In what could be his final act and lasting legacy at the helm of Boston, Mayor Tom Menino announced a partnership yesterday with the Trial Court of Massachusetts that aims to provide substance abuse and mental health treatment for Boston veterans. He also hopes to create a Veterans Court which would address these needs as the current court system often disregards veteran-specific issues often considered criminal.

Menino would certainly lend a helping hand in the court’s creating, but seeing as how the end of his storied five-term period as Mayor looms not so distantly on the horizon, the bulk of the responsibility could fall to heir apparent, Mayor-elect Marty Walsh.

Menino’s office released the following prepared statement, via CBS Boston:

“As we commemorate Veterans Day, we are mindful that there are many warriors among us who have returned from distant battlefields only to discover that they are still at war. Each day, these veterans battle debilitating addictions,” Menino said. “Many struggle with post- traumatic stress disorder, the effects of traumatic brain injuries or other service-related mental health issues. Their afflictions lead some to criminal activity and the court system, and traditional measures are both inappropriate and unproductive for these men and women.”

The idea behind Menino’s initiative is to provide veterans with the appropriate aide, whether mental or other, as a consequence for the acts they commit rather than send them into the court system as a first response. If a veteran applies for a job and they have a criminal history, it’s likely that vet won’t get hired. If it shows, however, that said history stems from post traumatic stress and they’re receiving appropriate treatment, it helps their chances.

CBS Local also notes that “Several city agencies including the Boston Police Department have signed on to provide assistance in the effort, the mayor’s office reported.”