Veterans Treatment Court helps Marine turn his life around

After being arrested for DUI, Marine Corps Veteran Taylor West was facing jail time when the court offered him an alternative: Veterans Treatment Court—a structured program that would ultimately change his life.

The court not only spared him time behind bars, but helped him get sober, reclaim his driver’s license and better provide for his family.

“That DUI is the best thing that ever happened to me. You think boot camp is hard—that’s the most strenuous program I’ve ever been in,” West said. “This was harder than jail time.”

Struggling after service

West was barely 18 when he enlisted in the Marine Corp in 2004. He spent five years there, serving two tours in Iraq.

“It was definitely very important to forming who I am,” said West. “I’m not sure I’d do it again, but I can’t say I regret it either.”

West found returning to civilian life disorienting and difficult. Struggling with service-related PTSD, he missed the structure and discipline of military life and the camaraderie of fellow Marines. He worked low-wage jobs, with stability out of reach. He moved in with his parents and barely scraped by.

Then, West experienced an acute mental health episode, walked away from his family, and sank into a spiral of drinking and near chronic homelessness. For nearly a decade, he slept on couches, rented rooms or camped, but never had his name on a lease.

A DUI in 2009 did nothing to rein in his drinking, but the second one more than a decade later turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Turning point

Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) are community-led alternatives to traditional justice systems, offering tailored support for Veterans facing legal trouble due to substance use or mental health challenges tied to military service.

With therapy three times a week, mandated drug testing and regular check-ins with the court, the VTC was a gamechanger for West—“an AA meeting with consequences.” The strict accountability of the program worked not only for him but for many Veterans around him, he said.

But just as West was finishing up his time with the VTC, something came along that tested everything he’d built.

Put to the test

Hurricane Helene stormed through western North Carolina in September 2024, leaving behind large swaths of destruction in the mountain community West calls home.

West’s family—including his wife and four kids under the age of 13—struggled as their home suffered significant damage. As West helped his neighbors and his community recover from the devastation, he said he felt like he couldn’t walk 20 feet without being offered a beer in thanks.

This white-knuckle time could have easily torpedoed his newfound sobriety, but thanks to the lessons he learned in VTC, West powered through. Now, six months later, West and his family are back in their home and West has resumed his work as a landscaper.  

“You never get over it,” he said about his substance use issues. “You get used to it. It’s not going to get easier, but now I get to pick my struggles. They don’t fall on my head, because I have control of my life.”

Learn about VA programs 

• If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at risk for homelessness or need to connect with a Veterans justice outreach specialist, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).
• Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.
• Learn how to get involved with housing homeless Veterans.
• Visit the Justice for Vets site to learn more about Veterans Treatment Courts.