Veterans caught up in the criminal justice system will be getting some additional support thanks to a grant from local supporters of the Bucks County Veterans Treatment Program.

Funded by the Bucks County Bar Foundation and a local non-profit, The Friends for Heroes Foundation, the grant was used for the recent hiring of a part-time social worker who will work closely with veterans participating in the program.

Jerard Johnson, a U.S. Navy veteran, will work as a liaison between treatment providers, the probation department, the District Attorney’s office, and the court to help meet some of the needs of veterans that can end up falling through the cracks.

Johnson, who holds a master’s degree in social work from Temple University, will provide a full range of social and case management services to veterans in the program, working with them and their families to help them utilize all resources available to them.

“We owe all our veterans our gratitude,” District Attorney Matt Weintraub said. “The criminal justice process is daunting for anyone. Creating this new position to guide them through it is our way of saying, ‘Thank You.’”

We would also like to thank the Bucks County Bar Foundation and The Friends for Heroes Foundation for providing the funding of this vital position that will surely help Bucks County veterans. 

Jeffrey Liebmann, Esquire, President of the Bucks County Bar Foundation and Co-Chair of The Friends for Heroes Foundation said of the funding for the social worker; “We at the Bar Foundation and Friends for Heroes firmly believe that the social worker will provide a safety net to those most at risk veterans in the Bucks County Veterans Treatment Program.  It is our honor to help in this small way.” 

The Bucks County Veterans Treatment Program was established by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office to address the needs of veterans cycling through the county court, probation and parole, and prison system.

Participants are supervised throughout the program and receive guidance and support from veteran mentors with the goal of reducing recidivism and helping these veterans return to their jobs and families and become productive citizens. 

This program represents a unique collaborative effort between the Criminal Division of the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, the District Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's Office, the Bucks County Adult Probation Department, the Bucks County Bar Association, the County Department of Veterans Affairs, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information on the program, visit: https://buckscounty.gov/751/Veterans-Treatment-Program