FREDERICK — As the new year begins, Veterans Treatment Court in Frederick County is offering veterans something many say they never thought they’d have…a second chance.
WATCH: Veterans Treatment Court Offers veterans a path to recovery and hope
The specialized court program is designed for veterans who have entered the justice system and are struggling with mental health challenges, substance use, or instability after leaving military service.
Instead of focusing on punishment alone, Veterans Treatment Court emphasizes treatment, accountability, and long-term recovery through a structured, multi-phase process. This is a process Erick Oliva, is no stranger to.
Air Force veteran Erick Oliva served as military police from 2000 to 2003, stationed in Germany with additional assignments in Cyprus and off the coast of Turkey. He said the transition out of the military was difficult, explaining, “Once you get used to the military style… you go out into a different world.”
Even so, Oliva said the values instilled during his service never left him.
“The three cores of the Air Force as, you know, excellence is all we do… service before self… and integrity,” he said. “That has stuck with me since I got out.”
Oliva said he didn’t know Veterans Treatment Court existed until his lawyer found the program while he was facing the possibility of incarceration.
“The veteran treatment court program has been a blessing to me, to be honest with you,” Oliva said, “because it has given me a better… a second chance to… step away from… being incarcerated.”
Now, Oliva said he has been sober for 15 to 16 months and is working his way through the court’s five-phase program.
“It’s been a long journey,” he said, adding that the program “has really elevated my self-awareness.”
But he emphasized that Veterans Treatment Court is not an easy option.
“It’s not a walk in the park,” Oliva said. “You have to put the effort in it as well… you have to be compliant, you have to be aware of what you’re doing, always be in communication with the team.”
One of the most demanding parts of the program, Oliva said, came during phase two, when participants are required to attend frequent Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. “You hear from people from numerous walks and paths of life,” he said. “It brings you back to reality… and gives you a sense of awareness where you say, ‘Hey, you know, it’s time to wake up.’”
Oliva said mentorship plays a critical role in staying on track.
“You have to have self will, self motivation, determination,” he said. “You can’t leave everything to the team or to your mentor.”
That mentorship often comes from veterans who have walked the same path like Sean Young.
Young is an Army veteran who went through Veterans Treatment Court himself before becoming a mentor. After leaving the Army in 2019, he said his life “spiraled completely out of control.”
“Veterans Therapeutic Court fell into my hands,” Young said. “It gave me a tool that I didn’t know that I had and handed me a key to a door I didn’t even know existed.”
Young completed the program, achieved sobriety, and began giving back through alumni programs before moving back to Maryland. He now mentors veterans in Frederick County, helping them navigate the same challenges he once faced.
“Treatment courts provide you the opportunity to take accountability and responsibility and reclaim your life,” Young said.
Young said the veteran-to-veteran connection is key. “We’ve all been through similar things,” he said. “When you have that level of trust and safety in somebody, it creates openings for people to be vulnerable.”
Support for Veterans Treatment Court also comes from community partners like Platoon 22, which helps participants with housing, financial needs, and access to resources outside the courtroom.
Platoon 22’s veteran engagement coordinator Hailey Shaffer, said many participants arrive with overlapping challenges.
“These problems range whether it’s mental health problems… addiction… or not having stable housing,” she said. “Most of these people think that when they get one charge that it’s the end of the line for them, when in reality they just need help.”
Shaffer stressed that the program requires work and that the goal is to support the veterans in their journey, not shame them when they make a mistake.
“They’re not there to shame you or guilt you,” Shaffer said. “They’re there to lift you up.”
As the new year begins, Oliva said a second chance means something deeply personal. “For me a second chance… it’s kinda like reviving myself… again,” he said. He added that his goal now is to give back. “I do have the desire to be a mentor for others in the future,” he said.
Young echoed that sentiment, saying, “Everybody deserves a second chance,” adding that veterans in particular “haven’t really been afforded the first opportunity.”
For both men, Veterans Treatment Court represents more than a legal program, it represents a chance to move forward. “It works,” Oliva said. “Because I’m living proof… standing in front of you that it works.”
Veterans Treatment Court is available in counties throughout Maryland. To check if it is available in your county, click here.
For veterans looking for help, support, or a second chance, Platoon 22 works to connect veterans with resources, stability, and a path forward — more information is available at https://platoon22.org/.