KALAMAZOO, MI -- A veterans treatment court will start in Kalamazoo County next year.

The specialized court -- meant to handle criminal cases involving military veterans and to help them address issues that may have led them into the justice system -- will start in March 2017, Kalamazoo County Circuit Court Judge Pamela Lightvoet said Thursday.

Lightvoet said the court will start with five veterans using a $35,000 grant the county received, and plans to expand the program as more funding becomes available. She said the fully funded program would cost $80,000 to $85,000. Officials involved plan to apply for more grants and reach out to the community for more funding once the program starts.

"This has been a long process planning this program," Lightvoet said.

The work to establish a Veterans Treatment Court was publicly discussed in October. It is a means to help veterans who face criminal penalties as they deal with issues related to military service such as post traumatic stress disorder, drug or alcohol dependence, or brain injuries suffered in the line of duty.

Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting has said the program would offer veterans access to services including mentoring, mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment.

"This treatment and support can help veterans avoid incarceration and save taxpayers substantial resources," Getting said following the October announcement.

Veterans Treatment Courts, which have gotten a start in Allegan, Ottawa, Van Buren and Washtenaw counties, are modeled on the successful "Drug Courts" that have been established in Michigan during the last 10 years.

VTCs apply drug court and mental health court principles to help veterans, focusing on recovery issues and adherence to law-abiding behavior.

Lightvoet said a key factor of the courts is having veterans in the community serve as mentors. Local U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs staff will be involved to make sure veterans are able to get services that are available through the VA, Lightvoet said.

Lightvoet said she knows of two or three cases just in her court that could qualify for the veterans treatment court in Kalamazoo County. She said participation length in the court is similar to other courts, and would last around 18 months at a minimum.

The planning team for this specialized court includes Lightvoet, Getting, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller, Michigan Department of Corrections officials, court administrators, a Veterans Affairs official, defense attorney Keith Turpel and therapist Chaya Gieszer, among others. The county's veterans affairs committee also has been involved in the planning.