Women Veterans Program
Mission Statement
The mission of the Minnesota Women Veterans program is to ensure women veterans have equitable access to federal and state benefits and services. The program ensures response to the gender specific needs of women veterans and that women veterans are treated with dignity and respect. It provides outreach events to improve awareness of available benefits, services, and eligibility criteria for the women who served the United States Armed Forces under other than dishonorable conditions.
The Women Veterans Coordinator collaborates with federal, state and local agencies pertinent to women veterans; coordinates and performs outreach events to improve benefits and services available; assesses the needs of Minnesota Women Veterans and provides recommendations for benefits and service improvements to the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs.
Announcements
See "Upcoming Events" below.
Resources
Center for Women Veterans
The primary mission of the Center for Women Veterans is to review VA programs and services for women veterans, and assure that women veterans receive benefits and services on a par with male veterans, encounter no discrimination in their attempt to access them, and are treated with the respect, dignity, and understanding by VA service providers.
Vet Center
Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to all veterans who served in any combat zone. Services are also available for their family members for military related issues. Veterans have earned these benefits through their service and all are provided at no cost to the veteran or family.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center program operates a system of 207 community based counseling centers. The Vet Centers are staffed by small multi-disciplinary teams of dedicated providers, many of which are combat veterans themselves. Vet Center staff are available toll free during normal business hours at 1-800-905-4675 (Eastern) and 1-866-496-8838 (Pacific).
Duluth - www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=425
Fargo - www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5132
St. Paul - www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=426
More information
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V)
To provide assistance throughout Minnesota to positively motivate veterans and their families who are homeless or experiencing other life crises. Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans accomplishes its mission by providing services directly or in collaboration with other service agencies.”
www.mac-v.org
Women's Mental Health Center
The Center was created in recognition of women veterans and their right for gender-sensitive, high quality mental health care. The Center's mission, to promote the psychological well-being of women veterans, is advanced via provision of individual and group therapy, and delivery of psychoeducational classes and seminars developed in response to the unique needs of the women we serve.
More than a decade ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs opened the National Women's Trauma Recovery Program (WTRP) as part of the National Center for PTSD at Menlo Park, CA. The WTRP, designed to treat women veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is the first residential program of its kind and is open to women across the country. Many of the women who are referred to the program were sexually assaulted during their military service and suffer what is now referred to as Military Sexual Trauma (MST).
www.womenvetsptsd.va.gov
Faith Based Communities
The Governor's Council on Faith and Community Service Initiatives was created by Governor Tim Pawlenty to develop a closer connection between the state government and faith and community organizations by increasing access to existing funding resources, reducing barriers to the delivery of services and promoting best practices. It is our goal to provide an easily accessible comprehensive tool that connects you to available resources.
www.faithandcommunity.state.mn.us
National Women's Health Information Center
The Office on Women's Health (OWH) was established in 1991 within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its Vision is to ensure that "All Women and Girls are Healthier and Have a Better Sense of Well Being." Its mission is to "provide leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex/gender-specific approaches." The strategy OWH uses to achieve its mission and vision is through the development of innovative programs, by educating health professionals, and motivating behavior change in consumers through the dissemination of health information.
www.4woman.gov
Minnesota Female Vietnam Veterans
Are you a Vietnam veteran with ties to Minnesota? Did you grow up in Minnesota? Spend your whole life, or just part of it, in Minnesota? Live on the border of Minnesota? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, please consider volunteering to participate in an oral history project for the Minnesota Historical Society and a book to be published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
Informational brochure on the project
National Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation
Upcoming events
From Boot Camp to Veteran Volume 6 - "Honoring all Military Women; Past, Present & Future wiil be held on May 14, 2011 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the NorthernStar Base Camp (www.explorebasecamp.org), 201 Bloomington Rd., St. Paul, MN. The event is FREE and open to the public.
Featuring:
- Guest Speaker: Celia Szelwach of Atlas Research
- Presentations by:
- Veteran Benefits and Health Administration
- Health & Wellness Exposition
- Presentation of Minnesota Woman Veteran of the Year
- Light Luncheon provided
- Opportunity to Meet Women Case Managers Face to Face
For more information, contact Pat Manley at the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs at (612) 970-5646 or patricia.manley@va.gov.
Event flyer
Organizations for Women Veterans / Civilian Woman Organizations
Blue Star Mothers - www.bluestarmothers.org
Center for Women Veterans - www1.va.gov/womenvet/
Gold Star Mothers - www.goldstarmoms.com
Military Woman - www.militarywoman.org
Minnesota Women Veterans Information Network - www.mnwomenveterans.com
United States Army Women's Foundation - www.armywomensfoundation.org
United States Army Women's Museum - www.awm.lee.army.mil
USA Business and Professional Women's Foundation - www.bpusa.com
WAVES National - www.onceawave.org
Women in Military Service for America - www.womensmemorial.org
Women Marine Association - www.womenmarines.org
Women's Army Corps Veterans Association - www.armywomen.org
Women of the Waves - www.womenofthewaves.com
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