Lubbock County approves regional grant application to expand mediation services for veterans

The Lubbock County Commissioners Court on Nov. 24 authorized the county judge to submit a grant application to the Texas Veterans Commission to fund court-related mediation services for veterans across the SPAAG region.

Valentini, the presenter, said the Veterans Commission raised the minimum award to $25,000 and explained that Lubbock’s application would be regional to reach small surrounding counties. "The estimated number of veterans in the region is a little less than 20,000, of which 14 to 15,000 are here in Lubbock County," he told the court as he outlined the plan to cover court-ordered mediation fees for qualifying veterans.

Commissioners discussed the risk the program could exceed the grant amount. Valentini said Tech (Texas Tech) should pick up additional costs if demand exceeds the grant. Judge Parish and other commissioners agreed the county would cap spending to the grant amount and, if successful, use the results to seek follow-on funding. The court voted to approve submission of the application and designated the county judge as the authorized official.

The project is described in the grant paperwork as a pilot to provide mediation for veterans involved in court matters; Valentini said the plan would be an "experiment in some respect" while the region gauges demand. The court did not adopt an implementation schedule in the public record; staff indicated they would seek additional funding if demand exceeds the initial award.

The grant application language and regional approach were discussed and accepted on a motion that passed the court’s vote.