April 2023 Resource Update

Age-Friendly Advocacy 101

Tuesday, May 5, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - At the Capitol

A FREE workshop presented by the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging. Are you interested in being a champion for positive change in your community? Do you want to have a greater impact in your legislative advocacy? This FREE training will help you gain knowledge, skills and confidence to engage effectively with Minnesota policymakers on aging issues. Learn more/Register

Living Independently with Hearing Loss video chat

Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

OR

Thursday, April 20, 2023, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. (1 CEU for Social Workers, Nurses and other providers available)

Join this chat to learn more about:

• How to make communication easier.

• What assistive technology you can use.

• How to request accommodations.

• What the laws say about access.

• How Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division can help.

Who should attend?

• People with hearing loss

• Family members and friends

• Caregivers

• Social workers

• Nurses

• Other service providers

Registration is free: online registration form. Please register by April 4, 2023.

For more information: MN Dept. of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Division

Download a printable flier. (PDF)

Up to 375,000 Minnesotans may lose Medicaid coverage within year

Help families remember to UPDATE THEIR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE or Minnesota Care. Beginning April 1st, 2023, the annual renewal process will restart for Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program). Renewals were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, however they must restart according to federal law. Renewals will take place based on the anniversary month of the enrollee’s application for coverage. Renewal letters will be sent out in the mail, so it is important to prepare by having updated contact information on file with their county.

DHS has updated a website with all the information about redeterminations and renewals. They also have a communications toolkit with some flyers and they list specific proofs needed to prepare.

Join FREE Aging with Gusto workshop in April

The Vital Aging Network is offering a FREE, three-session, in-person:

Aging with Gusto workshop series

Mondays April 10, 17, 24, from 6-7:30 pm.

Oakdale Public Library, 1010 Heron Ave N, Oakdale

Register at https://washcolib.libcal.com/event/10500210.

Download this flier about the work of Aging with Gusto

Contact Jan Cunningham, Aging with Gusto's program coordinator, at jancunninghamAWG@gmail.com for information about scheduling an Aging with Gusto OR Confronting Aging workshop for your group. Both workshops are available in person or virtually via Zoom. Confronting Aging workshops are one-session events also led by trained facilitators, that guide you and your group through activities that explore the roots and impacts of ageism and create opportunities for you to discover ways to combat it.

Resources for Caregivers of Veterans

National VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL Fact Sheet PDF) & Local Caregiver Support Team

1-855-260-3274 (toll-free) M – F, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sat, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET

VA's National Caregiver Support Line is a toll-free number for caregivers, family members, friends, Veterans, and community partners to contact for information related to caregiving and available supports and services. Call VA’s Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 to learn more about the support that is available to you and for assistance connecting with the

Minneapolis Caregiver Support Team, at the local VA Medical Center, which offers many services to family members and friends who care for Veterans, including on-line courses, telephone support, peer support and information and referrals to help navigate VA health care and to support caregivers of veterans.

The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes

Each year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition measures the availability of rental housing affordable to extremely low-income households and other income groups…The Gap presents data on the affordable housing supply and housing cost burdens at the national, state, and metropolitan levels. The report also examines the demographics, disability and work status, and other characteristics of the extremely low-income households most impacted by the national shortage of affordable and available rental homes.

Results to note:

• In Minnesota, just 38 affordable and available homes exist for every 100 renter households with extremely low incomes. As a result of this shortage of affordable homes, 66% of extremely low-income renter households in Minnesota are severely housing cost-burdened, spending more than half of their limited incomes on housing.

• Forty-eight percent of renter householders with extremely low incomes are seniors or householders with disabilities.

• Severely cost burdened poor households are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience unstable housing situations like evictions.

The full Gap report and interactive map are available at: https://nlihc.org/gap.

March 2023 Resource Update

United Way 211

Remember 211 provides referrals to critical resources in the community. Check out the website and call 211 to speak directly with a specialist.

https://www.211unitedway.org/

Free Tax Preparation Sites The Minnesota Department of Revenue can help connect you to tax preparation resources: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/free-tax-preparation-sites You may qualify for free tax return preparation through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or the AARP Tax-Aide programs. These programs help prepare federal and state income tax and property tax refund returns. Use the search tool on the Department of Revenue website above — or try the interactive map — to find sites, hours, and contact information. You may also qualify to file your own income tax return electronically at no cost. For details, see Free Electronic Filing. St. Paul Vet Center Small counseling center offers confidential help for Veterans, service members, and their families in a non-medical setting at no cost. Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at Vet Centers you can form social connections, try new things, and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed. No need to be enrolled in VA Health Care or have a service connected disability. Call center is available 24/7 at 877-927-8387. https://www.va.gov/st-paul-vet-center/ Safely dispose of unwanted medicine You can bring your unwanted, expired and unused medicines to one of five county drop boxes for free and safe disposal. Safe disposal of unwanted medicine helps prevent crime, drug abuse and accidental poisoning. Not flushing medicines down the drain or disposing of them in the trash helps protect our environment.

Locations: Arden Hills - Ramsey County Sheriff's Patrol Station 1411 Paul Kirkwold Dr. Arden Hills, MN New Brighton Public Safety 785 Old Highway 8 NW New Brighton, MN 55112 North St. Paul City Hall 2400 Margaret Street North St. Paul, MN Saint Paul - Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center 425 Grove St. Saint Paul, MN White Bear Lake Public Safety Department 4701 Highway 61 White Bear Lake, MN

Drop boxes are located inside the lobby at all locations. Free parking is available.

Please note that the medicine drop box located by the city of Maplewood Police Department entrance has closed as of Feb. 1, 2023.

For hours, acceptable items and more information

Need Help Finding Legal Help?

NEW LAWHELPMN.org Guide available

New resources are available to the public including the NEW LawHelpMN.org Guide. You can search by legal issue, lawyer, or the self help library available at www.LawHelpMN.org. The website is available in English, Espanol, Hmoob, and Somali.

Minnesota Legal Advice Online for low income Minnesotans: www.MNLegalAdvice.org

And a new Coordinated Intake Line for referrals for legal services. Call 1-877-BYMNLAW (1-877-696-6529) so you don’t have to tell your story over and over to different agencies.

The Minnesota Elder Justice Center has a great video library of their FREE resource webinars, including the webinar, “Finding Legal Help in Minnesota”, which shows how to use the new LAWHELPMN.org Guide and other resources listed above. Go to: https://elderjusticemn.org/resources/video-library/.

COVID Emergency SNAP (E-SNAP) to end

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) received a waiver from the federal government to temporarily provide extra Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits known as Emergency SNAP, or E-SNAP.

The temporary increase boosted households’ monthly benefit to the maximum allotment for their household size – or, if they were already getting the maximum amount, households received an additional $95 each month. Federal officials declared that the E-SNAP allotments will end after February 2023.

E-SNAP is issued the month after eligibility is approved, therefore most households will get their last E-SNAP payment in March and benefits will return to the standard monthly benefit in April. To learn more and read answers to frequently asked questions visit: https://mn.gov/dhs/snap-changes/end-of-e-snap/.

Ramsey County 2022 Food Security Needs Assessment Executive Summary Available

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84952657369pwd=WE1EMlZVaGN1TGUxMGl0dEp3L3cydz09

February 2023 Resource Update

*New* As of January 17th, US military veterans in an “acute suicidal crisis” can now receive free treatment including inpatient care up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.

If you or a loved one have contemplated suicide, call The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a trained counselor.

• The expanded care announced by the Department of Veterans Affairs is meant to “prevent veteran suicide by guaranteeing no cost, world-class care to veterans in times of crisis.” Veterans who are seeking that care can go to any VA or non-VA health care facility, the release said, and they do not have to be enrolled in the VA system to receive care.

• The new policy says veterans who were discharged after more than two years of service under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible for the care, which will either be paid for or reimbursed by the VA.

• The policy will also apply to former service members, including those in the Reserves, who served “more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation” who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and veterans who were the victim of sexual assault, sexual battery, or sexual harassment while serving.

• According to the VA’s release, the policy will “[p]rovide, pay for, or reimburse for treatment” of eligible veterans’ emergency suicide care, transportation costs, and follow-up care at a VA or non-VA facility, to include 30 days of inpatient care and 90 days of outpatient.

• The policy will also allow the VA to make “appropriate referrals” after a period of emergency suicide care, determine veterans’ eligibility for other service and benefits from the VA, and refer veterans who received the emergency care to other VA programs and benefits.

COVID-19 treatment at no-cost

Flier on the FREE MN Telehealth Test-to-Treat Program

The State of Minnesota launched a new telehealth test-to-treat program to ensure Minnesotans who have tested positive for COVID-19 have easy access to clinician care and, if appropriate, medicine that can reduce their risk of serious illness or hospitalization.

All services, including the consultation, medication and delivery, will come at no cost to the Minnesotans who use this service.

For more information on how to access the test-to-treat program, and for instructions on downloading and getting started with the Cue Health App, visit: care.cuehealth.com/mn or call 1-833-283-8378.

For free COVID testing information and locations, go to: Testing Information

In-home vaccination program

Did you know that Minnesota has a COVID-19 in-home vaccination program? This service applies to homebound residents and children.

Learn who may be eligible.

Language services available.

To schedule, call 1-833-431-2053.

Why do I need an updated booster?

• The virus that causes COVID-19 has changed over time. The different versions of the virus that have developed are called variants. Learn more.

• Updated boosters can help build protection that has decreased since your last shot, and provide better protection against newer variants.

• Boosters are an important part of protecting yourself from getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19.

• Booster shots are common for many vaccines, like the flu shot or Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis).

HomeHelpMN Increases Assistance, Extends Deadline

HomeHelpMN adopted program changes took effect August 12, 2023:

• The cap on assistance was increased to $50,000 per household. The prior limit was $35,000.

• There is no longer a time restriction on past-due expenses. Previously, expenses had to be incurred after January 21, 2020.

For applications being processed, the new criteria will be used and no additional action is needed. Applicants who were previously denied but are still in need of assistance and meet eligibility criteria may request their case be reopened by calling 800.388.3226.

HomeHelpMN can help with:

• OVERDUE MORTGAGE PAYMENTS

If you are behind on your house payments, you may qualify for financial assistance to reinstate your mortgage.

• OTHER PAST-DUE EXPENSES

You may be having a difficult time keeping up with housing-related expenses like property taxes, insurance, association fees or lot rent. We might be able to help with these expenses.

To begin an application or learn more, visit HomeHelpMN.org or call 800.388.3226.

NeighborWorks Home Partners

NeighborWorks Home Partners is ready to lend a hand with affordable home improvement financing to improve home safety and the health of those who live there. NeighborWorks Home Partners can help homeowners living in the 11-county metro area with a Metro Home Loan and MHFA Fix Up Loans. Additional assistance is available to Ramsey County homeowners living in the Cities of St. Paul, Shoreview and Woodbury. Call: 651-292-8710 or visit: NeighborWorks Home Partners Home Improvement Loans.

Ramsey County Library has growing “Library of Things”

You can now check out a drill set, bundt pan, dessert decorating set, various games, knit or crochet kits, etc. Go to https://www.rclreads.org/and search for: Library of Things. The library also has a variety of puzzles on site to take, enjoy, keep or return.