[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6123544,"mediaKeyId","2689467-28671b061467d81cbd4aacfdeac434ff","parentId",2689467,"title","Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency details outreach, homelessness and suicide-prevention work and gaps in volunteer mentoring","audioSeconds",1313,"startMs",1495000,"endMs",2808000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689467-28671b061467d81cbd4aacfdeac434ff&start=1495&end=2808","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689467-28671b061467d81cbd4aacfdeac434ff/thumbnail_1495000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6123544/Michigan/Michigan-Veterans-Affairs-Agency-details-outreach-homelessness-and-suicide-prevention-work-and-gaps-in-volunteer-mentoring","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123544-b47ce6c38f8c4b5164a6e51ccf8fdce6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137480&Signature=kpsei6ND6DhPAktDFtVmEIvenpHxFsyDvfCJE0c7m4nV9yOy~in99gFwWkVWGktexC3fHtF~3ZQB5zsA9r3P0LRPPrJOIief96Noa~IPiTdM84J30V6Id7ak1lSuhyN~LWoIO0u8y1hwI40pDB6fNcsRTp~8VX5zZekZfA9qFxY1mBQ3acu38CugvaszOSft2ErDFsU93bWeAVm2wDnxUsr39aFhIRfvRDxN6gniotgz~BW6dzG3RI7wHjXmsbzHT~-ZBz0pkEqh7V0gxeim5CCp8PicPWvroHI70K51q6DGHF81UCZCURFliuK0g1czZS2g0K0zbJOUgFGa4fZlDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Michigan Legislature","date","2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","article","Brian Love, executive director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), told the House Family and Veterans Committee that MVAA’s mission is to connect Michigan’s more than 516,000 veterans to earned federal and state benefits, and outlined programs the agency runs and funds it administers.

Love said MVAA staff total about 61 people; the agency operates an 800-number resource center staffed by 11 technicians, seven VA‑certified veteran service officers around the state and 11 veteran engagement officers (VEOs) who work regionally. “MVAA was created in 2013 ... to help Michigan veterans and their families get connected to federal and state benefits they’ve earned,” Love said.

Key programs and figures: Love cited VA data that 43.6% of Michigan veterans are enrolled in VA health care and 24.7% receive VA disability compensation. He told the committee that 1,699 veterans in 2023 were counted as experiencing homelessness — a figure MVAA said likely undercounts the true number — and that homelessness among veterans age 65 and older rose 3% between 2022 and 2023. Love said about 90% of identified homeless veterans are male, while homelessness among women veterans with children is rising.

MVAA’s services include a veteran resource call center (+1 800), veteran service officers who assist with claims and documentation (including free DD‑214 copies), several grant programs (county veteran service fund grants, statewide service provision grants, networking grants and a homelessness prevention grant), the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (a longstanding $50 million trust for emergency needs) and the veteran-friendly employer and school recognition programs.

On suicide prevention and peer support, Love described MVAA’s participation in a governor’s challenge program and said the agency has reorganized to add suicide-prevention work to a mental-health/homelessness division. He described efforts to integrate the veteran connector program — a network of health institutions, businesses and community members that ask whether someone in the household has served — to identify veterans early and get them connected to services.

Love also discussed the buddy‑to‑buddy mentorship program, which relies on volunteers. He said the program was effective when it had paid positions funded by private partners (he cited past Major League Baseball support), but currently faces low volunteer response and has been costly to promote. “We’re really having a hard time getting individuals to volunteer their time,” a MVAA official said; Love said the agency was seeking sustainable funding.

Committee members asked about coordination with the 988/988‑for‑veterans national hotline, how community care works for veterans when VA wait times are long, and the agency’s role in expanding veteran specialty courts. Love said 988 (with a veterans routing option) and community care programs are part of the agency’s suicide-prevention and crisis-referral work and that community care can authorize care rapidly when VA appointments are delayed.

Why it matters: MVAA officials framed outreach, early identification and service connection as ways to reduce homelessness and suicide risk among veterans and to bring federal benefit dollars into local communities. Love urged veterans and family members who are not connected to benefits to “please have them call +1 800” so MVAA can assess eligibility and refer to services.

The committee followed with questions about regional outreach, partnerships, the buddy‑to‑buddy volunteer shortfall, veteran courts, and models for serving women veterans with children; Love cited Minnesota as a point of contact for some program design ideas and said MVAA is creating a registry to better track and coordinate services for homeless veterans across the state.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Families and Veterans - 3/18/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Brian Love, executive director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, told the House Family and Veterans Committee that MVAA’s core work is connecting Michigan’s more than 516,000 veterans to federal and state benefits and described outreach, homelessness prevention and suicide-prevention programs as priorities.","taxTitle","2025 House Legislature MI, Michigan","taxId",77683,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6123549,"Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs outlines readiness priorities, recruitment and benefits gaps",601,324000,925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689467-28671b061467d81cbd4aacfdeac434ff&start=324&end=925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689467-28671b061467d81cbd4aacfdeac434ff/thumbnail_324000.jpg","/articles/6123549/Michigan/Michigan-Department-of-Military-and-Veteran-Affairs-outlines-readiness-priorities-recruitment-and-benefits-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123549-d3efbe31e63d477ff74d9b690a651cb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137480&Signature=bEDo8rrPghCuri~9WEWy27j75yxPEv3iZTcXRomwiJDzusuwbNvP3fIwRW42fTYFh-9yAvI9Bryh5QFGNoKeHyR283nG~ve33GYxij4MsTjiXpXKTZlcQWU4CpPsxwZC4oLABOtmw8C2BlAzbkFZhKIFPQjBmq6mGHScqpKoLVqid6ML2iB7vBQWMzED-wFYveTIuhFF7tikcUPaJy9MS4-EyOFuhRFNtdW4xGAKZzJ~VZz5ljFt0C8RJlrELLoq7J5DVTj5Lxx798ixbESSPkxjMgwaJyVXZcvLOurCL2rZ4x0Jgm42aMQf~gkoEnch6U2v9o5fV7SSuRzrD-r-Ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs told the House Family and Veterans Committee on Thursday that the department is “wide reaching” and largely funded by federal dollars, but faces readiness and retention challenges tied to health-care access for service members.

Deputy Director Terry Sabol described the department’s footprint — roughly 11,000 people across the National Guard, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and Michigan Veterans Homes — and said the department is operating at about 95% of authorized service-member strength. “When you sign on the dotted line ... you have in right away become a member for life,” Sabol said, adding the department tries to provide services for veterans “from the time that you sign on the dotted line until the time that you pass.”

The department emphasized three budget priorities Sabol said it is working on with appropriations committees: an encroachment solution at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, a childcare-assistance benefit for National Guard members, and development of a national veterans cemetery in Crawford County.

Why it matters: Department officials said readiness is diminished when members lack routine health care. Sabol told representatives that some Guard members are medically non-deployable for routine issues — including dental problems — because they lack outside health coverage. The committee asked how the legislature could help; Sabol said the department is exploring options such as supplementing TRICARE Select coverage and tapping existing state programs to provide insurance for members who lack it.

The Selfridge encroachment issue, Sabol said, will require shifting the runway to address a federally-identified clear-zone problem. He said the waiver that once covered that condition was withdrawn about 10 years ago, and the runway work is needed to preserve future fighter missions at the base.

On recruitment and retention, Sabol said the department regularly monitors staffing and retention trends and is trying to reach 100% of authorized end-strength. He described armories and installations across the state — including Camp Grayling, Battle Creek, Fort Custer, Selfridge and Alpena — and said the Guard’s community ties are important to readiness and retention.

The committee also asked about the Michigan Volunteer Defense Force, a volunteer supplemental organization Sabol described as a citizen reserve that can augment the Guard if needed. He said he would provide exact membership numbers later.

Votes at a glance: Representative Johnson moved to adopt the minutes of the March 4 meeting “without objection.” The clerk recorded the motion as ordered; no roll-call vote was recorded.

Committee members followed Sabol’s remarks with questions about how many Guard members might be medically non-deployable due to dental issues and what state steps could reduce that gap. Sabol said the department is pursuing internal and federal program options to improve readiness and health coverage for younger Guard members.

The department asked the committee to coordinate with the legislative affairs office for information and follow-up; Sabol and staff offered to provide additional details on counts and specific program options if requested.","Deputy Director Terry Sabol told the House Family and Veterans Committee the department is nearly fully staffed but faces readiness gaps tied to health-care and dental access, and detailed priorities including an encroachment fix at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, a childcare benefit pilot and a planned veterans cemetery in Crawford County.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6123538,"Michigan Veterans Homes rated top 5% by CMS; $34 million state match to underpin Marquette replacement project",0,3988000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689467-28671b061467d81cbd4aacfdeac434ff&start=3988&end=3988","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689467-28671b061467d81cbd4aacfdeac434ff/thumbnail_3988000.jpg","/articles/6123538/Michigan/Michigan-Veterans-Homes-rated-top-5-by-CMS-34-million-state-match-to-underpin-Marquette-replacement-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123538-3e70be699a46895fda1e7613dda59a47/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137480&Signature=Y0BzcKV7m1ADJu7s4C3l3n37ViA9DBh8DqpZra65dArNMo1AevKdNEhJFVe18T1kT5-PJVDcopuWMon2TjcggF8KmBXy8JYiGxiMdVzKR7PEYG~9nACB2CwCs5RJFc84fr2m15XqB6CcqFZo8j9T0nwS8uNGFwynktXIvbGXIeiXRrIHmlmTMT4Q7tOaZByq7spNkVYZMxKPci9RtmN1yLxtj8KO-cC7XzCcqj1dJ1xp1DanlBG6gpD8eKWr9aUB6s93o1Q1Po9hJBI3GXfZPHiVT3ip9U9t0MtUqueFQe2qoUNsP6coGZ06M8I5owfhLo14c0ZjANlZSXNKlNe8~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Anne Zerbe, executive director of Michigan Veterans Homes, briefed the House Family and Veterans Committee on the state’s three veterans homes and a planned replacement of the Jacobetti (Marquette) facility.

Zerbe said the state operates three homes — Chesterfield, Grand Rapids and Jacobetti in Marquette — under a VA–state partnership that provides per‑diem funding. She reported that all three homes now carry five‑star ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Grand Rapids and Chesterfield rank 11th and Jacobetti 13th among Michigan nursing homes in CMS ratings, putting them in the top 5% statewide.

Zerbe described an infrastructure plan for Jacobetti: the state approved a $34 million state-match appropriation that will unlock approximately $63–64 million in federal match funding through the VA for a total project budget she cited as $97 million. The project is designed using a “small home” model with a central community space and smaller household clusters to create a more residential environment.

Timeline and operations: Zerbe said the final federal grant paperwork was nearing completion and anticipated construction would start this year in May, with a construction window of roughly 24 to 36 months. She noted the Marquette building dates to the 1950s and has infrastructure challenges the project aims to address.

Capacity, staffing and wait lists: Zerbe said the homes operate near full census and maintain short-term beds for emergent needs, with wait lists at Chesterfield and Grand Rapids; Jacobetti’s wait list was shorter, she said. She reported roughly 400 state employees at the three facilities and an additional 400–500 contracted staff — for a total workforce around 900 — and said staffing metrics compare favorably on CMS staffing measures.

Funding and risk: Committee members asked whether proposed federal Medicaid or Medicare funding changes would affect operations. Zerbe said the homes receive VA per‑diem support and other payments from CMS, Medicaid and out‑of‑pocket sources; if federal reimbursements declined, additional state general‑fund support would be a legislative decision.

Why it matters: The replacement project in Marquette represents a major capital investment intended to modernize long‑term care for veterans in northern Michigan, while the homes’ CMS ratings and staffing numbers were presented as evidence of improved care quality.","Anne Zerbe, executive director of Michigan Veterans Homes, told the committee that all three state veteran homes are CMS five‑star facilities and described a planned $97 million replacement of the Jacobetti facility in Marquette, driven by a $34 million state match that leverages federal funds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency details outreach, homelessness and suicide-prevention work and gaps in volunteer mentoring

Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs outlines readiness priorities, recruitment and benefits gaps

Michigan Veterans Homes rated top 5% by CMS; $34 million state match to underpin Marquette replacement project