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Union County advances veteran-treatment court training and schedules opioid-settlement strategic planning
Summary
County staff said two officials completed required training to move toward launching a veterans treatment court; officials also scheduled public meetings to develop opioid-settlement spending priorities and plan contracts for fiscal year 2026.
County staff announced progress on two separate initiatives: formation of a veterans treatment court and an opioid-settlement strategic-planning process.
County officials said Michelle Mercado, the county’s veteran services director, and Robert Turner completed the initial training required to support a veterans treatment court — a specialty docket intended to link veterans who enter the justice system with treatment, housing, employment and mentorship rather than rely solely on punitive responses. Officials described the court as intended to provide treatment, accountability and community-based supports for veterans.
Separately, staff said the county will present an opioid-settlement update to the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 15 and will begin a strategic-planning process on Sept. 16. The planning group will meet five times between September and December to develop priorities and an application process; staff said the aim is to have new contracts with funded partners in place by July 1, 2026, because current contracts end June 30.
Staff asked the group to participate in the planning process and noted further public-engagement and grant-management steps will follow.
