Monthly news digest from the Department of Human Services
Minnesota Department of Human Services logo [ [link removed] ]
NEWS FROM DHS
*October 2024*
*News from DHS archive [ [link removed] ]*
In this issue:
* Annual event celebrates adoption while highlighting need for more adoptive parents [ #link_3 ]
* Big changes in Medicare choices for 2025 [ #link_4 ]
* In social media: "Don't lose it" [ #link_5 ]
* St. Cloud hearing loss resource fair is next week [ #link_2 ]
* Call for members to serve on gambling task force [ #link_1 ]
* In the news [ #link_6 ]
________________________________________________________________________
Annual event celebrates adoption while highlighting need for more adoptive parents
Minnesota families who adopted children from foster care in the past year and those considering adopting foster children will have a chance to celebrate and learn more at an upcoming free event.
The 27th annual “Celebrate Adoption: Circus of the Heart” event will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Attractions in the fair’s North End Events Center will include arcade games, crafts, prizes, music, mascots, clay art, henna art, face painting, outdoor activities and photo opportunities. Parking is free.
Adoption experts will also be available to answer questions about adoption from foster care.
The event is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Foster Adopt Minnesota and other partners.
“Every child deserves a permanent family and the chance to thrive in a nurturing and stable home,” said DCYF Commissioner Tikki Brown. “Adoption is a lifeline for children who have faced the hardships of family separation. While we must recognize the challenges and trauma that come with these experiences, we also celebrate the strength of new families.”
More information is in a DCYF news release [ [link removed] ].
________________________________________________________________________
Big changes in Medicare choices for 2025
Medicare open enrollment began on Oct. 15. There are big changes that beneficiaries should know about for 2025.
Starting in January, some health care providers may no longer be “in-network” for certain Medicare Advantage Plans. New benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act also kick in, such as a new maximum $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on Part D prescription drugs and a new payment plan option to make paying for prescriptions more manageable.
Changes in Medicare Advantage plans mean an estimated 60,000 Minnesotans currently have providers, clinics and hospitals that will no longer be in-network. Some beneficiaries will have to change doctors or change their Medicare Advantage Plan during open enrollment to get their health care coverage back in sync.
“Each year, we urge Minnesotans to review their Medicare options to make sure their coverage will fit their needs for the coming year,” said Maureen Schneider, chair of the Minnesota Board on Aging. “This year, it’s even more important to make sure that your doctors and clinics are still covered and that your coverage is affordable and meets your personal needs.”
Open enrollment, which runs through Dec. 7, is the time each year when beneficiaries can make adjustments to their Medicare plans.
More information is in a Minnesota Board on Aging news release [ [link removed] ].
________________________________________________________________________
In social media: "Don't lose it"
Don't lose it! Return your Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare renewal paperwork
">> Follow DHS on X (formerly Twitter) [ [link removed] ] and Facebook [ [link removed] ] f"or timely updates on DHS news and events.""
">> For announcements of hiring events, job postings, internships and more, follow us on LinkedIn [ [link removed] ] and the "DHS Careers Facebook page [ [link removed] ].""
________________________________________________________________________
Accessible formats
For accessible formats of this publication, write to
[email protected], or call 651-431-2000 or use your preferred relay service.
St. Cloud hearing loss resource fair is next week
St. Cloud Hearing Loss Resource Fair 2024
If you’re having a hard time understanding people or find yourself turning up the volume on the TV or radio, plan to visit the St. Cloud Hearing Loss Resource Fair.
What:
* Get a free hearing screening.
* Visit with local organizations to learn what they have to offer for better communication access.
* See assistive technology in action and learn about different tools that might make your life easier.
When:
* Thursday, Nov. 7, noon to 4 p.m.
* Friday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where:
* St. Cloud Library, 1300 West St. Germain, St. Cloud MN 56301
Learn more:
* Get more details online [ [link removed] ].
________________________________________________________________________
Call for members to serve on gambling task force
Do you have experience with problem gambling? Want to help DHS ensure a comprehensive continuum of services is available to all Minnesotans?
Apply today for one of 15 open positions on the Advisory Task Force on Compulsive Gambling.
The task force is particularly in need of applicants who can fill seats representing:
* Ojibwe peoples
* Dakota peoples
* An urban Indian organization
* A young adult in recovery from or at risk of gambling disorder.
Meetings will be a collaborative space for members to discuss and advise on gambling recovery and treatment best practices. Meetings are every other month for 90 minutes. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.
Learn more about how you can make difference, and how to apply to serve on the task force on the Secretary of State's website [ [link removed] ].
________________________________________________________________________
In the news
newspaper beside a coffee cup
*Emma Norton ‘living room’ option provides crisis help in a relaxed environment: *Earlier this summer, a new option for people in mental health crisis opened at the Emma Norton Residence, a housing facility in St. Paul for people who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless and managing mental illness and/or chemical dependency. Startup costs for the Emma Norton Living Room were funded in part by a grant from DHS. Learn more in a MinnPost article [ [link removed] ].
*Minnesota's prevention experts put their heads together in Saint Cloud: *Drug prevention experts gathered this month in St. Cloud to talk about strategies to prevent people, especially children, from using illicit drugs. "Kids are being exposed to different substances every single day," said Andrea Abel, of the DHS Behavioral Health Administration. Learn more in a KARE 11 story [ [link removed] ].
________________________________________________________________________
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page [ [link removed] ].
Stay connected
Minnesota Department of Human Services [ [link removed] ]
Facebook [ [link removed] ] Twitter [ [link removed] ] Youtube [ [link removed] ] LinkedIn [ [link removed] ] Govdelivery [ [link removed] ]
*Subscriber services:*
Manage subscriptions [ [link removed] ] | Help [ [link removed] ]
________________________________________________________________________
This email was sent to
[email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Minnesota Department of Human Services · 540 Cedar St. · Saint Paul, MN 55101 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]
body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;}
