A phrase I don’t want to hear from a Veteran or county resident: “I didn’t know the county had a Veterans Services office.”
Recently, our office interacted with an individual who had never heard of County Veterans Services or a County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO). Unfortunately, this situation is not uncommon. Many Veterans don’t apply for benefits until much later in life, often when a medical issue, financial stress, or family concern finally forces the issue.
Despite nearly 200 newspaper articles, regular advertisements in two newspapers, community outreach, and plenty of word-of-mouth, the message still isn’t reaching everyone. That tells me one thing: we need to keep talking about it.
So, let’s start with the basics. County Veterans Service Officers are county employees—not VA employees—whose job is to assist, advise, and advocate for Veterans, their families, survivors, and caregivers. Our services are free of charge. We do not make decisions on VA benefits, but we help navigate a system that can be overwhelming without guidance.
A brief overview of services typically includes assistance with:
• VA disability compensation and pension claims
• VA health care enrollment and questions
• Survivor benefits and Veteran burial benefits
• Minnesota state benefits and programs
• Referrals to other Veteran and community resources
Every Minnesota county has a Veterans Service Officer available to help. If you are a Veteran, married to a Veteran, the child of a Veteran, or know a Veteran who has “never looked into benefits,” please share this information. Many benefits are not automatic, and most are not retroactive. If you don’t apply, VA cannot act.
A friendly reminder about how we operate. Our office is open to the public, and walk-ins are welcome. However, we may not be available to immediately assist you. Much of our work happens behind the scenes—developing claims, reviewing records, meeting deadlines, and following up with VA. Scheduling an appointment helps us better serve you and minimizes frustration when we’re unable to meet on demand.
We are fortunate to assist as many Veterans as we do, but that workload makes on-the-spot availability difficult. Calling or emailing ahead to schedule an appointment is the best way to ensure you receive the time and attention you deserve.
If this article helps even one Veteran discover services they didn’t know existed, it has done its job.
Brad Anderson and Melissa Crandall, Lake County Veterans Service Officers, 218.834.8326 or cvso@co.lake.mn.us
Karen Christianson, Cook County Veterans Service Officer, 218.387.3639, or karen.christianson@ co.cook.mn.us
