With the start of Medicare open enrollment on Oct. 15, the Minnesota Board on Aging’s Senior LinkAge Line is prepared to help Minnesotans navigate significant changes to Medicare plans. Senior LinkAge Line, at 1-800-333-2433 and via chat at SeniorLinkAgeLine.com, is available to help people weigh their plan options and provide comprehensive, unbiased Medicare counseling. The Senior LinkAge Line has temporarily extended its hours and will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays.

All children deserve to be safe at home. Thankfully, Minnesota has thousands of foster families who provide support and stability to youth in need. The department recently celebrated foster families at a Minnesota Twins game at Target Field. Minnesota needs more foster parents in its bullpen – are you ready to make a difference? View the Steps to Become a Foster Parent to learn more.

In order to address the opioid crisis gripping the state, we’re working with state and community partners to increase awareness, decrease the number of persons who develop opioid use disorder and reduce the harms resulting from opioid addiction. Read more.

Crisis Text Line is Minnesota’s new text-based suicide prevention and mental health crisis service. Text MN to 741741 to be connected with a trained counselor who will help you and connect you to local resources. Crisis Text Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in all parts of the state. Read More.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program, both of which are authorized through the federal farm bill. Visit the 2018 Farm bill: Minnesota’s nutrition programs webpage to learn more about these programs and the impact of the farm bill on hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans.