Daniel Smith, the confident well-dressed gentleman who appears periodically before Carbon County Judge Joseph Matika, bears little resemblance to the disheveled man sentenced for driving under the influence (DUI) in March 2023.

Thanks to St. Luke’s Penn Foundation’s Victory for Veterans, an innovative grant-funded program aimed at reducing veteran suicide, Smith has turned his life around.

As part of Smith’s rehabilitation treatment, Robert Brands is Smith’s mentor in Veteran Treatment Court.

Brands manages St. Luke’s Penn Foundation’s Victory for Veterans, which provides peer support to veterans in Carbon and Schuylkill counties, especially those at risk of committing suicide.

Carbon County had the highest number of veteran suicides in Pennsylvania when the program was founded in 2022.

The program is funded through a $535,424 grant from the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, named in honor of a 20-year-old soldier who committed suicide.

Smith, 56, served in the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1988. Due to federal budget cuts, he was discharged honorably early. Shortly after returning home, he started using cocaine and drinking heavily. About three years ago, he progressed to methamphetamine.

In 2023, he was arrested for his seventh DUI, the fourth within one year.

As part of a plea agreement, he agreed to enter a 28-day inpatient rehabilitation program, followed by participation in Carbon County’s Veterans Treatment Court. The program promotes sobriety, recovery, and sensitivity to provide veterans the opportunity to become healthy, productive members of society after a DUI conviction.

To make matters worse, on the day he was accepted into the drug treatment program, Smith used up his remaining “stash.” Then, he received an unexpected visit from his new probation officer. Smith confessed to using drugs and was arrested for possession.

“In hindsight, I praise him because, otherwise, I don’t know where I would be now. I’d probably still be getting in trouble,” Smith said. “I’ve been clean since I completed the inpatient rehab program.”

As part of his sentence, he attends Carbon, Monroe and Pike Drug and Alcohol counseling and support group meetings twice a week.

He also meets with Brands, who was recommended by Carbon County Office of Veterans Affairs Director Christine LeClair. Brands served in the U.S. Marine Corps as part of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

Since it began, Victory for Veterans has helped 78 veterans and their families. Brands believes the interaction between these individuals and peer counselors has significantly reduced veteran suicides.

“Fortunately, I get to help veterans and family members that are struggling,” Brands said. “They don’t all have great endings. But Dan has shown that, through trust and a strong work ethic, progress and change are possible.”

Brands accompanies Smith to court and sees him at diners and coffee shops for casual conversations. Smith often meets Brands at 6 a.m. to walk on the D&L Trail, a testament to his commitment to stay clean.

Contrarily, when Brands first reached out to Smith, he evaded him until Brands eventually tracked him down at the courthouse. Slowly, over time, they developed a mutually trusting relationship.

But Brands said it was a new suit that sparked Smith’s attitudinal change. Encouraging Smith to clean up for his court appearances, Brands arranged for Victory for Veterans to buy him a suit, the first one he ever owned.

“When I first showed up in court, I had bad posture,” Smith said. “I was slouched over. I was disheveled. Now when I show up, I’m clean-shaven. I stand up. I don’t lean on the podium. I’m very attentive. Everybody can see how positive I am.”

Brands said his outward appearance reflects how Smith now sees himself.

“Wearing that suit really solidified Dan’s belief in himself,” Brands said. “The minute Dan put that on and walked in, he looked proud, confident and in charge of his own destiny, which he is.”

Contact Brands at 272-212-1052 or Robert.BrandsSr@sluhn.org for information about the Victory for Veterans program or to make a referral.