It only took one stint in jail for Michael Whitehead to make up his mind, it would never happen again.
The 70-year-old is on the path toward keeping that promise, as one of five graduates last week from the SEMO Veterans Court.
This speciality court offers an intense supervised treatment plan for veterans, most of whom are dealing with substance abuse dependence, behavioral health needs or a combination of the two.
The constant support of the staff involved with the program, and the positive attitude of court Commissioner Phillip Brit made all the difference, according to Whitehead, who was originally sited for possession of methamphetamine. The Malden, Mo., native says he had never been in trouble before this incident.
Whitehead says he determined early in the program, he needed to make the best of it.
"That's how I've went through life ... even when I was in Vietnam," he said.
Brit told the graduates and those still in the program, he sees the successes each and every one of the veterans can have.
"I'm proud of you," he told graduates, adding to those still in the program, "I continue to be of you because you are still making changes in your life, even though you haven't gotten to where you want to be yet.
"We're still working and these guys that just graduated, they're still working too, one day at a time."
Veterans who are on probation for felony offenses meet regularly with court personnel, group and individual counselors, and other support staff. Their individual programs can include a variety of educational classes based on each veteran's needs, such as anger management or how to repair relationships.
Started in 2011, SEMO Veterans Court is the nation's first rural, multi-jurisdictional veterans court program. It includes all 23 Southeast Missouri counties served by John J. Pershing VA Medical Center.
The court partners with the VA for all treatment services and Missouri Probation and Parole in all of the counties where it operates.