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Mental Disabilities and the Criminal Justice System

Hosted by criminal defense lawyer Elizabeth Kelley, Mental Disabilities and the Criminal Justice System provides information - and hope - to people with mental disabilities ensnared by the criminal justice system, as well as to their families and attorneys. Attorney Kelley interviews judges, mental health professionals, parents, and activists about how best to advocate for this vulnerable population.

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Veterans in the Criminal Justice System - Resources and Support for Those Suffering from FTD, PTSD, and TBI

Nov 11, 2022

This week Elizabeth Kelley talks with her guest Dr. Hal Wortzel. The two discuss causes and effects of FTD, PTSD, and TBI on veterans and where they or their families can find resources and support. 

In this episode, we discuss:

  • FTD Frontotemporal dementia - what it is, what causes it, symptoms, and diagnosis
  • Effects of FTD misdiagnosis and subsequent treatment
  • The relationship between FTD and involvement in the criminal justice system
  • PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - what it is, symptoms, how it manifests in someone’s life, and how veteran’s suffering from it can get caught up in the criminal justice system
  • TBI Traumatic Brain Injury - how it is a biomechanical injury, it’s range of severity
  • Possible outcomes of TBI
  • How people with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can become justice involved
  • VA resources and programs for individuals and families who suffer from FTD, PTSD, or TBI
  • How to be a positive support in the life of a veteran

Dr. Hal Wortzel is a VA forensic neuropsychiatrist at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), where he serves as director of neuropsychiatric consultation services and co-director for the national suicide risk management consultation program. He is an associate professor of psychiatry, neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Colorado, and also serves as the Michael K. Cooper professor of neurocognitive disease and forensic psychiatry program faculty.  Dr. Wortzel maintains a private practice in forensic neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology, and has consulted on numerous criminal and civil cases. Areas of research and scholarship interest include suicide risk management, aggression and suicide in the context of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Wortzel’s current areas of clinical and academic focus include aggression and suicide in the context of PTSD and TBI, incarcerated Veterans and the application of emerging neuroscientific tools to the legal arena.

Website: MIRECC.VA.gov/visn19/.

Facebook: /VAECHCS

Twitter: @RMIRECC

Twitter: /VAECHCS