If you are interested in speaking to a member of our Human Resources team regarding employment opportunities with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, fill out our Job Interest Form to be contacted about available opportunities.
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For over 13 years, the award-winning Minnesota Military Radio (MMR) has been the forum for retelling the stories of Minnesota’s heroes. Retired Command Sergeant Major, Veteran and volunteer host Doug Wortham shares these stories which are carried on 65 broadcasting stations throughout the state of Minnesota in an effort to preserve the stories of our Veterans and keep listeners up to date on things happening at MDVA and in our Veteran Community here in Minnesota.
Coming up this week we meet with the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs and learn about the Minnesota National Guard's Court of Honor and Flight of Honor Programs, discuss the 2024-2025 agenda with the new Commander of the American Legion Department of Minnesota and get an update from the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.
More information >>
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The 6th Annual Veterans Suicide Prevention & Awareness Day will take place Saturday, Oct. 5, at The Depot in Duluth, MN.
The purpose of our annual event is to bring communities together to honor Veterans we have lost to suicide, allow their lives help save others, and offer healing and hope to survivors. Our goals are to increase awareness and provide resources to communities as we strive toward zero Veteran suicide deaths in Minnesota.
More information >>
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Minnesota Veterans affected by recent flooding may now apply for a Disaster Relief Grant through the State Soldiers Assistance Program from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.
On July 25, 2024, Governor Tim Walz issued Executive Order 24-09, amending Executive Order 25-05, which authorizes MDVA to activate the State Soldiers Assistance Program (SSAP) Disaster Relief Program to provide financial assistance to Veterans following severe storms and flooding across the state. Eligible Veterans would have experienced flooding from June 16 to July 22, 2024.
More information >>
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Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You’ll also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support.
This class will be held virtually and requires 2 hours of self-paced pre-coursework before attending the 6 hour instructor led, virtual portion of the class.
More information >>
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New this year: The official State of Minnesota Veterans Day program is heading to the north Metro.
Where: Ben Franklin Readiness Center
1536 Ben Franklin Dr
Arden Hills, MN
When: Monday, Nov. 11
Complimentary breakfast beings at 8:30 a.m.
Official program at 10 a.m.
More information >>
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Is your organization hosting a Veterans Day event? Please submit your information so MDVA can compile a list of events being held across the State to celebrate Veterans Day. Submissions will be accepted through Nov. 1.
Submit event details here >>
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The Minneapolis VA Health Care System is offering walk-in flu shot clinics for Veterans the next three Thursdays at all 15 locations.
“Getting a flu vaccine every year is the very best action we can take to prevent flu,” said Megan Daman, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program Manager at the Minneapolis VA.
When a person with flu sneezes, coughs, talks, or laughs, flu virus can spread into the air as droplets. The droplets can spread to people and surfaces up to six feet away. Flu virus can spread to your hands if you touch anything that has the virus on it. If you then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you might get the flu. People can spread flu to others about one day before they feel sick and up to five days after getting sick.
You can protect yourself, your family, your neighborhood, and the Veteran community from the flu by getting the flu shot.
“It’s important to me to get vaccinated because I want to stay well so I can care for Veterans, support my colleagues and be present for my family and community,” said Daman. “It’s an easy thing we can all do to keep ourselves and others well.”
The walk-in flu shot clinic will be held Thursday Oct. 10 at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, from 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. Flu shot clinics will also be offered at all Community Based Outpatient Clinics from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. to include:
- Albert Lea, 2115 East Main Street, Albert Lea, MN
- Chippewa Valley, 475 Chippewa Mall Drive, Suite 418, Chippewa Falls, WI
- Community Resource and Referral Center for Homeless Veterans, 1201 Harmon Place, Suite 103, Minneapolis
- Ely, 720 East Miners Drive, Ely, MN
- Hayward, 10369 State Highway 27, Hayward, WI
- Hibbing, 990 West 41st Street, Suite 88, Hibbing, MN
- Lyle C. Pearson, 1400 Madison Avenue, Suite 502, Mankato, MN
- Maplewood, 3100 Kennard Street, Kennard Professional Building, Suite 100, Maplewood, MN
- Northwest Metro, 7545 Veterans Drive, Ramsey, MN
- Rice Lake, 320 South Access Road, Suite 100, Rice Lake, WI
- Rochester, 3551 Commercial Drive South West, Suite 400, Rochester, MN
- Shakopee, 1555 Lusitano Street, Shakopee, MN
- St. James, 1103 13th Avenue South, St. James, MN
- Twin Ports, 3520 Tower Avenue, Superior, WI
Everyone age six months and older should get a flu shot every year. Getting a flu shot is the best way to slow the spread of flu.
Many Veterans seek support and help with filing VA benefits claims for the payments they deserve. Be cautious of "claim predators" - unaccredited companies or individuals targeting Veterans' benefits for profit.
How to identify claim predators:
- Charging High Fees: Predatory companies charge absurd fees or require you to pay a portion of your VA benefits. Never pay anyone a fee to file an initial claim for benefits.
- Making Dishonest Promises: Don't trust anyone who claims they can help accelerate the claims process and obtain a 100% disability benefits evaluation. Remember, only VA has the authority to determine disability ratings.
- Requiring Binding Contracts: No one should ever charge a fee to file an initial claim for VA benefits. Never sign a contract agreeing to pay an unauthorized individual/company a percentage of your benefit payment in exchange for help with your VA claim.
Learn more about VA accredited representatives >>
Sadly, an average of 100 Minnesota Veterans die by suicide each year. Two-thirds of these deaths are by guns.
To help prevent Veteran suicide, MDVA is partnering with the VA Healthcare System to distribute free gun locks. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a locked gun can mean the difference between a tragic outcome and a life saved for someone in crisis. Though Veterans are well-versed in firearm safety, all gun owners should understand that during emotional or stressful times, delaying access to a gun could mean the difference between life and death. Gun locks can prevent someone in crisis from tragically taking their own life.
In an effort to reduce these preventable tragedies, MDVA is offering free gun locks. To request a gun lock, please email [email protected] with your name and address. This information will not be shared; requests are confidential.
For more information on MDVA’s suicide prevention efforts, visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/EndVetSuicide.
The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances.
The PACT Act adds to the list of health conditions the VA presumes are caused by exposure to these substances. This law helps provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.
More information >>
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is spreading awareness to families of deceased Veterans on reporting a Veteran’s death, available benefits for survivors, and protecting against posthumous scams.
Survivors may be eligible for benefits such as VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) or survivors pension. Family members should report the death of a Veteran as soon as possible to stop current benefits. If the death is not reported promptly, survivors or executors of the Veteran’s estate may have to repay any overpayments received.
To report the death of a Veteran:
Calling is the fastest way to report the death of a Veteran so VA will stop benefit payments, but there are other options available for reporting.
- By Phone: Call VA 800-827-1000 (TTY: 711) and select 5. Agents are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.
- In Person: Go to a VA regional office. Find the nearest VA regional office.
- By Mail: Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center PO Box 4444 Janesville, WI 53547-4444. Include your relationship to the Veteran and any supporting documents that can help us verify the Veteran’s identity. Examples of supporting documents are:
- o Death certificate or other public record of the Veteran’s death
o Discharge document (like a DD214)
- If you report in person at a VA regional office or by mail, provide copies of:
- Death certificate or other public record of the Veteran’s death
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Discharge document (like a DD214)
Provide as much information as you can when you first report the notice of death to VA. While you don’t have to have everything, VA will need as much information as possible to help verify the Veteran’s identity. This information includes:
- Full name
- Social Security number or VA claim number
- Date of birth
- Date of death
- Branch of service
VBA views your organization as vital to helping share this information with survivors. VBA plans to collaborate through various communications and engagement channels, such as briefings, social media posts and blog articles but would appreciate your organizations partnership in sharing this critical information to Veterans and Survivors to prevent fraud in a time of grieving..
Best practices to avoid posthumous scams are (for the Survivor):
- Save important files such as the Veteran’s military service/treatment records, discharge papers, and copies of their VA claims.
- Go to VA.gov - For guidance on creating an account and obtaining a VA security PIN to securely access benefit information. A VA Security PIN is an additional way to secure direct deposit accounts from theft and protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
- Never give out PII via text and be cautious of suspicious hyperlinks or unfamiliar hyperlinks.
- If a survivor is missing a VA benefits payment, identifies a discrepancy in payments, or find suspicious activity with their direct deposit account, contact VA immediately at 800-827-1000.
- Review all documents thoroughly. Survivors should never sign a blank form for someone else to complete later. They should always review the completed form before signing and retain a copy of the completed form for their records.
- For protection against identity theft scams, notify the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) and notify the Veteran’s financial institutions so all accounts can be closed or transferred appropriately.
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According to AARP, scammers also use names published in obituaries to pretend to be long lost relatives of the deceased. When it’s time to write your loved one’s obituary, leave out the birthdate, middle name, home address, birthplace, and mother’s maiden name.
- To report a missing VA benefits payment, please call the VBA National Call Center at 800-827-1000. You may also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission if funeral homes charge to set up funeral honors or schedule a burial with VA’s National Cemetery Administration by visiting reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- For other scams predators use, visit www.VA.GOV/VSAFE.
The Veterans Crisis Line's number—988 then Press 1—helps make it easier to remember and share the number to access help in times of need.
Veterans can use this option by dialing 988 and pressing 1 to contact the Veterans Crisis Line. Veterans may still reach the Veterans Crisis Line with the previous phone number—1-800-273-8255 and Press 1—by text (838255), and through chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
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If you know of a Veteran-related community event happening in your area you would like to submit to be included in our Friday Digest, please email all event information to [email protected] for consideration.
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