Vera helps government and community-based organizations create services and policies designed to help people who use substances or have psychiatric disorders avoid criminal or juvenile justice involvement and receive the services they need to achieve stable community living.
Established in 2001, Vera’s Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT) project provides substance abuse and mental health treatment for adolescents involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the juvenile justice system. APT’s family counseling model of service helps families build on their inherent strengths to support their adolescents in making positive changes in their lives.
Vera’s Substance Use and Mental Health Program uses applied research to help government and community-based organizations create services and policies designed to help people who use substances or have psychiatric disorders avoid criminal justice involvement and receive the services they need to achieve stable community living. Program staff collect quantitative and qualitative data, evaluate existing programs, and review government data to understand the experiences of these populations, the circumstances that lead to their arrest, and the policies that prolong their involvement in the criminal justice system.
Director, Substance Use and Mental Health Program