Accessibility menu
State Representative Sarah Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5511
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
OP/ED COLUMN
VETS NEED MORE THAN ONE DAY OF REMEMBERANCE
For many soldiers just back from Iraq, this year was their first Veterans’ Day after serving their country. They join the ranks of fellow veterans of past wars, all of whom deserve a well-earned thank you for their courageous service. As they make the difficult transition back to civilian life, it becomes our job to make sure they have the proper service and support systems. Two of the most important issues they face revolve around mental health and homelessness. This session we worked to make sure we are ready to serve more than 2,600 returning soldiers.
Earlier this fall, the governor announced a health care partnership that will provide on-site mental health consultation, education and referral at 22 armories across Minnesota, with the closest one to us being in Brooklyn Park. This will help deal with mental health issues among veterans. It’s the only program of its kind in the nation, giving veterans on-site consultations with mental health professionals who can also refer them to specialists for dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, insomnia, grief and marital issues.
In addition, the LinkVet service makes it easier for veterans and their families to find services and ensure immediate crisis intervention. Trained staff from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Crisis Connection counselors will provide seven-day-a-week coverage for immediate crisis intervention and psychological counseling. The phone number is 1-888-LINKVET (546-5838).
We are also devoting resources to ending homelessness among veterans. A recent study cited a rise in untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a major cause of homelessness. Doctors are finding that veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have higher rates of PTSD, so our hope is that we can prevent homelessness with the mental health counseling I mentioned earlier. That, combined with $1.5 million the Legislature gave to County Veterans Service Organizations (CVSO) should help us prevent new veterans from falling victim to homelessness.
We all benefit when a veteran chooses to live in Minnesota. That is why it is so important for us to continue supporting the Minnesota GI Bill that we created this year, which helps veterans finish college by covering costs that federal GI aid does not.
Veterans are also highly-skilled, civic-minded individuals with many of the talents today’s corporations seek in new workers. In fact, more than 100 businesses held a job fair last week in Brooklyn Park just to court veterans. Continuing our commitment to helping veterans encourages more businesses to do the same.
Through active military service and their contributions here in Minnesota, veterans never stop doing good for our country. For all that they have done and will continue to do, we say simply: Thank you, and how can we help?
-30-
News Items
- 2013 budget: every man, woman and child in the state will pay more - (Posted: May 23 2013 12:07PM)
- Nursing homes and hospitals will be the hardest hit by the House Democrat majority’s $150 million in cuts to Health and Human Services - (Posted: May 9 2013 4:21PM)
- Legislation unionizing independent, privately-held daycare providers is traveling through the Legislature on a fast track - (Posted: May 6 2013 12:53PM)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.