8/31/2011

Clark County Veterans Court seeking vets to serve as peer mentors

Contact

Jim Lunstrum, Veterans Peer Mentor Coordinator Phone: (360) 831-1896 jplunstrum@gmail.com Mike Willbur, Washington Department of Veteran Affairs Phone: (360) 241-3448

Vancouver, WA – Clark County’s Veterans Therapeutic Court is seeking honorably discharged veterans to serve as peer mentors to vets in the court who are struggling with substance abuse and/or mental disorders.

The mission of the Veterans Court Mentoring Program is to support veterans
during their treatment and adjustment to civilian life and help them navigate the court and Veterans Administration systems. In essence, mentors act as friends and allies during this difficult time.

Mentors serve a variety of roles, including coach, guide, advocate and recovery supporter. They listen to participants’ concerns and problems, and help them find solutions. A mentor encourages and motivates the veteran as he or she progresses through the justice process. The veteran-to-veteran element is key. Having an ally who can relate to a vet’s concerns and experiences is critical to success in the therapeutic court.

The court is seeking veterans from each branch of the armed forces, men and women, and vets from all eras. A coordinator recruits, screens, organizes and trains mentors, and acts as the liaison with the court’s core team.

Judge Darvin Zimmerman presides over the court, which meets at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in Dept. 4 of the Clark County Courthouse, 1200 Franklin St.

If interested in the veterans mentoring program, contact: coordinator Jim Lunstrum, a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War vet, at (360) 241-3448, jplunstrum@gmail.com; Mike Willbur, a U.S. Army Vietnam War vet; Shauna McCloskey, Therapeutic Specialty Courts Coordinator at (360) 397-2431, shauna.mccloskey@clark.wa.gov.

To download the Vet-to-Vet Peer Mentor Brochure and application online, go to: www.ClarkCountyVetsCourtBoard.org.

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