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March 21, 2017
Mr. Joshua Crabtree, Esquire
Executive Director
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass
104 East 7th Street
Covington, KY 41011
Re: NKY Veterans Treatment Court- Karen Ginn, Esquire
Dear Mr. Crabtree:
As you may be aware, we are approaching the 2-year anniversary of the launch of the Northern Kentucky Veterans Treatment Court (NKY VTC), as well as the 1-year anniversary of Boone and Kenton Counties holding their own NKY VTC Dockets. On this momentous occasion, l felt compelled to notify you of what a huge asset Karen Ginn has been to our Team.
Ms. Ginn initiated contact with the courts in February of 2015 to offer the services of Legal Aid of the Bluegrass to the NKY VTC participants. She has been one of the most active members of the NKY VTC Team from day one, despite not being utilized to her full potential in the beginning, as the majority of the VTC participants were in Phase I of the program and the focus was on recovery. However, after sitting through several staffing and court sessions, actively listening, the legal issues Ms. Ginn could assist with began to surface as the Veterans progressed through their individual recovery plans and she proactively offered her services.
Many of our justice-involved Veterans struggle with PTSD and other mental health issues, making it difficult to confront their legal concerns. Ms. Ginn's presence in the court room makes it easier for this more-reluctant population to reach out to her for legal assistance. In addition to assisting our Veterans with such legal issues as filing income taxes, housing/safety issues, divorces, custody, domestic violence, as well as discharge and disability benefits upgrades, she is also very proactive in offering her assistance in other aspects of the Program.
Her commitment to the NKY VTC Program and even more importantly, the Veteran participants, has been second to none. In fact, the consultants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance who conducted an evaluation of the NKY VTC Program last fall, pointed out that Legal Aid representation on the NKY VTC Team is unique to our program.
On behalf of the entire NKY VTC Team, I'd like to thank Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and Ms. Ginn for their service and hope to continue this partnership!! Please let me know if I can ever be of any assistance to your or your organization.
Sincerely,
Karen A. Thomas
Campbell District Judge
