, i would like to thank tristan, who held my hand through the whole thing. i called her and tested her constantly and she said no problem. would like to thank adam, the rest of the staff, dave, and truly i would like to thank judge russell, jack o'connor, and i know she is probably out there, but pam, wherever she is. there she is. all right. truly hadpeople who their foot in my behind, literally speaking, that i could make it. thank you for the conference and allowing me to come. it is truly an honor and a privilege and i hope you all enjoy the rest of the conference. thank you. [applause]

>> good morning everyone. i am butch, united states army, retired. 31 years, three months, two days. you laugh but i guarantee you every veteran here can tell you exactly how long he or she served. ,ore importantly, i am the son united states army, retired infantry, 36 years of service. dropout, private e1 to kernel. 100% disabled veteran. i went to see him. dinner with my mom and dad. told him what i was going to do today and i said, do you have any advice, he said after he he said,or a minute, don't embarrass your family. [laughter] i will do my test.

that is our family's legacy of service. but we are not done, just like you, we know there is work yet to be done. you realize that, otherwise, you would not be here right now. i are new to and the conversation. we join a conversation that for years has been led by our nation's veterans service organizations. we are so proud to have in our audience today, so proud to join us over the course of the next few days. we thank you not just for being here today, for all of our leadership and attendees, but we thank you for leading the conversation, we thank you for being our advocates on the hill,

and for driving policy every day , that positively affects our veterans. to all of our leaders and members, thank you for being here and for what you have done for us all. [applause] i am grateful to our next presenter. judge robert russell. judge russell reminded me of three things. he reminded me that the law in is hands of honorable people the greatest force for good in this country. me that courts are government and our communities can, if they want, make a difference, and can solve problems.

reminded me why, since the 10th grade, in mr. young's constitutional law classes in kansas, why wanted to be a lawyer. i am grateful to judge russell. but let's have a private moment here because judge russell and his posse from buffalo come with a warning. this is between us. the warning is, if you take one you areo his courtroom, sucked into a four text of service you cannot ever get out of. nor do you want to get out of that vortex of service. there one brief visit up and i knew, this is where i wanted to be. this is where my wife and i wanted to devote our continued service to the nation. i am grateful.

anticipate that when you make that step and visit, as judge holder and his crew are going to do soon, and you visit buffalo on you meet the judge, and you meet jack, and you meet patrick and everyone else up the vortexill be in of service and just like i am, you will be eternally grateful to judge russell for the single individual who brought all of us here today and who has wrought veteran treatment courts to where they are at this time in our history. please welcome to the stage judge robert russell. [applause] thank you, judge. robert: thank you. thank you major general. i am honored to share the stage

with someone of such profound service to this nation. i appreciate your kind words. to tim and manny, thank you very for sharing part of you and your story today. to the men and women who have worn the uniform or presently wear the uniform, thank you very much for your service. as i look out at the room and see all of you, i am filled with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for you and all of the work that you are doing to come to the aid of our veterans. i know many of you have implemented veterans treatment courts and because you were told and you did it, not because you were told to, but because you

saw it was the right thing to do. you all helped this nation live up to its ideal of leaving no veteran behind. when there is a veterans treatment court within reach, of every veteran in need, it will be because of you. the pioneers. and the inspired action you took to come to the and of the veteran in crisis. thank you all for the work you do day in and day out on behalf of those who have served. a few weeks ago, i have the honor of meeting with robert the v.a.,secretary of secretary mcdonald is a man who has, time and again, answered the call of duty to his and our

nation. he graduated from the united states military academy at west point in the top 2% of his clasp. in 1975. an army veteran. mr. mcdonald served with it is andnd airborne division completed jungle, arctic, desert warfare training. earned the ranger tab, the infantryman badge, senior parachute or swing. upon leaving military service, was awarded the service medal. mr. mcdonald's's expertise as a is equaled by his business acumen. earned an mba from the university of utah in 1978 and

he has had a storied career in the private sector. before joining the v.a., secretary mcdonald was chairman, president, and chief executive officer of procter & gamble. a company where by every measurable metric, he was an astounding success. but throughout his career, mr. thenald carried with him values he learned from his military service and when his nation called once again upon him for service, he accepted without hesitation. toretary mcdonald's devotion country is equaled by his devotion to those who defend it. he was confirmed by the united as the eighth

secretary of veteran affairs on july 29 of 2014. in the years since, secretary has set about restoring the nation's's trust in the has, establishing the v.a. both that itn in should be and that it can be. he has established an extraordinary degree. he can bring all state quarters to the table to contribute to help to make the v.a. better. putting the needs and expectations first. v.a. as my v.a.. so the veterans feel a sense of ownership and empowerment in a

system that exists solely for them. it is already working. this year, the v.a. has access to care and completed 7 million more appointments this year than that of last. " capacity required to meet last year's demand. what does the v.a. look like today? sent -- secretary donald. let's take a look. ♪ collects the v.a. has agreed to for southerng california homeless veterans. here to talk about the deal is the u.s. secretary of veterans affairs, robert mcdonald. possible to end homelessness for veterans in southern california by the end of the year? robert: the big idea here, larry is the first step to any

homelessness is the community. all of you who have committed countings to not just a number, but finding each .ndividual story thes also a place alongside l.a. river and the freeway offramp and underneath our thousands, too many people are homeless. >> one thing you learn in the army and in the military service whether thetry, person is alive or dead, we never leave somebody behind. unfortunately, we have left some people behind and they are our homeless veterans. we had the v.a. are totally ofmitted to helping the city los angeles, helping the mayor and all of you achieve the goal

of handling -- ending it. ♪ [applause] >> along with the delegation for the justice, buffalo and hisester veterans, sincerity and his strong support for veterans treatment courts. i can report to all of you that we have someone committed to ensuring the partnership between the veterans treatment court and the v.a. remain strong.

as we all know, mentors are the foundation of the treatment court's success. it occurs to me that during our meeting with secretary mcdonald, for all ofa mentor our veterans. therefore, i think it is only right that we make him an official member of the national ,olunteer veterans mentor core what do you think? [applause] ad you know, we're having veteran mentor boot camp at the conclusion of the boot camp, volunteer. veterans mentor participants will receive

and where one of these shirts when they are inducted. when secretary mcdonald, before you leave today, he will also receive his shirt. ladies and gentlemen, it is with great honor to welcome to the stage our leader of the united states department of veteran affairs. please let us welcome secretary robert mcdonald. [applause] robert: thanks. how are you? that is great. thank you. thank you. that is beautiful.

thank you very much. it is a thrill for me to be here this morning with you. i am the biggest believer in veteran treatment score that there could ever be. i cannot think of any better way ofkeep veterans out incarceration, stop veterans homelessness, and i am so thankful to all of you here today for the work that you do to help us care for veterans. became very clear to me in los angeles, as you may have seen in that film, is that we in the v.a. cannot do this ourselves. we need the help of all layers of government, nine government organizations, businesses, and others, to be able to care in the right way for veterans. it is important to have collaboration and partnerships. i love the picture of judge russell and myself as we are

shaking hands across the table at v.a. because that is the kind of partnership we need to have. that is the kind of collaboration we need to have. [applause] nationally, we have got a monumental task. it has to really be a community effort. we have to work community by community, city by city, state by state. locally, it is a huge undertaking. we know we cannot succeed only from the federal government. we have got to make collaborative connections. 2016 is fast approaching and we in the v.a. have made a number of commitments for the end of 2015. our goal is to end veterans homelessness. we have a huge role to play in and so do you pay or we are incredibly thankful for the partnership. there is a link between justice involvement and homelessness.

if i was looking at all the studies i looked at as i came in to the rule, it was very clear. if incarceration is like a one-way ticket to homelessness, if we could work together to end incarceration, we have a great of endingendless -- homelessness fairly. we need to give veterans and inextricablethat link. ago, president obama described the united states as a nation of second chances. i deeply believe that. nobody deserves a second chance more than those who have protected our country, the 1% that has protected the 100% of our country. they gave us the opportunity to prosper. they preserved our liberty and our freedom. how many of you are veterans in this room? if you would not mind, please stand up and accept applause of

all of us here. [applause] thank you for your service. how many of you are serving through mentor boot camp? [applause] thanks for your commitment. a commitment to make people's lives even better. there is nothing more mobile than to live a life of purpose. wouldn't it be terrible to meander through life without direction? all of you have purpose and that is represented by you being here. story,tell you a quick probably a store you are familiar with. an old man and a young man.

a beach.an is on the beaches littered with up and down the beach, and the tide has gone out. the starfish were kind of baking in the sun and were vulnerable to lose their lives. feels man would walk the beach and then over and pick up the starfish and throw it back in the seat. the unmanned saw this and as you know, often times when we are young, we become cynical and iconoclastic. oh what aresays, you doing, and i say, i am picking up starfish and the young man said, yeah but, look down and you see thousands and thousands of starfish. there is simply no way you are going to be able to pick up all the starfish and throw them back in the seat. so why bother? a starfish picked up

and he put it back in the water and he said, it makes a difference to just one. difference to just one is really how to measure our lives. difference in the life of at least one person every single day? it is certainly the question i asked myself when i leave my office in the evening. have i made a difference in the life of at least one veteran that day? i am here to thank you for the difference you are making in the lives of so many veterans through the work you are doing. the v.a. think we have the highest order of calling in the world. that is to care for those who are born in the battle, their survivors, and their families. is no higher calling. we also think we have the best values in the world, integrity and commitment and advocacy, that. and excellence.

if we live our lives according to that mission and according to those values, there is no question we could make a difference for all the veterans who served our country. serving justice of all veterans is an important part of that. you are embracing that mission. you have got germs around it and it, as you wrap that around we have many veterans who need us and they need you. look at the marines in this formation. which would you imagine are going to become involved in the criminal justice such -- system? which could you imagine would potentially be homeless? too many have and more will. thanks to you, thanks to you, there is an offramp. and offramp to a second chance. for that, we thank you deeply. you have heard the testimonials. veterans treatment court kept me

.live and kept me going eric said veterans achievements courts offered me the chance of a lifetime. nick stephan of its said veterans treatment court's save my life. i have heard many of these stories. the criminalth justice system and they start with a peer counselor. they start with veterans treatment court's and then the individual goes on and they use the g.i. bill, they get community college training and may be a four-year degree. maybe they even go on to law school and maybe they end up paying a forward like many of you here. working on behalf of other veterans. this is the eye care values at

.ork no other group or people better personify that mission or these values than you do. i pray that god will continue to bless you all in your work. you are helping with one of our priorities, return or reiterate with communities and families. you showed us the way veteran treatments courts is a huge innovation. since judge russell kicked things off, we now have 351 veterans courts nationwide. we are working every day to increase the number of counselors we have to work with you. v.a. leaves the land health care, we have done things like the first liver transplant, cardiac pacemaker, the

first time a nurse came up with the idea to use a barcode to connect patients with medicine and medical records. we invented the nicotine patch. we also invented the shingles vaccine. a lot of innovations have come from the v.a. and we have three nobel prizes and seven awards. one innovation that did not come from the v.a. is the veterans courts. you taught us how to do this. your partnership model, the model of collaboration of the core concept executed federally and locally, tailored to meet every specific need. you have taught us this. it is a perfect example of how communities can collaborate in holistic ways. there is the judge and the court staff supervisor.

there are v.a. and community providers delivering treatment simultaneously. there are volunteer veteran mentors provide a moral support, camaraderie, and training. best in classic kind of collaboration we could possibly have. all of us working together synergistically for the benefit of the veterans. me remind you we are also working hard in all of this to help families as well. it is part of our homelessness but onewe have vouchers of my favorite programs is one that provides support for families. so that we show we are not only caring for the veterans, but we are caring for the family as well. certainly when the veteran joins the service or a servicemember joins the service, the family goes with them. when they deploy, the family goes with them as well. so we have to care for families. ofneed more of that kind

innovation. we need more creative solutions that we can use. we them the v.a. are willing to try anything that will work. is we are concerned about getting the numeric outcome at the end, making sure we get the human outcome of the veteran who is better off. >> we are also working on technological solutions. we are committed to creative approaches to make these partnerships work. you all in this room are at the nexus of justice involvement and homelessness. areant to share where we with homelessness, as you can see by the chart, veteran homelessness is down 33% from 2010 two 2014. it is down 40% for chronic homelessness. this is because of the

president's strong support and his focus and funny we have received. -- funding we have received. funding is important for traditional --transitional housing, employment and job training. since 2008, funding programs benefiting homelessness have increased 170%, from $2.4 billion to $6.5 billion. about a lot more than just money. spende to know how to that money. we have learned what works and very importantly we have learned what does not work. we have settled on evidence-based strategies, they are here on this chart. housing first, what a beautiful strategy. the hierarchy of

needs, we need to get the lowest level needs out of the way first so we can work on the other needs of the veterans. we do not get a veteran under a roof there is no way to work on treatment. so temporary housing is the most important thing to do first, then deal with other issues that may have caused homelessness. second, no wrong door. coordinating the assessment and entry systems and providing help, no matter where the veteran turns. i love it when i go into a city see and angeles and i access program where every door you go in leads to the same access, to treatment and housing. outreach and engagement, seeking homeless veterans, getting to know them and their needs, sharing with partners. we are doing a good job of trying to hire social workers

and counselors, there is no substitute for the peer counselor, for the veteran who has been there, then through the need, i was recently in tucson. there are a lot of veterans there homeless and i met a young man, doug, who literally goes into the desert and comes back in andngs veterans put some under a roof. the fact that he has been to the desert and he has been homeless, hit gives -- it gives him the ability to go into the desert androgen them. that engagement is so important. connecting veterans with services, this is critically important. grassroots mobilization, how do we get things mobilized at the local level, get the local government involved, local service providers, local landlords. one of the biggest issues we have with homelessness across the country and housing veterans

is finding the landlords willing to rent at the voucher amount. we go into cities, i get with mayors and we ask landlords to get into the room and we say, we would like you to join the mayor's challenge, that you rent to veterans for the voucher amount, we will provide the cure for the veterans, but we need that roof. and many veterans have stood up. the mayor in san francisco told me that he was so thrilled, because the chinese-american community in san francisco saw it as their patriotic duty to rent their spaces to veterans for the correct amount. why can't -- i cannot stress enough the importance of the grassroots effort, only so much can be done nationally, and by a federal agency like the v.a., we provide a strategy and support, the funding, but ending homelessness has to happen community by community.

it is a much more the money, it is people like you that are committed to veterans and evidence-based strategies that work. another community strategy which is working is the mayor's challenge. phoenix, salt lake city, new orleans, they have all reached milestones over the past year. in 2014, new orleans was the first major city to declare that they had ended veterans homelessness. houston recently announced that they have created a system that will help end and prevent homelessness going forward. what we -- but we expect many more cities to declare results over the coming months. let me to you, nobody has done more to help veterans homelessness then first lady michelle obama and the president, they have been there

along the way. they have provided support, leadership and the enthusiasm to get this done. partnership is one of our strategies that really works. we use the same principles in these partnerships that are valuable to your efforts, working within the justice system, involving veterans. , your, we have served know, we in the v.a. are only allowed to serve those who have honorable discharges, so those with a less than honorable discharges, the 15% of veterans that have that, really rely on community partnerships to get that done. i was in boston not long ago and i visited an organization named homebase. homebase has been competition for the viacom a competition to provide care for veterans with post-traumatic stress or with dramatic brain

injuries. i do not think that way. we in the v.a. do not think that we, we embrace all organizations trying to help veterans, we want to partner with them, because homebase not only provides great outcomes for veterans, but post dramatic stress -- with post-traumatic stress, but they help those 15% that we cannot serve by law. so these strategic earner ships are not only critical, they are not only smart for achieving strategies, but in my mind, they morals, there with because we need to make sure that no veteran is left a hind. we also work with --behind. we also work with section eight officers. i recently went on a multi-city labor tomsecretary of chris and others, because we wanted to demonstrate that we in

the federal government are working collaboratively across the departments and we would like to work collaboratively with the cities and counties that we visited. adopting a no wrongdoer philosophy, to ensure that we can get veterans in the care under the roof and in order to do that, we in the v.a. have a strategy called strategic partnerships. we are trying to engage local philanthropy, landlords, business communities, we want to maximize the total number of resources available for all of us to get this done. we also want to leverage your political capital, we will get housing authorities committed to providing units, local veterans service organizations and military bases to donate and volunteer their time. we need to continue to work to build paths to the stronger relationships, bring people to the table, set realistic goals, make plans and execute as one

team with one dream. we in the v.a. are not only trying to improve our numbers as we go, for example, we are working to improve access to medical care, as the judge said, we have more completed appointments over the last year versus the previous year. 20% of those have been same day appointments, the average wait time now nationally is five days for specialty care and four days for primary care, and three days for mental health care. 22% of our completed appointments have been in the community. million have been in the community, two point -- 2 million have been in the v.a. we also work to get the backlog of ames -- claims down, we are 117,000 from aut

peak of 611,000 last march. we are not going to rest until we get that back order claims down to zero. as i have already shown, we are making progress on homelessness. all of that is progress in the right direction, but we are not going to get where we need to be until we transform the v.a. for the long-term and we are in the midst of that now. vhcall this the mighty transformation, that is the way we want you to think about this. we want you to think about the v.a. as if it were your cell phone, personalized and customized for you, the veteran. to do that, we have five started. number one -- improve the veteran experience. we are working hard to train the organization in what great customer service is it we are working with companies like disney, ritz carlton, starbucks and others to learn the best customer service. strategy 2 -- improve the

experience. we know we have no hope in -- of improving the veteran expense until we improve the employee expense. we are working hard to provide the right training, provide the right leadership, and do all of the things we need to do to empower the a employees. third -- we need to improve the support services, the systems are often outdated, the scheduling system that got us into trouble in phoenix, that dated to 1985. when i was in phoenix, i sat down and worked on it myself, it was like working on a green screen. and our financial managing system, believe it or not, it is about 20 years old and it is written in a language i last programmed in 1973 on the west point computers. we have work to do to improve the support services. number 4 -- we need to establish

a culture of continuous improvement. to do that, we are training be a employees in a way that employees take charge of systems they work on, they are given tolls to change the system -- tools to change the system and i tell them, let's try to be the change we want to see, like gandhi said. and number 5 -- the partnerships. we cannot do this job alone. we knew you need you -- you know we need you. we embrace u.s. partners. -- you as partners. remember, your work is purposeful, there is no higher calling than the work you do. it is monumental. you help veterans, families. he make a difference in the lives of others, there is no higher calling than that. and you more than anyone else understand the inextricable link between what we do and the

justice system and entering -- ending veterans homelessness. we are committed to assuring you have all the services you need come all the support you need, we are committed to making sure that every veteran has the services they need, including those who are just as involved. justice involved veterans are welcome to the v.a., they are the ones we are looking for first, we are seeking them to help them have access to services and we are trying to make sure that the criminal justice system, the criminal history of probation or pending charge does not affect their eligibility. pr-- if there is a v.a. actice that is getting in the way, we will find a way to fix it. my e-mail is bog b.mcdonnel@va.gov, very simple, it is my name, please let me know if there is something in

your way. don't ever settle for the status quo or believe you cannot create change yourself. you can and you will and you are. saying youlose by all inspire me every single day, we will succeed, i know we can and i know we will, but we will because of all of you. so i would like to again thank you for letting me spend some of your time with you, god bless you and what you are doing. thank you very much. [applause] [applause] >> mr. secretary, we cannot thank you enough for your leadership and support. good morning, i am carson fox, the chief operating officer of

justice for vet. this morning, we had the honor of giving not one, but two awards. to get the first award i would let to invite chris village -- dulich to join me and the secretary on stage. [applause] >> sometime in mid-2008, i am watching mtv, there is a tribute to veterans and they show this story about this young marrying -- marine in tulsa oklahoma who is making it his mission to my you treatment court, at the time, there are only two in operation. through the force of his personality and his inability to take no for an answer, matt steiner did create that third veterans treatment court -- c

orp, and then he established a veteran mentor program, where he jolled,led - con networked, harassed every agency and department within 100 miles to show their support. the result was that the salsa veteran treatment core would go on to be named a national model. after that, he came to washington dc where he led the new division, justice for vets. you is exactly the leader we needed. i worked on him for two years as he traveled the country, building the support for veteran treatment corp that would become the foundation of the movement is today. he approached his mission like it was his calling. i am sure you are familiar with that aspect of his personality. god help you if he got j-- you got in his way. i was grateful to be there to see him, to see his tenacity, to

experience his unique use of four letter words on a daily basis. [laughter] forn tell you from justice vets we could not be any prouder to working pathway with the secretary. he made us stop and help us raise the bar. >> so steiner, where are you buddy? thank you for all your done for justice for vets and corps around the country in the veterans who served and for your service to your country. [applause] >> i will say a few words. >> go for it. i will hold that for you. >> thank you very much, this is -- i was not spent in this whatsoever. thank you for what you are doing in the field, like the secretary

said, you are the ones making all the magic. you are the ones serving veterans and it is an honor to receive an award named after a great marine who helped start this whole thing. thank you very much. [applause] [applause] >> for those of us who knew hank , what we remember first is his infectious laughter, hank lit up the room, he helped people he was my friend. he was a friend of many of us here and for those who did not know him, if you knew him, he would be your friend too. hank was a vietnam that -- vet and with another they built -- they created the role of coordinator, bringing together

the mentors. nothing was more important to hank than his family, friends and helping others, especially fellow veterans and those people who receive this award today, they carry on his memory. i would now like to ask the incoming chair of the board of directors of justice for vets to join me on stage to help present the second award. [applause] [applause] >> the next recipient is known to most people in this room, to every single person in texas, mary covington is a force of nature. >> i jokingly told mary this morning when we first met, i did not need readers, and now i do.

i have known her a while, i will tell you a little bit about her and then become a little more personal, because this is an emotional award and i am happy to be a part of it. mary covington is a special programs manager for harris county in houston, texas. you already heard about houston this morning from the secretary. she manages the county drug corp success through recovery star program. as well as a veteran treatment corp program. she has helped turn the program into one of the preeminent veterans treatment programs, even being featured in -- on 60 minutes. in addition to her tireless efforts to assure that each participant receives the appropriate treatment, she has been an advocate at the state and national level.

her efforts have helped spread veterans treatment corps throughout the lone star state of texas, but recently in washington dc meeting with congress to urge support for veterans funding. on a personal note, i will to you that she and i have shared many things at specialty corp as it has growns in texas. -- i willmany stories tell you this, one true legacy for mary covington is that she has helped train more incoming presidents of the texas association, including me. mary, thank you for your mentoring, your training and is with great honor that i bestow par you the 2015 hank

askwi award. [applause] >> thank you so much. gosh, you have always been my mentor and my friend, so i am so thankful to have you in my corner. i told judge russell last night that when i first met hank i had been on my job as a program manager for almost 24 hours and quite frankly think terrified me -- hank terrified me. but i remember thinking if i could be half as good as hank i would have accomplished something, so i am so honored. i cannot accept this award ankingt thinking -- th those in texas, to my team, thank you for inspiring me every

day. are.only as good as you one team, one fight. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. >> march 10, 2002, i entered the united dates marine -- states marine corporate the day i stepped into afghanistan, they were caring -- in mainstream. once i realized that my purpose for serving, but the purpose of my life changed at that point. it was very hard to reintegrate

into the society i had left and i had done things many people would never dream of ever having to do. i was really angry, the sleeplessness, the nightmares, a crippled me. i became an addicted to opiates and heroine, but it was later much more of a problem then i had started out with. ♪ law started to practice toause the law could be used promote good things. i always talk with my clients because i want them to understand that i care about them. he came into court and i said, what is going on, you do not seem yourself? he had gone into his group session and it made him feel worse and the next week this young man overdosed and died. so i said, not on my watch. that is when i decided to begin

this program to specifically save veterans'lives. point in my drug use where i did not care if i lived or died. my mother had finally gotten to the point where i came home, and she met me halfway down the said, we are always going to love you, but do not come back. i lived like that for about two years until i was arrested and came in front of a judge in veterans court. >> the core is a standalone court, i have 23 services at my courtroom door, so when someone is standing before me, i can ask, what more can we do for you? >> that it was the last day i used drugs or committed a crime. >> they are volunteering to work really hard to profoundly change their lives.

not unique, there are a lot of places in this country where you cannot have this opportunity. so a veteran who does not have this opportunity does not have a future. >> we are here to save lives, we are here to restore veterans to those human beings they were before they chose to serve. ♪ >> welcome to the stage, the interim ceo carolyn harlin. ♪ >> good morning. during her 19 years on the bench in orange county, judge linley can bind the perfect blend of compassion and accountability. her belief that no individual is

beyond hope is evident in the way that she treated each person that you are before her. in 2008, her and her incredible team launched the second veterans treatment court in the country. immediately after the program started, judge linley's court became a crucial destination for thousands of people interested in better serving veterans. judge linley understands the unique need of veterans and has done outstanding work at bridging the large divide in our culture between civilians and veterans in the justice system. she saw opportunities where solvedsaw obstacles, she not just the -- problems, she wanted to help individuals and communities and that is exactly what she did.

while she was no longer presiding over treatment court, she will long be remembered for helping to pioneer programs that will also help us with saving the lives of 11,000 veterans this year. think of no one more deserving to be elected to the veterans treatment court hall of fame. it is my pleasure, my honor to introduce to you my friend and .ne of my mentors, judge linley [applause] >> thank you. [applause] >> so, thank you justice for vets, carolyn and all the wonderful people i have worked with over the years. it is a huge honor to receive this and it was an honor to be one of you and work with you on

behalf of veterans. i am going to be brief, just starting with long ago when i started my first collaborative court, we do not have space practices available to us, we do not have research, methamphetamine was a drug of choice at that time. there was not much available at all. so what did we do in these isolated pockets where we were creating these collaborative courts, we learned by trial and error, we made lots of mistakes, i made lots of mistakes, and till the national association of drug court professionals came along and changed everything. today, we are so fortunate to justice for thats -- vets, they provide us with evidence-based treatment, they provide us with key components, they give us practical advice on creating, implementing and improving veterans court and

they work tirelessly to do this. i personally have put on probation several individuals who worked for justice for vets, because they take no personal time for themselves and i hope that my latest individual on probation attended the medication this morning, because he does nothing good -- she does nothing but tirelessly work for this organization which truly does create justice for vets. in closing i want to say that our work is so important and each one of you in this room is so important to our work, you come in day after day, week after week, year after year, in spite of challenges and sometimes disappointments, because you know that the work we do save lives -- saves lives, saves families, saves money and makes our community a better place for all of us.

as i look out at the thousands of you here today, i have such hope knowing that you are armed with even more information to go back to your communities and to continue to do your good work to bring justice to vets. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> thank you. i have to admit, i'm the one she put on probation. [laughs] and thank you, everyone, for being here this week. i don't know about you, but after this week i feel pretty energized. ready to go for a great conference?