COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County plans to develop a specialty court for local veterans living with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

Commissioners agreed Tuesday to sign off on a memorandum of understanding related to a proposed veterans treatment court.

“I think a special sector of our population that needs this type of court is our veterans,” said District Court Judge Anna Eckhart, who will be the presiding judge for the specialty court. “I think now we have all the parties on board that we really need.”

Kootenai County Veterans Services estimates that more than 16,000 veterans call this county home. Only Ada County has a larger veteran population in Idaho.

The specialty court’s target population is veterans who have substance abuse or mental health issues related to their military service.

“The goals of the veterans treatment court are to promote public safety and reduce criminal activity associated with justice-involved veterans … and to enable them to restore honor, health and live a productive and law-abiding lifestyle in our community,” the memorandum said in part.

Trial court administrator Karlene Behringer indicated veterans treatment court will be similar to the county’s existing mental health court, a voluntary post-conviction program for controlled substance offenders who live with persistent mental illness.

The intensive mental health court program consists of close supervision by a mental health professional, frequent appearances before a judge, mandatory counseling, substance abuse treatment and random drug testing.

Veterans treatment court will start small, with a maximum of about 25 participants. Eckhart said she intends to work participants into her regular docket at first, rather than having night court, but noted that may not be possible as the program expands.

“I truly feel that can grow and will grow in the future,” she said.

Prosecutors and public defenders for the county, as well as the cities of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Rathdrum and Hayden, are all on board. These agencies, alongside the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, will identify potential participants who meet eligibility criteria that will be developed by the veterans treatment court team.

Ambitions of Idaho will provide mental health treatment to participants, provide the court with a mental health assessment and develop individualized treatment plans for each participant.

Eckhart said she expects the specialty court to be implemented no earlier than mid-2024. State funding will be available for testing and for a program coordinator position.

“It sounds like a wonderful program and given what the country asks of veterans, it’s just one small way the community can give back,” Commissioner Bruce Mattare said.